The course aims to provide knowledge of the role of nutrition on human health conditions and of the available methods for the evaluation of nutritional status and the creation of an optimal path that allows the achievement of the condition of well-being.

• Introductory concepts to the discipline
• Food and nutrition. Nutritional value of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins
• Carbohydrates in the diet.  Notes on the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates. Some metabolic alterations linked to carbohydrate metabolism
• Lipids in the diet. Notes on the digestion and absorption of lipids.
• Proteins in the diet. Quality of food proteins, protein requirements, nitrogen balance. Notes on the digestion and absorption of proteins. Some metabolic alterations related to protein metabolism 
• Adipose tissue metabolism
• Malnutrition: thinness and obesity 
• Body composition and nutritional status. Energy balance. Factors influencing energy needs and low metabolism.
• Calculation of energy intake. Nutritional standards and dietary guidelines
• The Mediterranean diet
• Food intolerances and allergies.
• Nutritional needs of pregnant women and women during breastfeeding: energy, proteins, vitamins, and minerals.
• Nutrition and growth: the newborn; the baby from 6 to 12 months; the child up to 10 years old; adolescence
• Nutrition in the elderly: effects of nutritional deficiencies on the elderly population.
• Nutrition and physical exercise: substrates consumed during sporting activity; the relationship of substrate consumption with duration and intensity of effort;  the role of proteins in muscle metabolism; vitamins and minerals in physical activity; water-salt balance. Iodine and endemic goiter.
• Notes on nutrigenetics, nutrigenomics, and epigenetics

It is hoped that the student has already taken the  following exams:

Biochemistry

Biochemical Chemistry and Properties of Foods

Physiology

D1 - Knowledge, and understanding. The student must be able to describe the properties of matter, highlighting the basic knowledge of micro and macronutrients, body composition, and human metabolism. He will have to have mastery of the concepts related to cellular and general metabolism. These skills will be tested through oral questions.

D2 - Ability to apply knowledge and understanding. The student will have to be able to use nutritional terminology correctly and will have to know how to apply the acquired knowledge knowing how to relate the quality of nutrition with human body composition and metabolism. These skills will be tested through oral questions.

D3 - Autonomy of judgment. The student must be able to critically evaluate the role of the micro-and macronutrients introduced with the diet and their correlation with the metabolism; he will also have to be able to identify both the criticalities and the strengths with which nutrition can act. These skills will be verified through targeted oral questions of an application type.

D4 - Communication skills. The student must be able to describe what they have learned during the course expressing themselves clearly, with appropriate terms, and with appropriate examples.

D5 - Learning skills. The student must be able to construct his / her scientific growth path in a critical and autonomous way, being able to correctly use the study material provided by the teacher and the in-depth material that he himself can obtain. These skills, as far as possible, will be stimulated by the teacher by proposing in-depth studies also in English.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Teaching

 The course includes lectures. Students can attend lessons to request clarifications from the teacher. The teaching material and specific communications of the teacher are available, together with other support activities, within the Moodle platform ›blended.uniurb.it

Obligations Attendance at the lessons is not compulsory, but it is strongly recommended. Elementary knowledge of biochemistry and physiology are required.

Study texts A choice between:

Dietologia 

(Alimenti Alimentazione nel sano e nel malato Integratori alimentari)

Zangara – Zangara - Koprivec

PICCIN ed.2014

 Conoscenze attuali in Nutrizione

Ziegler –-Filer

PICCIN ed. 2002 The necessary updates will be indicated during the course and reported on the Moodle platform. Mode of assessment The assessment of learning involves an oral test. The test will aim to verify the knowledge acquired and will also allow evaluating the ability to correlate the various topics covered in the course, communication skills, and the ability to solve problems of a practical nature. The answers will also be judged on the basis of the expository capacity and the language used as correct and appropriate scientific terminology. The oral exam is judged with a mark out of thirty

Course books

Dietologia 

(Alimenti Alimentazione nel sano e nel malato Integratori alimentari)

Zangara – Zangara - Koprivec

PICCIN ed.2014

 Conoscenze attuali in Nutrizione

Ziegler –-Filer

PICCIN ed. 2002

Assessment

The assessment of learning involves an oral test. The test will aim to verify the acquired knowledge and will also allow to evaluate the ability to correlate the various topics covered in the course, communication skills, and the ability to solve problems of a practical nature. The answers will also be judged on the basis of the expository capacity and the language used as correct and appropriate scientific terminology. The oral exam is judged with a mark out of thirty

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Course books

A choice between:

Dietologia 

(Alimenti Alimentazione nel sano e nel malato Integratori alimentari)

Zangara – Zangara - Koprivec

PICCIN ed.2014

 Conoscenze attuali in Nutrizione

Ziegler –-Filer

PICCIN ed. 2002

Assessment

The assessment of learning involves an oral test. The test will aim to verify the acquired knowledge and will also allow evaluating the ability to correlate the various topics covered in the course, communication skills, and the ability to solve problems of a practical nature. The answers will also be judged on the basis of the expository capacity and the language used as correct and appropriate scientific terminology. The oral exam is judged with a mark out of thirty

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.