General information

It is generally acknowledged that nutrition plays an important role in an optimal development and maintaining health throughout the life course. As such, optimal nutrition not only plays an important role in disease prevention but also in disease management. Current nutritional guidelines mainly focus on obesity, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. However, increasing experimental and clinical evidence suggests that nutrition can also be considered a modifiable factor to prevent the onset and progression of other chronic diseases, such as Alzheimers, COPD, macular degeneration, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome and intestinal bowel diseases. Therefore, the main aim of the minor Nutrition is to study the role of (personalized) nutrition in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases.

Tutorials, lectures and journal clubs

  Within the course, a variety of 5 different areas will be discussed for 1-2 weeks each. These areas include the brain, intestines, liver, lungs and eyes and will cover a variety of different diseases including amongst others Alzheimers, macular degeneration, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, COPD, lung cancer, celiac disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome and intestinal bowel disease. The different areas will be covered in multiple lectures and will be further discussed using typical problem-based learning cases. Additionally, for each area a scientific paper will be discussed during a journal club.

Academic project

During the course, students will work in groups on an academic project, which will be guided by an experienced researcher. In this project, students will be asked to develop and follow either a diet low in gluten or a diet high in fiber. Each group will prepare a “making of”-movie about their experiences preparing and following the diet. Before and after the diet, students will measure several parameters which are related to the topics discussed in the PBL cases; i.e. cognition, bowel complaints, blood pressure etc. Once the measurements have been completed, results for each diet group will be combined, and each group of students will write a scientific report and give a presentation during the mini-symposium.

Practical

Next to the academic project, students will also learn how the role of nutrition in chronic disease can be investigated in an experimental setting. Students will perform a cell-culture experiment in the lab. C2C12 myoblasts will be cultured and stimulated with a nutritional component. After three days, students come back to the lab and measure the activity of a specific reporter in the cells to assess the effect of the nutritional component.

Visiting a nutritional company

Translating the concepts of basic nutritional science is necessary for the production of advanced clinical nutrition products. The Nutricia Research Centre in Utrecht is a company that builds bridges between science and food. Students will visit the centre in Utrecht not only to get insight on how nutritional products are being developed, but also to see an example where they could work after finishing biomedical sciences.

Assessment

Students will pass the course in case of 100% attendance, a pass for the academic project and the practical report and a sufficient mark on the final written exam.