By the time a child is 4-8 years old, his sugar consumption skyrockets to an average of 21 teaspoons a day. The same study found 14-18 year old children intake the most sugar on a daily basis, averaging about 34.3 teaspoons.
In space, the body begins to adapt to the microgravity environment. NSBRIâs science and technology program is addressing ways to reduce or eliminate many of the changes to the body that impact an astronautâs ability to perform well in space and that might impact their health after returning to Earth.
To explore and work in space, human beings must take their environment with them because there is no atmospheric pressure and no oxygen to sustain life. Inside the spacecraft, the atmosphere can be controlled so that special clothing isn't needed, but when outside, humans need the protection of a spacesuit. Earth's atmosphere is 20 percent oxygen and 80 percent nitrogen from sea level to about 75 miles up, where space begins. At 18,000 feet, the atmosphere is half as dense as it is on the ground, and at altitudes above 40/000 feet, air is so thin and the amount of oxygen so small that pressure oxygen masks no longer do the job.