Long-Term Space Nutrition: A Scoping Review.

Hong Tang,Hope Hui Rising,Manoranjan Majji,Robert D Brown

doi:10.3390/nu14010194

Hong Tang, Hope Hui Rising + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14010194

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Journal: Nutrients	Publication Date: Dec 31, 2021
Citations: 35	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Gansu Agricultural University, Texas A&M University

Abstract

This scoping review aimed to identify current evidence and gaps in the field of long-term space nutrition. Specifically, the review targeted critical nutritional needs during long-term manned missions in outer space in addition to the essential components of a sustainable space nutrition system for meeting these needs. The search phrase “space food and the survival of astronauts in long-term missions” was used to collect the initial 5432 articles from seven Chinese and seven English databases. From these articles, two independent reviewers screened titles and abstracts to identify 218 articles for full-text reviews based on three themes and 18 keyword combinations as eligibility criteria. The results suggest that it is possible to address short-term adverse environmental factors and nutritional deficiencies by adopting effective dietary measures, selecting the right types of foods and supplements, and engaging in specific sustainable food production and eating practices. However, to support self-sufficiency during long-term space exploration, the most optimal and sustainable space nutrition systems are likely to be supported primarily by fresh food production, natural unprocessed foods as diets, nutrient recycling of food scraps and cultivation systems, and the establishment of closed-loop biospheres or landscape-based space habitats as long-term life support systems.

Highlights

IntroductionFresh and packaged food onboard long-term transportation systems has been a topic of intense research [1,2]
Received: 23 November 2021From time immemorial, fresh and packaged food onboard long-term transportation systems has been a topic of intense research [1,2]
The first major finding suggests that resupplies for long-term space mission are costprohibitive it is technologically feasible for short-term missions

Summary

Introduction

Fresh and packaged food onboard long-term transportation systems has been a topic of intense research [1,2]. In addition to facilitating Earth exploration, and most famously, the discovery of the new world, nutrition became a commercial entity and ushered in a new age in human exploration [3–6]. The Industrial Revolution and the ensuing progress of humanity can be largely attributed to the nutrition industry, which provided capacitance against natural disasters and calamities, while ensuring food security for the burgeoning world population. A variety of new techniques and technologies continue to be researched to harness resources from the harsh space environment to provide a sustainable means of space nutrition, while influencing the food preservation and culinary practices of future generations [7,8]

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