We all eat! How are you nourishing your body? What is the relationship between diet and nutrition? This course will allow you to explore different foods and find out what nutrients are present; how are they digested and absorbed? How do they function in the body and are they stored? You will explore the biochemical and physiological effects they have on humans in health and disease. Chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, coronary heart disease and how the physiology and biochemistry are altered will be understood along with dietary management principles.
In addition, you will have practical exercises learning how to measure the nutritional status of people using anthropometric and dietary intake techniques. You will have first-hand knowledge on how to convert food intake into nutrient intake using the national food composition database to be able to estimate intakes and compare them with the nutrient reference values; how nutrition labels are produced by the food industry. You will also learn about the importance of nutrients and requirements throughout the life cycle. A thorough understanding of biochemistry particularly the metabolism of energy, protein, fat, and carbohydrates is essential.
