Nutrition: Foundations for Life

Good Nutrition

“Good nutrition” can be provided through a diet which includes all the substances necessary to sustain life and support growth without producing harm from excessive amounts of those substances.   Variations in sources of nutrition will be better tolerated by some individuals than others.  For example, a familial predisposition to hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular disease makes it imperative that some individuals limit intake of fats.

 How much of certain nutrients does a person need to be healthy? 

The standing Committee on the Scientific Evaluation of Dietary Reference Intakes of the Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine of the National Academies of Sciences has attempted to develop reference data regarding the amount of various nutrients needed by an apparently healthy general population.  These recommendations are based on the following:

• nutrient balance studies

• nutrient intakes of breastfed infants and healthy adults

• biochemical measurement of tissue saturation or molecular function

• extrapolation from animal models

In addition, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for regulating infant formula composition under legislative fiat from Congress. The FDA sponsors recommendations for infant nutrient intake as part of its response to this legislated responsibility.  Actual data derived from studies in infants and children are limited because of ethical, cost and time concerns. 

ïBack

Forwardð