85369 - Nutrition for Health and WELLBEING

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student will be able to: - understand the suggestions of National and International Dietary Guidelines and to identify the fundamentals of a healthy eating pattern; - understand the relationship between lifestyle, eating habits and chronic degenerative diseases; - understand the use and abuse of nutritional supplements for wellness and physical activity.

Course contents

Dietary supplements: Dietary guidelines: RDA, food pyramids. Nutrient classes.

Nutrition and metabolism of carbohydrates: food sources, digestion, absorption, metabolism and function. Lactose intolerance. Galactosemia. Foods and glucose tolerance, glycemic index. Dietary fibers.

Nutrition and metabolism of fats: food sources, absorption, metabolism and function. Saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Trans fatty acids. n-6 and n-3 fatty acids: metabolic functions, RDA, nutritional sources and health related properties. Cholesterol nutritional aspects and the control of serum cholesterol concentration. Lipoproteins.

Nutrition and metabolism of proteins: essential aminoacids, food sources of proteins and protein quality, digestion, absorption, metabolism and function. Nitrogen balance and protein turnover. Protein requirements. Protein and disease: celiac disease, protein malnutrition.

Oxidative stress: reactive oxygen species and their relationship with chronic degenerative diseases. Intracellular and extracellular antioxidants.

Nutrition, Health and Wellbeing: Functional foods, nutraceutical compounds and active lifestyle in the prevention of chronic degenerative diseases.

Water: endogenous and exogenous sources. Water requirement. Water homeostasis in the body. Thermoregulation. Water and Sport performance.

Ethanol metabolism, diet and alcoholism. Coffee, tea, cocoa and chocolate

Vitamins: sources and properties. Vitamin A, D, K and E: absorption, metabolism, storage, functions, requirements, deficiency and toxicity. Vitamin C: function, metabolism, requirements, deficiency and toxicity. The B vitamins: function, metabolism, requirements, deficiency and toxicity.

Major minerals and trace elements: absorption, metabolism, excretion, storage, requirements, deficiency and toxicity

Readings/Bibliography

Scientific papars and documents provided by the teacher.

suggested books:

• The Science of Nutrition 3rd or 4th Edition, by Janice Thompson, Melinda Manore and Linda Vaughan. Editor Pearson.

• Introduction to Human Nutrition 2009 - 2nd edition by Michael J. Gibney, Susan A. Lanham-New, Aedin Cassidy, Hester H. Vorster. Editor Wiley-Blackwell.
  

The first book is available at the Rimini Campus University library.

Teaching methods

- Theoretical lessons.

- Working groups and peer teaching.

Assessment methods

The examination at the end of the course aims to assess the achievement of learning objectives:
- to know the macro and micronutrients in food and their metabolic role
- to know the role of functional foods and bioactive nutraceutical compounds in the prevention of chronic/degenerative diseases

- to know the rationale and evidence to use nutritional supplements in sedentary people and in physical activity

 

The exam consists in a written multiple choice test, composed by 30 questions.

each right answer will be awarded with 1 point, while wrong answers will be given -0,2 points.

Teaching tools

iol.unibo.it platform

PPtx slides

audio/video

Office hours

See the website of Marco Malaguti