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The Open University

The Science of Nutrition

The Open University via FutureLearn

This course may be unavailable.

Overview

Explore the nutritional science behind what you eat

Have you ever looked at a food label and wondered what kilocalories really mean? Would you like to know more about fat, protein or carbohydrates, and how our bodies process them? This online nutrition course provides the answers. You’ll explore biology, finding out how our digestive system and bloodstream process and transport food. You’ll use physics to work out how much energy food contains. And through chemistry, you’ll discover the role that acid and enzymes play in digestion.

Finally, you’ll consider the science behind dietary advice and why we’re facing an obesity epidemic worldwide.

This course is intended for anyone with a general interest in science or nutrition and does not require any prior experience of studying this subject.

Taught by

Audrey Brown

Reviews

3.8 rating, based on 10 Class Central reviews

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  • Natrina
    This is a nice beginner course to nutrition: some of the topics go into the chemistry of food, you're given a lot of extra material to explore, and some nice activities to make you think about your own diet.
  • I took this course to gain a personal knowledge of Nutrition. This course was easy to follow, the Instructor was easy to understand, interactive exercises helped to reinforce material in the class.
  • Anonymous
    Very good course! Even if you're just watching the lessons, you can really learn a lot. Need more courses about food like this!
  • Although the title makes you think about something hard, it's a popular introduction in the principles of reasonable eating, with some (not very much) science behind it.
  • Cyn Gar

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