Glossary
Nutritional status.
Direct answer
Nutritional status describes the condition of an organism as it arises from the intake, absorption and utilisation of nutrients. Assessment of nutritional status combines several sources at once: ration calculation or dietary record, physical examination, weight history and laboratory values. A single measurement never suffices.
No marker describes nutritional status on its own. Many laboratory values respond to inflammation, fluid shifts or daily rhythm, quite apart from intake. A low value may therefore signal redistribution rather than shortage, and a normal value does not rule out a subclinical deficiency that is already under way.
In horses, assessment leans heavily on a standardised body condition score, on muscling and on feed intake followed over time, supported by analysis of hay and pasture. In humans, self-report and food diaries are added, with error sources of their own. In both cases, combining several approaches remains the most robust route.
Subclinical deficiencyReference intakeBioavailabilityOmega-3 index
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