Six Of The Most Important Factors When It Comes To Determining Your Unique Nutrition Needs

Posted on: 1 October 2020

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Every individual's nutritional needs differ slightly in various ways. This is one of the things that makes nutrition consulting so important.

An individual's nutrition needs are generally determined by a few major factors. Understanding what these factors are can help you to determine your nutrition needs with a nutrition consultant. It's important that you discuss these factors with nutrition consultants to make sure that they fully understand your unique needs. 

The following are six of the most important factors when it comes to determining your nutrition needs. 

Gender

Women and men have slightly different nutrition needs. Men generally need to consume more calories than women to maintain their body weight. Men also have higher protein intake needs on average than women do.

On the other hand, women generally need more of certain nutrients than men such as folic acid, iron, and calcium. 

Genetics

An individual's genes can impact their nutritional needs. This is especially true if one considers conditions such as heart disease and osteoporosis.

If members of your family are genetically prone to heart disease, you need to be especially careful regarding cholesterol consumption. You need to minimize your consumption of LDL cholesterol to avoid putting yourself at risk of conditions like heart attack and stroke.

If you are genetically prone to osteoporosis, you need to consume higher levels of calcium and vitamin D to keep your bones strong. 

Age

Our nutritional needs change with age. As individuals get older, they become more likely to experience deficiencies of a wide range of different nutrients. Some examples include calcium, iron, magnesium, and vitamin B12. Therefore, it could be best for aging individuals to increase the intake of these nutrients. 

Medications

Certain medications can change the nutritional requirements of an individual in a variety of ways. In particular, medications can frequently impact nutrition by inhibiting nutrient absorption.

One example is anticonvulsant and corticosteroid drugs. These drugs can make it harder for the body to take in calcium. Another example is metformin, which is commonly prescribed to diabetics. Metformin has been shown to reduce levels of vitamin B12 in a patient's body. 

Patients taking drugs that inhibit nutrient absorption may need to take supplements to ensure that they get enough of impacted nutrients. 

Level of activity

The more active you are, the more calories you're going to need to consume. The type of activity you engage in can impact your nutritional needs. If you engage in resistance training, for example, you'll want to increase your protein intake in addition to your calorie intake. 

Allergies and food intolerances

Your diet could be lacking in certain nutrients because of allergies or food intolerances. For example, you may take in less B vitamins and iron than others if you have a wheat allergy. 

For more information or to get started, reach out to a local nutrition consultation service.