Course syllabus for Nutrition, health and sustainable diets

Course syllabus adopted 2023-02-07 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 08125
  • Maximum participants30 (at least 10% of the seats are reserved for exchange students)
  • Minimum participants8
  • Block schedule
  • Open for exchange studentsYes

Credit distribution

0117 Examination 6 c
Grading: TH		 6 c
  • 28 Maj 2024 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
  • Give examples of how nutritional status/dietary intake can be measured and assessed, and know the pros and cons for each method
  • Describe and discuss issues concerning sustainable food consumption linked to both climate, environment and health
  • Describe the connection between climate and environmental change, food security and sustainability from a global perspective
More specific learning outcomes will be presented during the course. 

Content

  • Food and health from a global perspective
  • Relationship between the diet and health and disease
  • Nutritional recommendations and dietary advices
  • Registration of nutritional intake and measurement of nutritional status
  • Energy metabolism and body composition
  • Nutritional uptake in the gastrointestinal tract
  • Function, digestion, metabolism and health effects of proteins and amino acids, lipids, carbohydrates and dietary fiber
  • Fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins, minerals and trace elements
  • Interactions between diet, health and the environment
  • Environment, climate and food supply

Organisation

The course contains lectures, laboratory work, oral presentations, group works, online quizzes and assignments in 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: During the course each student will perform an individual dietary assessment during some days to estimate their own nutritional intake
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. Oral presentations: During the course, three oral presentations will be held. One presentations 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. 

Literature

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

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.