HEALTHY LIVING

Science-backed Nutrition for Every Stage of Life

The Role of Protein in the Body, Other Nutrients at Different Ages

Sub Heading

Important nutrients for each and every chapter of your life. 

Main Image

Alt text

Duration
MAR. 06, 2019   6 MIN. READ  
Description

Just as your body changes with each stage of life, your nutrition needs change too. Consider the role of protein in the body. In infancy, it's a critical part of growth and development; while in adulthood, protein may help you maintain a healthy BMI or body mass index. And as you age, it can help you support the lean muscle you need to stay active.

The same holds true for other nutrients like vitamins, minerals and certain fats. Researchers at Abbott have been studying the role nutrition plays from early infancy to late adulthood to help people better nourish every stage of life. If you're wondering which nutrients you need now — and in the future — these experts share the latest insights from nutrition science.

Pregnant Women

A woman's diet during pregnancy plays a pivotal role in both the mother's and baby's health.

  • Iron is instrumental in building the red blood cells required to deliver oxygen to a growing baby. Aim for recommended 27 daily milligrams a day and use a prenatal vitamin as directed by a physician.

    Found in:
     dark leafy greens, lean meats, nuts, tofu and white beans

  • Folate is a B vitamin critical for healthy cell growth and preventing spinal cord abnormalities, known as neural tube defects. The key is to get enough folate before you conceive and throughout pregnancy.

    Found in:
     vegetables, including asparagus, Brussels sprouts, and spinach

  • DHA — a unique omega-3 fat — is known to support optimal cell function and cognition, or brain health.

    Found in:
     Foods including salmon, tuna, eggs, nuts and DHA-fortified products.

"Nutrition during pregnancy is critical. In utero, a growing baby will develop 100 to 200 billion brain cells," says Matthew Kuchan, Ph.D., a discovery scientist with Abbott.

Infancy and Childhood

healthy gut is the foundation for a healthy immune system so it's critical that a baby gets the building blocks from the start.

"Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) feed the beneficial bacteria in the gut where 70 percent of a baby's immune system is found," explains Rachael Buck, Ph.D., an Abbott scientist and expert in immune health.

  •  Vitamin E, DHA and lutein are nutrients that work together to benefit baby's developing brain and eyes

    Found in: a
    im to get natural vitamin E from vegetable oils, egg yolks, nut butters and spinach — it may be more effective than synthetic vitamin E supplements[1]Lutein can be found in eggs, and many bright-colored vegetables and dark leafy greens.

  • Protein is a frequently-discussed nutrient, and its value for children shouldn't be overlooked. In fact, one in seven school-aged children may not get the protein they require to support their rapidly growing bodies and developing immune systems[2].

    Found in: 
    cheese, eggs, lean meats, peanut butter, yogurt and PediaSure® drinks

"In the first year of life, a baby's brain is developing quickly, making hundreds of thousands of neural connections every day— faster than any other time in life," says Kuchan. "Getting critical nutrients is important for supporting this rapid window of physical growth and development."

Healthy Adults

Whether you're running your first marathon or simply trying to maintain a healthy BMI, the right nutrients can make a world of difference.

"Because we may begin to naturally lose muscle after we turn 40 — as much as 8 percent of overall muscle mass every decade — getting enough protein every day is even more important as we age," explains Jacqueline Boff, Ph.D., M.B.A., a research scientist at Abbott.

  • Protein is essential at every age, whether you're trying to build muscle, maintain strength or recover from surgery. Aim to eat 25 to 30 grams of protein at every meal to support muscles and help satisfy hunger.

    Found in: meats, beans, dairy products, fish, nuts, seeds, tofu and nutrition drinks like Ensure® Max.
  • Fiber is typically regarded as support for digestive health, but roughage does more than simply give your gut a workout. Fiber-rich foods can help with lowering cholesterol and managing body weight simply by keeping you full. According to reviews in The Lancet eating the recommended levels of fiber may also help reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

    Found in:
     fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains

Aging Adults

According to a review paper in Age and Ageing, one in three adults over age 50 experiences advanced muscle and strength loss, or sarcopenia, which can increase the risk of falls and fractures, hospitalization, and lead to slower recovery from illness or surgery.

For aging adults, an even higher protein intake is recommended to support muscle and strength needs.

  • HMB (beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate) is a substance that supports muscle health and our bodies make it when we eat protein-containing foods. But as we get older our body makes less HMB.

    Found in:
     HMB is hard to get from food alone, but is available from other supplement sources, including some nutrition drinks.
  • Calcium, a remarkable 99 percent of this mineral, is found in our teeth and bones, and it plays a crucial role in keeping them strong. As we age, our bones lose some of that calcium, as well as some of their mass, heightening the risk of osteoporosis and fractures. That's why calcium requirements jump from 1,000 to 1,200 milligrams a day for women over 50 and men over 70.

    Found in:
     Milk, yogurt and cheese
  • Vitamin D is important for sturdy bones, but did you know that it also supports immune health? And, unlike other nutrients, vitamin D is the only one that we can synthesize when our skin is exposed to sunlight. However, as we age, we become less efficient at this process, making diet or supplements more important than ever for getting sufficient vitamin D.

    Found in: e
    ggs, fatty fish, oysters and shrimp and vitamin D fortified dairy products

You've always known good nutrition is important. And now you can aim to get the nutrients you want and need in your diet at each important life stage.

References:
1. Patrick Borel, Damien Preveraud, and Charles Desmarchelier. Bioavailability of vitamin E in humans: an update. Nutrition Reviews 2013; Vol.71(6):319–33.
2. Data on file. December 2018. Abbott Nutrition. NHANES data analysis. School-aged children defined as 6-13 years.

What Is Hydration on a Cellular Level and Why Is It Important?

Main Image

A person wearing workout clothes drinks from a water bottle against a blue sky with scattered clouds.

Description

We all know how it feels not to be properly hydrated. From experiencing thirst to feeling sluggish to noticing that you don't need to urinate as frequently as usual, it's clear that being dehydrated can negatively affect how we feel and move through the day.

While drinking enough fluid is key to helping us feel our best, less of a focus is placed on the importance of cellular hydration, or having enough fluid in the cells to allow them to do their job. But what is hydration when it comes to cells, and why is hydration important on a cellular level?

Reference Page Path
/content/an/newsroom/us/en/healthy-living/diet-wellness/What-Is-Hydration-on-a-Cellular-Level-and-Why-Is-It-Important.html

Healthy Foods to Eat Every Day: 365 Days of Nutrition

Main Image

A person holds out a bowl filled with vegetables and legumes.

Heading

Healthy Foods to Eat Every Day: 365 Days of Nutrition

Description

Key Takeaways

• It's important to eat a well-rounded diet that consists of a variety of nutrient-dense foods.
• Small, incremental changes can make a big difference to your health over time.
• Turning your short-term goals into a long-term lifestyle takes time.

Reference Page Path
/content/an/newsroom/us/en/healthy-living/diet-wellness/healthy-foods-to-eat-every-day--365-days-of-nutrition.html

SELF QUIZ

 
Required

NUTRITION IS THE FOUNDATION FOR LIVING YOUR BEST LIFE. THAT’S WHY WE WORK HARD TO ADVANCE AND SHARE THE LATEST SCIENCE AND CREATE BETTER WAYS TO NOURISH YOUR BODY AT EVERY STAGE OF LIFE.

Subscribe Policy

I understand and agree that the information I’ve provided will be used according to the terms of Abbott’s Privacy PolicyTerms and conditions apply.

Unless otherwise specified, all product and services names appearing in this Internet site are trademarks owned by or licensed to Abbott, its subsidiaries or affiliates. No use of any Abbott trademark, tradename, or trade dress in the site may be made without the prior written authorization of Abbott, except to identify the product or services of the company.

Please click "Accept Sale/Sharing and Targeted Advertising" to enable full site functionality.

At this time, we are experiencing problems with broken links on our site. As an interim solution, for full site functionality you must enable functional and advertising cookies. If you continue to opt-out of these cookies, some content on our site may not be viewable.

We use functional cookies to analyze your use of the site, improve performance and provide a better customer experience. We use advertising cookies to allow us, through certain data assigned and obtained from the user's device, to store or share with third parties information related to user's browsing activity in our website, in order to create an advertising profile and place relevant advertising in our website or those third parties websites. For more information about how Abbott uses cookies please see our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.

In order to accept functional and advertising cookies, please click "Enable Cookies" and then click "Accept Sale/Sharing and Targeted Advertising" to view the full site.

Collapse
Learn more about cookies