Learn the fundamentals of nutrition and its impact on human health. There is an overload of information about nutrition and health, but what is the truth and what can you do to improve the health of your patients? Learn more about nutrition and how our diet profoundly impacts our current and future health. This course addresses the relationship between nutrition and human health, with a focus on health problems related to overnutrition.
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In this course, Professor Sander Kersten from Wageningen University & Research will explain about the composition of the three macronutrients: carbohydrates, fat and protein. You will learn about their role in the body (how they are absorbed, stored and metabolized for energy) and their impact on our health. Moreover, this course will cover energy homeostasis and the regulation of body weight. You will learn about overweight and obesity and strategies to improve and combat these problems of overnutrition. Finally, the course will make you familiar with nutritional research and research methodologies.
This course is especially useful for health care professionals and people working in the food industry with a non-nutrition background. You will develop a critical mindset by learning to better weigh and interpret information about food, nutrition and health.
This course, is part of the Food, Nutrition and Health Professional Certificate Program of Wageningen University & Research. Did you already complete Nutrition and Health: Micronutrients and Malnutrition? That is the other course in the Food, Nutrition and Health Professional Certificate Program. To explore other learning opportunities about nutrition, have a look at the courses:
What you'll learn:
- Introduction to the field of food and nutrition
- Composition of foods
- Basic chemistry of carbohydrates, fat and protein
- How macronutrients are absorbed, stored and metabolized
- How macronutrients may impact health
- How to better weigh and interpret the information overload about nutrition and health
Syllabus
Module 1: Basic Principles
In the first module you will be introduced into the basics of nutritional science and you will learn about the different study designs that are used in nutrition research.
Module 2: Carbohydrates
In this module you will be introduced to the basics of carbohydrates.
Module 3: Carbohydrates and Health (verified learner only)
In this module we will focus on the health effects of one specific group of carbohydrates: sugar.
Module 4: Lipids
This module will teach you the basics of fats or lipids.
Module 5: Lipids and Health (verified learner only)
This module will start out by discussing cardiovascular (heart) disease and risk factors for cardiovascular disease, and will go on to explore the effects of fatty acids on cholesterol.
Module 6: Proteins and Health
The module starts with the basics of dietary protein, and will go on to address the question of what specific health effects can be attributed to dietary protein.
Module 7: Energy homeostasis sand energy balance
In this module we will look at the balance between food (energy) intake and exergy expenditure.
Module 8: Weight management
This module concentrates on weight management and the topic of obesity.
Module 9: Nutrition and Sports (verified learner only)
In this extra module we look at the impact of nutrition on exercise
