Introduction: The Human

and Changing Nutrients Needs

Healthy diet through life
 A healthy diet is made up of a balance
and variety of different foods, which
provides all of the nutrients required by
the body

 At certain stages through life individuals

requirements for energy and nutrients
are different

Can you think when this might be?

 Main stages in life

Babies and
Adolescence
toddlers

Pregnancy and Childhood Adults and

breastfeeding older adults
Energy and nutrient requirements
What are the factors that affect the energy
and nutrient requirements for individuals?

Age Sex

Body composition Level of activity

Diet in pregnancy
 During pregnancy the basic principles
of a healthy diet stay the same

 Besides the nutrients provided by a

healthy varied diet, there are some
micronutrients that are very important
for the development of the baby

 Of these, women have increased

requirements during pregnancy
Diet in pregnancy: folate
 In early pregnancy, folate (natural form of
folic acid found in foods): needed for rapid
cell division and growth in the foetus

 It can reduce the chance of neural tube

defects in the baby, e.g. spina bifida

 Women who are pregnant or thinking of

having a baby are advised to take a daily
supplement of 600μg DFE (RNI, 2017)
Diet in pregnancy: folate
 Women who are at a higher risk of an
NTD may need to take higher doses of
folate as prescribed by their doctors

 Natural folates are also important

 The recommended intake for pregnant

women is increased to 600μg/day of
folates (for non-pregnant women it is
400μg/day) throughout pregnancy
Diet in pregnancy: vitamin D
 Vitamin D status during pregnancy will
affect the bone development of the
baby

 To make sure that pregnant women get

enough vitamin D, they are advised to
take a daily supplement containing
10μg of vitamin D (RNI: 15μg/day)
Diet in pregnancy: iron
 Pregnant women should eat plenty of
foods that are high in iron to avoid iron
deficiency

 Iron is found in red meat, pulses, eggs,

bread, green vegetables and fortified
foods such as breakfast cereals
Diet in pregnancy: vitamin A
 Vitamin A is important for healthy
development of the baby, but large
amounts can be harmful
 Pregnant women should not take any
supplements containing vitamin A, also
watch out for multivitamin supplement
 Pregnant women should also avoid liver
and liver products because they contain
a lot of vitamin A
Diet in pregnancy: energy
 Many women think that they need to eat
for two when they are pregnant, and this
can encourage them to put on too much
weight during pregnancy
 The increase in energy requirements is only
a small fraction of the amount normally
needed, particularly in the first trimester
(80kcal/day )
 On average pregnant women are advised
to eat an extra 470kcal/day in the third
trimester only
Diet in pregnancy: energy
 Women who are underweight at the start
of pregnancy or who stay as active as they
were before getting pregnant may need
more energy

 During pregnancy, particularly in the last 3

months, a woman’s nutritional needs
increase to:
o help the growth of breasts, uterus, placenta
o meet the needs of the growing foetus
o lay down stores of nutrients in the foetus and
in the mother for breastfeeding
Babies and toddlers
 The process of producing breast milk and
delivering it to the baby is called lactation
 Breast milk usually provides all the energy,
nutrients and fluids that baby needs in order
to grow and develop healthily during the
first six months of life
 After about 6 months, other foods must be
given in addition to breast milk or infant
formula: weaning
What type of foods would be suitable for
weaning a baby?
Childhood
 Children grow quickly and become
increasingly active as they get older
 Children have a higher energy requirement
for their body size compared to adults
 They need foods that provide enough
energy but are also rich in nutrients
 Childhood is an important time for growth
and development and children need a
good supply of protein & other nutrients
(e.g. calcium, iron and vitamins A and D)
Childhood
Why are calcium and vitamin D important?
 Calcium is needed for healthy tooth
development, and together with vitamin D
can help develop strong bones

Dental hygiene
 Children should pay attention to dental
hygiene and ways to prevent dental caries
 Food or drinks that are high in sugar
should only be eaten occasionally, in small
amounts and not in between meals
Adolescence
 During this time young people grow and
develop rapidly
 Adolescents require an increased amount
of energy and nutrients for these physical
changes
 Requirements for many vitamins and
minerals are higher compared to younger
children, and are different for boys and
girls: boys need > protein and energy to
support their later growth spurt
Adolescence
 Although it is important for adolescents
to have enough energy and nutrients for
growth and development, if more is
eaten than needed, they can become
overweight, especially if they are
inactive
Adults
 Nutritional requirements do not change
much between the ages of 19 to 59,
except during pregnancy and lactation
 On average, Malaysian adults are eating
too much saturated fat and salt, and not
enough oily fish, fruits and vegetables
 Poor diet and lack of exercise can lead to
diseases: obesity, CVDs, diabetes, cancer
What is the recommendation for physical
activity for adults?
Older adults
 Requirements for energy gradually
decrease after the age of 59 as
activity level falls
 To maintain good health, it is important
that older adults:
 have adequate nutrient intakes
 enjoy their food
 keep active

 It is also important that older adults keep

hydrated by drinking plenty of fluid
Thank you
DR MARHAZLINA MOHAMAD
SCHOOL OF NUTRITION AND DIETETICS
FACULTY OF HEALTH SCIENCES
UNIVERSITI SULTAN ZAINAL ABIDIN
marhazlina@unisza.edu.my