57121 - Human Feeding and Nutrition

Learning outcomes

The aim of the course is to give a basic knowledge about the nutritional composition of foods, the role of macro- and micronutrients, their dietary intake and requirements as well as the ,  role of foods and optimal nutrition in the prevention/counteraction of chronic and degenerative diseases.

 

Course contents

• Food and nutrition: use and operational meaning of the terms. Food safety and nutritional safety. Food groups and their main nutritional composition
• Basic nutrition: macronutrients and micronutrients: definition and functions. Essential nutrients. Caloric value of nutrients. Reference values for power supply. Body mass index. Body composition and its modifications. Energy expenditure and its components. Food groups and nutritional characteristics of each group.
• Carbohydrates: nutritional definition, nutritional sources, energy value. Role of available carbohydrates in the diet, minimum requirement and recommended requirement. Glycemic index and glycemic load. Integration of carbohydrate metabolism. Unavailable carbohydrates: dietary fiber. Functional characteristics; Classification of dietary fiber; Role on health;
• Lipids: classification and chemical composition. Nutritional sources and energy value. Fatty acids of nutritional interest: saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated, trans fatty acids. Lipid requirement. Essentiality of fatty acids. Polyunsaturated fatty acids: n-6 and n-3 families. Dietary cholesterol and endogenous cholesterol. Integrated lipid metabolism.
• Proteins: nutritional significance. Protein turnover. The nutritional value of proteins: concept of limiting amino acid, chemical score, biological value, protein complementarity. Integrated metabolism of proteins.
• Vitamins: nutritional significance and relationship with the metabolism. Fat-soluble vitamins: A, D, E, K, their biochemical action and deficiency, recommended needs, food sources and toxicity. Water-soluble vitamins: group B, ascorbic acid, deficiency, recommended needs, food sources.

Readings/Bibliography

CARLA PIGNATTI "Fondamenti di Alimentazione e Nutrizione Umana"

Ed Esculapio, 2020. 

This is a specific book for these nursing students. This book also contains all the slides of the course as well as a lot of exercises for exam tests

Teaching methods

Teaching methods consist in frontal lessons and discussions about topics of great interest concerning human nutrition.  

Assessment methods

The examination aims at verifying the acquisition of the theoretical knowledge of topics presented during the course

The examination is perfomed as written test with 16 questions having four possible answers of which only one is true. The test has to be completed in 20 minutes. 2 point for each correct answer and no penalty for wrong answers. A score over 32 points will be converted in 30L

During the exam, it is not allowed support material as books, notes and informatic tools.

The Nutrition module (1 CFU) is part of the Integrated Course "Physiological Sciences" together with Physics (2 CFU) and Physiology (3 CFU). The grades obtained in the individual modules will be kept valid for one calendar year and will contribute to determining, by means of a weighted average, the final grade of the integrated course.

Teaching tools

Theoretical lessons with Power Point slides. During the course the main food composition databases will also be illustrated.

Office hours

See the website of Carla Pignatti