Diploma in Human Nutrition

Learn about making good food choices, how to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle, and avoiding diet-related illnesses such as Type II diabetes and obesity.

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The Diploma in Human Nutrition is a comprehensive introduction to the important role nutrition and diet play in maintaining health. With the huge rise in diet related illnesses such as obesity, type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease we face important choices in terms of diet and nutrition on a daily basis. It is also important to understand the role nutrition plays in growth and development throughout our lives.

This free online Diploma course provides an in-depth look into the three energy-yielding macronutrients - carbohydrates, proteins and lipids. Our bodies require us to consume these macronutrients on a daily basis to maintain numerous bodily functions such as growth and providing energy to carry out activities. Humans use plants and animals as food sources but, in order to obtain the energy we require from them, our food must be broken down into smaller molecules that the body can process. This course provides a clear introduction to the human digestive system. The course also provides a comprehensive look into the life sustaining chemical processes that occur in living cells from a macronutrient perspective. These life sustaining chemical processes that occur in our cells are essential for our bodies to grow, maintain their structures and respond to their environments.

Micronutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin E and selenium help prevent and delay various types of cell damage that may occur in the body so foods containing them are beneficial for our health. This course will provide an overview of micronutrients and antioxidants and an insight into their absorption, metabolism and excretion as well as the effects of their deficiency and toxicity on human health.

This Diploma course will be of great interest to all learners and healthcare professionals who would like to learn more about human nutrition and the roles macronutrients and micronutrients play in maintaining health.

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Learning Outcomes

Having completed this course the leaner will be able to: - Discuss the various nutrients that provide the essential components for our bodies; - Summarize how food energy is measured; - Outline non-nutritive components that provide additional health benefits; - Explain the various forms of nutrition research; - Discuss how nutrition research results are analyzed, published and interpreted; - Outline the common progression of research; - Describe the structure of the human digestive system; - Explain the functions of the human digestive system; - Discuss in detail the various groups of carbohydrates including simple carbohydrates, complex carbohydrates and alternative sweeteners; - Outline three main types of amino acids; - Describe the process of protein synthesis, the levels of protein structure and the various protein functions; - Discuss the roles fatty acids play as well as the eicosanoid compounds derived from fatty acids; - Describe the structure of phospholipids and triglycerides, and their functions; - Discuss the structure and function of the primary sterol, cholesterol; - Discuss the basics of metabolism and cofactors required by enzymes; - Explain the various carbohydrate pathways including glycogenesis, glycogenolysis, gluconeogenesis, glycolysis, transition reaction, citric acid cycle and the electron transport chain; - Discuss the lipid metabolism pathways, lipolysis, fatty acid oxidation, fatty acid synthesis and ketone body synthesis; - Outline the various protein metabolism pathways, transamination, deamination, gluconeogenesis and protein degradation; - List and describe various vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, vitamin E and selenium; - Describe the absorption, metabolism and excretion processes for vitamins and minerals; - Describe the structure and functions of antioxidants; - Describe how antioxidants they can prevent cell damage;



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