Nutritional recommendations that help astronauts solve health problems associated with extended stints in space can also help patients on Earth, according to nutritional biochemist Scott M. Smith of the NASA Johnson Space Center.
Smith will discuss space flight nutrition and its implications for those on Earth and on the International Space Station, Nov. 12, at 7 p.m. in the Campanile Room of the University Student Union. The event is free and open to the public.
The lecture is sponsored by the Ethel Austin Martin Program in Human Nutrition, which seeks to advance knowledge in the science of human nutrition through collaborative, interdisciplinary research.
NASA scientists monitor the vitamin and mineral status, bone metabolism and muscle markers of space station astronauts, explained Smith, who is head of NASA’s Nutritional Biochemistry Lab. For one ongoing study, blood and urine samples are collected five times during a six-month mission to evaluate nutrition and basic physiology.
Monitoring the biochemical changes in these healthy individuals can give scientists clues that will help them treat patients with similar symptoms. For instance, Smith said, “The bone loss that we see in space is similar to bone diseases we see on Earth.” The data that helped NASA scientists determine how much vitamin D astronauts needed to prevent bone loss was also used to update dietary recommendations for the general population.
“Looking at human adaptation to the space environment can help us better understand medical issues on Earth,” he said.