Principles of Human Nutrition in Public Health

4 Credits.

Prepares students for integrating the biology of nutrition in solving public health problems globally, with application to public health research, policy and practice. It summarizes the history of nutritional sciences as related to public health and provides an integrated overview of the physiological functions of energy, macronutrients and micronutrients that influence health, and risk for disease. Topics include dietary sources and nutrient requirements, absorption, metabolism, and function. The course covers advances in the use of novel assessment techniques and biomarkers in the diagnoses of deficiency and nutritional status, and describes the dynamics of the nutrition transition occurring globally and dietary underpinnings of overweight and non-communicable disease risks. Also covers emerging topics linking nutrition, immunity, gut health and the microbiome.