Nutrition and Health - Macronutrients and Overnutrition

Overview

Food plays a central role in our society but few people actually understand what it does to our bodies. Learn more about nutrition and how our diet profoundly impacts our current and future health. This introductory nutrition course addresses the relationship between nutrition and human health with a focus on health problems related to overnutrition.

In this Nutrition and Health - Macronutrients and Overnutrition course offered by EdX in partnership with Wageningen University and Research - WageningenX, Professor Sander Kersten from Wageningen University will introduce you to the chemistry of the three macronutrients fat, carbohydrate and protein.

You will learn how macronutrients are absorbed, stored, and metabolized for energy, and you will gain a contemporary view of how different types of fats, carbohydrates and proteins affect human health. Moreover, the course will cover energy homeostasis and the regulation of bodyweight, and provides ample coverage of the topic of obesity. Finally, it will make you familiar with nutritional research and research methodologies.

The programme is part of a Professional Certificate in Food, Nutrition and Health.

What you'll learn

• Introduction to the field of food and nutritionComposition of foods

• Basic chemistry of carbohydrates, fat and protein

• How macronutrients are absorbed, stored and metabolized

• How macronutrients may impact health

• How to better weigh and interpret the information overload about nutrition and health