20.3.2.3 Astronauts
The preoccupation of nutritionists today is, of course, focused on the various sectors
of the population here on Earth. Our experience with extraterrestrial travel has
only a 41-yr history,40 but since the initial flights, astronauts have been under special
scrutiny, and already several nutrition/metabolism-related problems have been noted
as a result of weightlessness, nutrient intake changes, and stress. 41–46The nutrition/metabolism problems that affect the performance of astronauts
include: gastrointestinal disorders, bone calcium loss, radiation damage, and immune
response changes.41,42, 47–50 As space flights get longer in duration, health/metabolism
problems will become even more important and may, in fact, put limits on how long
we can live away from Earth.42,45, 51 Some of the properties of fermented foods noted
in this book may present partial solutions to these space travel related problems.