Your cart is empty.
Keep shopping
Teach on Udemy
Turn what you know into an opportunity and reach millions around the world.
Learn MoreNutrition Science: Nutrients, Metabolism & Health
Nutrition Science: Nutrients, Metabolism & Health
Master the science of how food fuels the human body — macronutrients, micronutrients, metabolism, and clinical nutrition
Role Play
Created byISO Horizon
Last updated 6/2026
English
What you'll learn
- Classify carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids by structure and trace their digestion and absorption pathways
- Interpret Dietary Reference Intakes including EAR, RDA, AI, and Tolerable Upper Intake Levels
- Explain the coenzyme roles of B-complex vitamins and connect biochemistry to deficiency syndromes
- Calculate energy needs using basal metabolic rate, thermic effect of food, and activity expenditure
- Compare body composition assessment methods from BMI to dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry
- Apply nutrition principles across the lifespan from pregnancy through healthy aging
- Use the ABCD framework for nutrition assessment in clinical and community settings
- Evaluate medical nutrition therapy for obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular, renal, and oncology populations
Explore related topics
Course content
6 sections • 34 lectures
- What Nutrition Science Actually Studies9:41Welcome to the field that sits at the crossroads of biochemistry, physiology, and public health. In this lecture you will explore what distinguishes nutrition science from popular diet culture, learning that it is a rigorous discipline focused on how nutrients are ingested, digested, absorbed, metabolized, and excreted. You will be introduced to the six classes of nutrients — carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, vitamins, minerals, and water — and how each contributes to energy provision, structural maintenance, or metabolic regulation. You will also understand the distinction between essential and nonessential nutrients, the meaning of nutrient density, and how research methods such as randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, and metabolic ward experiments generate the evidence behind dietary guidelines. By the end, you will see nutrition as a quantitative science rather than a collection of opinions.
- Energy, Calories, and the Bomb Calorimeter8:45Energy is the currency of life, and in this lecture you will discover how scientists actually measure it. You will learn that a kilocalorie is the heat required to raise one kilogram of water by one degree Celsius, and how bomb calorimetry combusts food samples to determine gross energy values. You will then meet the Atwater factors — 4, 9, and 4 kilocalories per gram for carbohydrate, fat, and protein respectively — and understand why physiological fuel values differ from gross values due to incomplete digestion and urinary nitrogen losses. You will also explore how alcohol contributes 7 kilocalories per gram and why dietary fiber yields a reduced energy value of around 2 kilocalories per gram. This quantitative foundation will anchor every later discussion of energy balance and metabolism.
- Digestion and Absorption Overview9:14Before any nutrient can nourish a cell, it must first survive a remarkable journey through the gastrointestinal tract. In this lecture you will trace food from the mouth through the stomach, small intestine, and large intestine, identifying where mechanical breakdown, enzymatic hydrolysis, and absorption occur. You will examine the roles of salivary amylase, gastric pepsin, pancreatic enzymes, and bile in preparing nutrients for uptake, and you will learn how villi and microvilli of the small intestine create an absorptive surface roughly the size of a tennis court. You will also distinguish passive diffusion, facilitated diffusion, active transport, and endocytosis as the four major absorption mechanisms. By the end, you will understand why digestive health is inseparable from nutritional status.
- Dietary Reference Intakes and Nutrient Standards8:33How do scientists decide how much of a nutrient a person actually needs? This lecture unpacks the Dietary Reference Intakes framework used in North America, including the Estimated Average Requirement, the Recommended Dietary Allowance, the Adequate Intake, and the Tolerable Upper Intake Level. You will learn how these values are derived from depletion-repletion studies, biomarker measurements, and population intake data, and how they differ by age, sex, and life stage. You will also compare these standards to the Reference Nutrient Intakes used in the United Kingdom and the Population Reference Intakes used by the European Food Safety Authority. Understanding these terms equips you to read scientific literature and dietary guidelines with precision.
- Evidence Hierarchy in Nutrition Research9:30Nutrition headlines change weekly, but the underlying evidence does not. In this lecture you will learn to evaluate the strength of nutrition claims using the evidence hierarchy, ranking expert opinion, case reports, observational studies, randomized controlled trials, and systematic reviews with meta-analyses. You will explore why nutrition research is uniquely challenging — blinding is nearly impossible, dietary recall is unreliable, and long latency periods complicate causal inference. You will also examine concepts such as confounding, reverse causation, and the difference between relative and absolute risk. By the end, you will approach any nutrition study with the critical eye of a trained scientist rather than the credulity of a casual reader.
- Section 1 Quiz: Foundations of Nutrition Science
- Roleplay: Foundations of Nutrition Science
- Carbohydrate Classification and Structure9:31Carbohydrates are far more diverse than the word sugar suggests. In this lecture you will classify carbohydrates by their degree of polymerization, distinguishing monosaccharides such as glucose, fructose, and galactose, disaccharides such as sucrose, lactose, and maltose, oligosaccharides such as raffinose and stachyose, and polysaccharides including starch, glycogen, and cellulose. You will learn how alpha and beta glycosidic bonds determine whether a polysaccharide is digestible by human enzymes, explaining why we can digest starch but not cellulose. You will also examine the structural differences between amylose and amylopectin and how they influence digestion rates. This structural foundation underpins everything you will learn about blood glucose, fiber, and metabolic health.
- Carbohydrate Digestion, Absorption, and Glycemic Response8:11Once carbohydrates enter the mouth, a precise enzymatic cascade begins. In this lecture you will follow starch as salivary amylase initiates hydrolysis, pancreatic amylase continues the process, and brush border enzymes such as maltase, sucrase, isomaltase, and lactase complete digestion into monosaccharides. You will learn how glucose and galactose enter enterocytes through the sodium-glucose cotransporter SGLT1 while fructose uses the GLUT5 transporter. You will then explore the concepts of glycemic index and glycemic load, examining how food matrix, fiber content, fat, and protein modulate postprandial blood glucose responses. You will also see why lactose intolerance arises and how it differs from milk allergy. By the end, the carbohydrate-to-blood-sugar pathway will be entirely transparent.
- Dietary Fiber and the Gut Microbiome11:22Fiber is the carbohydrate that does not nourish you directly but transforms the ecosystem that lives inside you. In this lecture you will distinguish soluble fibers such as pectins, beta-glucans, and inulin from insoluble fibers such as cellulose and lignin, and you will learn how each affects transit time, stool bulk, and cholesterol absorption. You will explore how colonic bacteria ferment soluble fiber into short-chain fatty acids — acetate, propionate, and butyrate — which nourish colonocytes, regulate appetite hormones, and influence systemic inflammation. You will also examine resistant starch, prebiotics, and probiotics as distinct concepts. By the end you will understand why fiber recommendations of around 25 to 38 grams per day matter for far more than just regularity.
- Protein Quality and Amino Acid Classification9:07Not all proteins are nutritionally equal, and this lecture explains why. You will classify the twenty proteinogenic amino acids into essential, conditionally essential, and nonessential categories, learning why histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine must come from the diet. You will then examine protein quality scoring systems including the Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score and the newer Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score, understanding how they evaluate both amino acid composition and bioavailability. You will compare animal proteins such as eggs, dairy, and meat with plant proteins from legumes, grains, and nuts, exploring the concept of complementary proteins. This knowledge equips you to evaluate any dietary pattern for protein adequacy.
- Protein Digestion, Absorption, and Nitrogen Balance10:12Proteins enter the body as long polypeptide chains and must be dismantled into their amino acid building blocks. In this lecture you will trace protein digestion from gastric pepsin activation by hydrochloric acid through pancreatic trypsin, chymotrypsin, elastase, and carboxypeptidases, and finally to brush border peptidases. You will learn how amino acids and small peptides are absorbed through specific transporters and the PEPT1 system. You will then explore nitrogen balance — the relationship between nitrogen intake and excretion — and what positive, negative, and equilibrium states reveal about growth, illness, and recovery. You will also examine protein turnover, the constant synthesis and breakdown that recycles roughly 250 to 300 grams of protein daily in a healthy adult.
- Fatty Acids and Essential Lipids11:56Lipids are a chemically diverse family with profound physiological consequences. In this lecture you will classify fatty acids by chain length, saturation, and double bond position, distinguishing saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids and understanding cis versus trans configurations. You will identify the two essential fatty acids — linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid — and learn how they give rise to arachidonic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid through desaturation and elongation. You will also explore the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio and why it matters for inflammation, neural development, and cardiovascular health. By the end, the chemistry of dietary fat will translate directly into functional and clinical understanding.
- Lipid Digestion, Lipoproteins, and Cholesterol Metabolism12:05Fat digestion is a remarkable feat of biological engineering involving emulsification, enzymatic hydrolysis, and complex transport. In this lecture you will follow dietary triglycerides as bile salts emulsify them, pancreatic lipase hydrolyzes them into monoglycerides and free fatty acids, and micelles deliver them to the enterocyte. You will then explore the assembly of chylomicrons and their journey through the lymphatic system, followed by the metabolism of very low density lipoproteins, low density lipoproteins, and high density lipoproteins. You will examine endogenous cholesterol synthesis, the role of HMG-CoA reductase, and how dietary saturated fat, trans fat, and soluble fiber influence circulating lipid profiles. This is the biochemical foundation of cardiovascular nutrition.
- Section 2 Quiz: Macronutrients: Carbohydrates, Proteins, and Lipids
- Roleplay: Macronutrients: Carbohydrates, Proteins, and Lipids
- Fat-Soluble Vitamins A, D, E, and K11:04Fat-soluble vitamins travel with dietary fat, accumulate in body tissues, and serve roles ranging from vision to blood clotting. In this lecture you will explore vitamin A and its forms — retinol, retinal, retinoic acid, and the carotenoid precursors — examining their functions in vision, gene expression, and immune competence. You will then study vitamin D synthesis from 7-dehydrocholesterol in skin exposed to ultraviolet B radiation, its hydroxylation in the liver and kidney, and its role in calcium homeostasis and immune modulation. You will examine vitamin E as the principal lipid-soluble antioxidant and vitamin K in its phylloquinone and menaquinone forms, essential for clotting factor gamma-carboxylation. Toxicity risks from excessive supplementation will also be addressed.
- The B-Complex Vitamins as Metabolic Coenzymes9:13The B vitamins are the workhorses of metabolism, each functioning as a coenzyme in critical biochemical reactions. In this lecture you will systematically explore thiamin as part of thiamine pyrophosphate in carbohydrate metabolism, riboflavin as flavin adenine dinucleotide and flavin mononucleotide in redox reactions, and niacin as the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide coenzymes. You will continue with pantothenic acid in coenzyme A, pyridoxine in amino acid metabolism, biotin in carboxylation reactions, folate in one-carbon transfers and DNA synthesis, and cobalamin in methionine and methylmalonyl-CoA metabolism. You will also examine classical deficiency syndromes including beriberi, pellagra, megaloblastic anemia, and pernicious anemia, connecting biochemistry directly to clinical presentation.
- Vitamin C and the Antioxidant System13:10Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is far more than the citrus nutrient that prevents scurvy. In this lecture you will examine its role as a cofactor for prolyl and lysyl hydroxylases in collagen synthesis, dopamine beta-hydroxylase in catecholamine production, and as a powerful water-soluble antioxidant that regenerates vitamin E. You will explore its enhancement of nonheme iron absorption, its concentration in immune cells, and the biochemical basis of scurvy, in which defective collagen produces gum bleeding, poor wound healing, and connective tissue failure. You will also place vitamin C within the broader antioxidant network including glutathione, selenium-dependent enzymes, and endogenous defenses such as superoxide dismutase and catalase. The boundary between adequacy, optimization, and excess will be examined honestly.
- Major Minerals: Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Sodium, and Potassium9:24The major minerals are required in amounts greater than 100 milligrams per day and underpin skeletal integrity, fluid balance, and neuromuscular function. In this lecture you will examine calcium and phosphorus as the structural minerals of bone, regulated by parathyroid hormone, calcitriol, and calcitonin. You will explore magnesium as a cofactor for hundreds of enzymes and a regulator of neuromuscular excitability. You will then study sodium and potassium as the principal cations of extracellular and intracellular fluid, examining how their dietary ratio influences blood pressure through the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. Sources, bioavailability factors such as oxalates and phytates, and the consequences of deficiency or excess will be addressed for each mineral.
- Trace Minerals: Iron, Zinc, Copper, Selenium, and Iodine13:46Trace minerals are required in milligram or microgram amounts but carry outsized physiological weight. In this lecture you will examine iron in its heme and nonheme forms, exploring absorption regulation by hepcidin, transport by transferrin, and storage as ferritin, along with the global burden of iron deficiency anemia. You will study zinc as a cofactor for over 300 enzymes and a regulator of gene expression, copper in ceruloplasmin and oxidative metabolism, selenium in glutathione peroxidase and thyroid hormone deiodinases, and iodine in thyroxine and triiodothyronine synthesis. You will examine deficiency syndromes including goiter, cretinism, Keshan disease, and acrodermatitis enteropathica, alongside the toxicity risks of excessive intake from supplements.
- Water, Electrolytes, and Hydration8:43Water is the most abundant nutrient and the only one whose deficiency kills within days. In this lecture you will examine total body water and its distribution between intracellular, extracellular, interstitial, and intravascular compartments. You will explore osmolarity, tonicity, and the hormonal regulation of fluid balance through antidiuretic hormone and aldosterone. You will study daily water turnover, the contributions of beverages, food, and metabolic water, and the wide range of physiological water requirements based on activity, climate, and body size. You will also examine electrolyte disturbances including hyponatremia and hypernatremia, the dangers of overhydration in endurance athletes, and the principles of oral rehydration therapy that saves millions of lives annually.
- Section 3 Quiz: Micronutrients: Vitamins and Minerals
- Roleplay: Micronutrients: Vitamins and Minerals
- Basal Metabolic Rate and Total Energy Expenditure11:05Why does one person seem to burn calories effortlessly while another stores them with ease? In this lecture you will dissect total daily energy expenditure into its components — basal metabolic rate, the thermic effect of food, the energy cost of physical activity, and non-exercise activity thermogenesis. You will learn how lean body mass, age, sex, thyroid status, and genetics influence basal metabolism, and how it can be estimated using equations such as the Mifflin-St Jeor and Harris-Benedict formulas. You will also see how indirect calorimetry measures actual oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production to derive both energy expenditure and substrate utilization through the respiratory quotient. The mystery of metabolism becomes a measurable physiological quantity.
- The Thermic Effect of Food and Macronutrient Oxidation12:02Eating itself costs energy, and not all macronutrients cost the same. In this lecture you will examine the thermic effect of food, exploring why protein elicits a thermic response of roughly 20 to 30 percent of its energy content while carbohydrates produce around 5 to 10 percent and fats only 0 to 3 percent. You will learn how the body prioritizes substrate oxidation based on storage capacity, oxidizing alcohol first, then carbohydrate and protein, and storing or oxidizing fat last. You will also explore postprandial metabolism, the insulin response, and how meal composition influences subsequent appetite and energy partitioning. These principles directly inform why protein-rich meals feel more satiating and why metabolic flexibility matters.
- Body Composition Assessment Methods11:58Body weight tells only a fraction of the metabolic story. In this lecture you will examine the two-compartment model dividing the body into fat mass and fat-free mass, as well as multi-compartment models that further partition water, protein, and bone mineral. You will compare assessment techniques including body mass index, waist circumference, skinfold calipers, bioelectrical impedance analysis, hydrostatic weighing, air displacement plethysmography, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and magnetic resonance imaging. You will learn the accuracy, cost, and limitations of each, understanding why a body mass index of 25 may mean very different things for a sedentary office worker and a muscular athlete. Body composition becomes a multidimensional concept rather than a single number.
- Energy Balance and Adaptive Thermogenesis9:40Energy balance sounds simple — calories in must equal calories out — but the human body is no rigid thermodynamic vessel. In this lecture you will explore how the body defends a preferred weight range through adaptive thermogenesis, reducing energy expenditure during caloric restriction and increasing it modestly during overfeeding. You will examine the role of leptin, ghrelin, peptide YY, glucagon-like peptide 1, and other appetite-regulating hormones that signal between gut, adipose tissue, and the hypothalamus. You will also see why weight regain after dieting is so common and what the National Weight Control Registry reveals about successful long-term maintenance. The simplistic calories-in-calories-out model gets a much-needed physiological upgrade.
- Fed and Fasted State Metabolism13:02The body constantly cycles between storing fuel after meals and mobilizing it between them. In this lecture you will follow the fed state as insulin promotes glucose uptake, glycogen synthesis, lipogenesis, and protein synthesis, then trace the postabsorptive state as glucagon, cortisol, and catecholamines drive glycogenolysis, gluconeogenesis, lipolysis, and ketogenesis. You will examine the metabolic shifts at six, twelve, twenty-four, and seventy-two hours of fasting, and the brain's adaptation to ketone utilization during prolonged starvation. You will also explore how the liver, muscle, adipose tissue, and brain communicate through circulating substrates and hormones. By the end you will see human metabolism as an exquisitely coordinated rhythm rather than a set of isolated reactions.
- Section 4 Quiz: Energy Metabolism and Body Composition
- Roleplay: Energy Metabolism and Body Composition
- Nutrition in Pregnancy and Lactation9:01Pregnancy creates the most metabolically demanding state in human physiology outside of severe illness. In this lecture you will examine the increased requirements for energy, protein, folate, iron, iodine, choline, and omega-3 fatty acids that support placental development, fetal growth, and maternal blood volume expansion. You will study the critical role of preconceptional folate in preventing neural tube defects, the importance of adequate iodine for fetal neurodevelopment, and the management of gestational weight gain across body mass index categories. You will then explore lactation physiology, milk composition, and the additional caloric and fluid demands of breastfeeding, including the unique role of human milk oligosaccharides in shaping the infant microbiome. Maternal nutrition is shown to program lifelong health.
- Infant Nutrition and the First Thousand Days9:37The window from conception to a child's second birthday shapes lifelong metabolic, immune, and cognitive trajectories. In this lecture you will examine the composition and unmatched benefits of breast milk, including its dynamic adaptation to infant needs and its provision of immunoglobulins, lactoferrin, and bioactive peptides. You will study infant formula composition and the appropriate use of iron-fortified formulas. You will then explore the introduction of complementary foods around six months, the developmental readiness signs, and the risks of allergen avoidance versus early introduction in light of recent evidence. Iron, zinc, vitamin D, and adequate protein become particular focuses as breast milk alone becomes insufficient. The cost of malnutrition in this window is largely irreversible.
- Childhood and Adolescent Nutrition10:00Growth defines the nutritional demands of childhood, and the adolescent growth spurt rivals only infancy in its intensity. In this lecture you will explore the energy and protein requirements that support linear growth, the critical role of calcium and vitamin D during peak bone mineral accrual, and the iron demands of menarche and rapid muscle expansion. You will examine the rising prevalence of childhood obesity, its pathophysiological links to insulin resistance and early metabolic syndrome, and the role of dietary patterns, sleep, screen time, and physical activity. You will also address adolescent eating behaviors, sports nutrition for young athletes, and disordered eating screening. The choices made in these years cast long shadows over adult health.
- Adult Nutrition for Maintenance and Disease Prevention9:45Adulthood is the longest life stage, and its nutritional goals shift from growth to maintenance and prevention. In this lecture you will examine evidence-based dietary patterns associated with reduced chronic disease risk, including the Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet, and predominantly plant-based eating patterns. You will study the role of dietary fiber, polyphenols, and unsaturated fats in cardiovascular protection, and the influence of sodium, potassium, and alcohol on blood pressure. You will also explore sex-specific concerns including iron during reproductive years, calcium and vitamin D for bone maintenance, and the metabolic shifts that accompany menopause and andropause. Practical strategies for maintaining nutritional adequacy across busy adult lives will be discussed.
- Nutrition and Healthy Aging10:53Aging brings predictable physiological changes that reshape nutritional requirements. In this lecture you will explore the decline in lean body mass known as sarcopenia, the reduction in basal metabolic rate, and the increased anabolic resistance that makes higher protein intakes important for older adults. You will examine the diminished absorption of vitamin B12 due to atrophic gastritis, the synthesis of vitamin D in aging skin, and changes in appetite regulation that can lead to anorexia of aging. You will also study the relationships between nutrition and cognitive function, frailty, sarcopenic obesity, and pressure injuries. The principles of geriatric nutritional assessment and intervention close the lecture, emphasizing quality of life as the ultimate outcome.
- Section 5 Quiz: Nutrition Across the Lifespan
- Roleplay: Nutrition Across the Lifespan
- Nutrition Assessment: ABCD and Beyond8:54Clinical nutrition begins with accurate assessment, and this lecture introduces the ABCD framework — Anthropometric, Biochemical, Clinical, and Dietary measurements. You will learn how to interpret weight history, body mass index, mid-upper arm circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio. You will then examine biochemical markers including serum albumin and prealbumin with their limitations as acute-phase reactants, hemoglobin, ferritin, vitamin D, and electrolyte panels. You will study clinical signs of deficiency from glossitis to koilonychia, and dietary assessment methods including 24-hour recalls, food frequency questionnaires, and weighed food records, each with its bias profile. You will also be introduced to validated screening tools such as the Subjective Global Assessment and the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool.
- Protein-Energy Malnutrition and Global Hunger10:23Despite global food abundance, protein-energy malnutrition remains a leading contributor to childhood mortality worldwide. In this lecture you will distinguish marasmus, characterized by severe wasting and energy deficit, from kwashiorkor, marked by edema and a complex interplay of protein deficiency and metabolic stress. You will explore the WHO classification of acute malnutrition using weight-for-height z-scores and mid-upper arm circumference, and the protocols for refeeding with therapeutic foods such as ready-to-use therapeutic food. You will study refeeding syndrome and its potentially fatal shifts in phosphate, potassium, and magnesium. You will also examine the double burden of malnutrition in low and middle income countries, where undernutrition and obesity increasingly coexist within the same households.
- Obesity Pathophysiology and Metabolic Syndrome8:47Obesity is not a moral failing but a complex chronic disease with genetic, neurohormonal, environmental, and metabolic drivers. In this lecture you will explore the pathophysiology of adipose tissue dysfunction, including adipocyte hypertrophy, ectopic fat deposition, chronic low-grade inflammation, and altered adipokine secretion. You will examine the cluster of features that defines metabolic syndrome — central adiposity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, hyperglycemia, and insulin resistance — and their shared roots in visceral fat accumulation. You will also study the role of leptin resistance, hypothalamic set-point theory, and the limited efficacy of restrictive dieting alone. Nutritional therapy is placed within a multimodal framework that includes physical activity, sleep, and increasingly, pharmacologic and surgical options.
- Nutrition in Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes9:30Cardiovascular disease and diabetes are the two leading chronic illnesses globally, and nutrition is central to both prevention and management. In this lecture you will examine the influence of saturated fat, trans fat, dietary cholesterol, sodium, and added sugars on lipid profiles, blood pressure, and endothelial function. You will study evidence-based patterns including the Mediterranean and DASH approaches, and the role of soluble fiber, plant sterols, and omega-3 fatty acids. You will then explore medical nutrition therapy for type 1 and type 2 diabetes, covering carbohydrate counting, glycemic load, the plate method, and the use of continuous glucose monitoring data to guide dietary choices. The line between prevention and treatment becomes a continuous nutritional dialogue.
- Nutrition in Renal Disease and Cancer9:11Two of the most nutritionally complex clinical conditions are chronic kidney disease and cancer, and this lecture explores both. You will examine how kidney function decline alters protein, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, and fluid requirements, and how nutritional therapy differs between predialysis, dialysis, and transplant phases. You will study the management of uremia, mineral and bone disorder, and the role of phosphate binders. You will then turn to oncology nutrition, examining cancer cachexia as a multifactorial wasting syndrome, the metabolic effects of tumor biology and treatment, and the supportive role of nutrition during chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. You will also address the evidence on dietary patterns and cancer prevention, separating well-supported claims from popular myths.
- Food Labels, Bioavailability, and Dietary Guidelines11:40Even the best nutrition science fails if it cannot be translated to the supermarket aisle. In this lecture you will learn to interpret nutrition facts panels, including serving size manipulation, percent daily values, and the distinction between added and naturally occurring sugars. You will study front-of-package labeling systems, health claim categories, and the regulatory landscape governing food marketing. You will then examine nutrient bioavailability factors including food matrix effects, processing influences, and inhibitors such as phytates, oxalates, and tannins versus enhancers such as ascorbic acid and animal protein. Finally, you will compare global dietary guidelines including the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, EAT-Lancet planetary health recommendations, and food-based dietary guidelines from around the world. Science meets daily life.
- Section 6 Quiz: Clinical and Public Health Nutrition
- Roleplay: Clinical and Public Health Nutrition
Requirements
- Basic high school biology and chemistry comfort with terms like enzyme, hormone, and cell membrane
- Curiosity about how the human body processes food at a physiological level
- Willingness to engage with biochemical pathways and quantitative concepts
- No prior nutrition coursework required — foundational concepts are built from the ground up
- Reading proficiency in English at the level of an undergraduate science textbook
Description
This course contains the use of artificial intelligence.
Every headline about food contradicts the last one, and yet beneath the noise lies a rigorous, evidence-based science that explains exactly how nutrients are digested, absorbed, metabolized, and put to work in the human body. This course strips away diet culture and supplement marketing to reveal nutrition as it is studied in universities and applied in clinics — a quantitative discipline at the intersection of biochemistry, physiology, and public health. Whether you are preparing for a career in dietetics, medicine, nursing, or public health, or simply want to read nutrition research with confidence, this is the foundation you need.
You will begin with the principles of energy measurement, digestion, and the Dietary Reference Intakes framework that defines how much of each nutrient a person actually needs. You will then dive deep into macronutrients — the classification and digestion of carbohydrates, glycemic response, dietary fiber and the gut microbiome, amino acid quality and protein turnover, nitrogen balance, fatty acid chemistry, essential fatty acids, and lipoprotein metabolism. The course continues with a systematic survey of micronutrients including fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins as metabolic coenzymes, major minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, and potassium, and trace minerals including iron, zinc, copper, selenium, and iodine, along with their classical deficiency and toxicity syndromes.
Beyond individual nutrients, you will study basal metabolic rate, the thermic effect of food, indirect calorimetry, body composition assessment methods, and the hormonal regulation of energy balance. You will examine nutrition across the lifespan from pregnancy and lactation through infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and aging, with attention to critical windows and sex-specific concerns. The course closes with clinical and public health nutrition, including nutrition assessment using the ABCD framework, protein-energy malnutrition, obesity pathophysiology, metabolic syndrome, and medical nutrition therapy for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, renal disease, and cancer. You will also learn to interpret food labels, evaluate bioavailability, and compare global dietary guidelines.
This course is designed for nutrition and dietetics students, medical and nursing students, public health professionals, and serious learners who want to think like a nutrition scientist rather than a follower of trends. No prior biochemistry expertise is required, only curiosity and a willingness to engage with rigorous content. Enroll today and build the durable, evidence-based understanding of human nutrition that will support your career and personal health decisions for decades to come.
Who this course is for:
- Nutrition and dietetics students seeking a comprehensive scientific foundation
- Medical, nursing, and pharmacy students preparing for clinical practice
- Public health students and professionals working on population nutrition
- Health coaches and fitness professionals who want evidence-based grounding beyond diet trends
- Lifelong learners committed to understanding human nutrition at a scientific level