Clinical Nutrition; the Practice of Analyzing If a Person Is Consuming Enough Nutrients for Good Health

 

Clinical nutrition is a discipline which helps prevent, diagnose, and manage nutritional changes in patients linked to acute and chronic diseases and conditions. It incorporates primarily the scientific fields of nutrition and dietetics. Nutrition provides people with the required amount of minerals, vitamins, water, fats, carbohydrates, and proteins essential for proper functioning and physiological activities. It is recommended that everyone should consumes these seven nutrients on a daily basis to help them build their bodies and maintain their health.

Furthermore, clinical nutrition products help maintain the nutritional balance in patients, by providing sufficient amounts of nutrients. These products are designed to nourish and improve the quality of life for people of all ages. A healthy diet promotes healthy pregnancy outcomes, helps to maintain a healthy body weight, supports normal growth, development, and ageing, and reduces the risk of chronic disease leading to overall health and well-being. Thus, with the growing geriatric population worldwide, the demand for clinical nutrition is also increasing.

For example, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, there were 40.3 million U.S. residents 65 years and older in the 2010 Census and 54.1 million in the July 1, 2019, population estimates, and that number is expected to grow to almost 90 million by 2050. This in turn is expected to increase the demand for clinical nutrition in the U.S. In September 2020, Baxter International Inc. announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of new formulations of Clinimix and Clinimix E with higher protein for patients requiring parenteral nutrition.

The primary objective of the clinical nutrition is to provide individuals with expert advice and a comprehensive understanding of nutrition. Their objective is also to promote education, prevention, and control of nutrition-related disease and disorders through educational materials and clinical programs. Nutrients have one or more of three basic functions: contribute to body structure, provide energy, and/or regulate chemical processes in the body. Clinical nutrition helps prevent malnutrition, restore body tissue, and boost energy and immunity in the body.