NUTR 246 is one course of a pair of courses (with NUTR 245) designed to provide students with an in-depth understanding of nutrition and its scientific underpinnings. NUTR 246 focuses on macronutrients and energy, and will cover topics related to energy metabolism, carbohydrates and fiber, lipids and lipoproteins, and amino acids and proteins while NUTR 245 focuses on micronutrients including fat- and water-soluble vitamins and minerals. The course has been designed to review and build upon students’ existing knowledge of biology and chemistry, and will provide instruction in biochemical and physiologic principles necessary to understand the aspects of macronutrients described above. The focus of the course will be on the scientific basis for and real-world application of macronutrients and energy.
The course is divided into 4 sections in 3-week cycles: energy/energy metabolism, carbohydrates and fiber, lipids and lipoproteins, amino acids and proteins. Each section will address five major questions: what, where, why, when, and how. For example,
- What is a carbohydrate? What is its function?
- Where do I obtain carbohydrates (food sources)?
- Why does my body need carbohydrates?
- When do my needs change (across the lifecourse)?
- How does my body digest/absorb/metabolize carbohydrates?