Basics of Nutrition

Explore how carbohydrates provide energy from glucose to polysaccharides like starch, glycogen, and dietary fiber, and distinguish simple and complex forms.

Explore the essential role of proteins as macronutrients built from amino acids, including essential, non-essential, and conditionally essential types, and their functions in enzymes, hormones, tissue growth, and immunity.

Explore the essential role of water in hydration and hydroelectrolytic balance, detailing water balance, electrolyte roles (sodium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, chlorine, calcium), and factors affecting dehydration.

Introduce micronutrients, vitamins and minerals, and distinguish fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) from water-soluble ones, including B complex and vitamin C, plus non vitamins and revision.

Identify fat-soluble vitamins a, d, e, and k, their forms and absorption with fats, and their roles in vision, bone health, immunity, and coagulation.

Understand how water-soluble vitamins have variable bioavailability due to cooking and interactions. Identify that they are not stored and excreted, and review B vitamins and vitamin c sources.

Introduces minerals, their macro, micro, and ultra-trace classifications, calcium and phosphorus dominance, and bioavailability with absorption factors and roles in enzymes and hemoglobin.

Explore macrominerals like calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride, and sulfur, their roles in bones, metabolism, and acid-base balance, and absorption, bioavailability, and dietary sources.

Explore microminerals such as iron, iodine, zinc, selenium, fluoride, chromium, copper, manganese, molybdenum, boron, and cobalt, including dietary sources, absorption factors, and roles in metabolism, thyroid function, and antioxidant defense.

Discover phytochemicals as plant-derived, non-nutrient compounds with biological activity, from phenolics, terpenes, and alkaloids to examples like carotenoids and capsaicin, and compare phytotherapy with drugs, plus tips to boost intake.

Explore the anatomy of the digestive system from mouth to anus. Learn how the stomach's acid, pancreas, bile, villi and microvilli aid digestion, absorption, and excretion.

Explore how the gastrointestinal tract digests and absorbs fluids and micronutrients, while the gut microbiota, prebiotics, and probiotics support immune function and colon health.

Explore how carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, vitamins, and minerals are digested and absorbed in the digestive tract, from mouth to small intestine and liver, including transport mechanisms and absorption nuances.

Learn how the body spends energy to keep you alive, calculate total energy expenditure using resting metabolic rate, physical activity, and exercise, and apply calorie balance to weight loss.

Explore dietary reference intakes (DRIs) like RDA, EAR, AI, and UL, and see how LOAEL and NOAEL guide safe nutrient guidelines.

Explore food pyramids and the brazilian food guide to build healthy diets based on natural foods, physical activity, and reference nutrient values.