Course syllabus for Nutrition, health and sustainable diets

The course syllabus contains changes
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Course syllabus adopted 2022-02-17 by Head of Programme (or corresponding).

Overview

  • Swedish nameNutrition, hälsa och hållbara dieter
  • CodeKLI042
  • Credits7.5 Credits
  • OwnerMPBIO
  • Education cycleSecond-cycle
  • Main field of studyBioengineering, Chemical Engineering
  • DepartmentBIOLOGY AND BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
  • GradingTH - Pass with distinction (5), Pass with credit (4), Pass (3), Fail

Course round 1

  • Teaching language English
  • Application code 08115
  • Maximum participants30
  • Minimum participants8
  • Block schedule
  • Open for exchange studentsYes

Credit distribution

0117 Examination 6 c
Grading: TH		 6 c
  • 30 Maj 2023 pm J
  • Contact examiner
  • Contact examiner
0217 Laboratory 1.5 c
Grading: UG		 1.5 c

In programmes

Examiner

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Eligibility

General entry requirements for Master's level (second cycle)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Specific entry requirements

English 6 (or by other approved means with the equivalent proficiency level)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Course specific prerequisites

Undergraduate profile (BSc) inlcuding courses in chemistry, biology, and biochemistry are recommended.

Aim

The aim of the course is to introduce students to the concepts of nutrition and its role in health. The purpose is also to provide an overview of how diets – the type, combination and quantity of foods consumed – can contribute to a sustainable food future.

Learning outcomes (after completion of the course the student should be able to)

  • Provide an overall description of the global health problems that can be linked to dietary intake
  • Be able to critically review claims regarding the connection between diet and specific diseases
  • Summarize the most important evidence-based nutritional recommendations and know how dietary advices and nutritional recommendations are created
  • Know how the composition of food and our intake of protein, fat and carbohydrates can affect health and know which food sources different nutrients come from
  • Know what are characteristic of vitamins and their importance for disease prevention
  • Give examples of important minerals and trace elements and their importance for disease prevention
  • Describe mechanical and chemical aspects of digestion and uptake of nutrients in the gastrointestinal tract and know what influences the uptake of various nutrients
  • Describe and discuss issues concerning sustainable food consumption linked to health effects of specific foods - such as health effects of animal and plant-based raw materials
  • Describe the connection between climate and environmental change, food security and sustainability from a global perspective
  • Give examples of how nutritional status/dietary intake can be measured and assessed, and know the pros and cons for each method
More specific learning outcomes will be presented during the course. 

Content

  • Food and health from a global perspective
  • Nutritional recommendations
  • Registration of nutritional intake
  • Measurement of nutritional status
  • Individualized nutrition advice personalized nutrition
  • Nutritional uptake in the gastrointestinal tract
  • Metabolic diseases, consequences and forms of treatment
  • Function, digestion and metabolism of proteins and amino acids, lipids, carbohydrates and dietary fiber
  • Fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins, minerals and trace elements
  • Diet and intestinal flora
  • Health claims
  • Interactions between diet, health and the environment
  • Environment, climate and food supply

Organisation

The course contains lectures, laboratory work, seminars, group works, online quizzes and assignments on Canvas. The lectures will mostly be live on campus but some lectures will be online over zoom (e.g. for invited speakers from other Universities) and we will also use Flipped Classroom for some of the lecture content.

Compulsory parts:

1. Dietary assessment/computer lab: During the course each student will perform an individual dietary assessment to estimate their own nutritional status.
2. Laboratory work: Chemical analysis of own nutritional status.
3. Scientific review of a health claim from social media: Critical review of a health claim linked to food from social media or similar, as well as critical review of a scientific article in the same subject. The work will be presented both in writing and orally. 
4. Seminars: During the course, three seminars will be held. A seminar linked to each point above: diet registration, laboratory work and scientific review.
5. Quizzes and assignments: Many small compulsory quizzes will reposted on canvas during the course. 

The course may also include a study visit to Clinical Nutrition, Sahlgrenska University Hospital. The study visit is voluntary and is not included in the compulsory parts.

Literature

A selection of scientific publications and literature with relevant and current literature within nutrition, health and sustainability issues will be available during the course.
Suggested text book for background reading: Introduction to Human Nutrition. Eds. Gibney, Lanham-New, Cassidy and Vorster. The nutrition Society. Blackwell Scinece, 2009. ISBN 978-4051-6807-6.

Examination including compulsory elements

For a passing grade on the course, a passed final exam is required as well as active participation in compulsory parts as described above .

The course examiner may assess individual students in other ways than what is stated above if there are special reasons for doing so, for example if a student has a decision from Chalmers on educational support due to disability.

The course syllabus contains changes

  • Changes to course rounds:
    • 2022-03-09: Block Block D+ added by lina haglund
      [Course round 1]