Nutrition Course External References

2 Comments / learndorphins
Roasted brussel sprout salad with a portabella panini.
Roasted brussel sprout salad with a portabella panini.

… speaking of great Coursera offerings, I just finished Katie Ferraro’s excellent Nutrition for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention course.  Its focus on evidence-based medicine was refreshing and helped clear up a lot of confusion I’ve had from contradictory sources over the years.  Since Coursera content is prone to being archived, I wanted to preserve the extensive set of external references provided so I can consult them later.  The hard work of identifying and assembling this into a logical grouping all of this was Katie’s.  I’ve tried to clean up the list, expand abbreviations, and add my own commentary.  Thus, if there are mistakes, they’re mine.

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Week 1: Introduction to Nutrition Science

Why Study Nutrition?

Carbohydrates: MedlinePlus, Center for Disease Control (CDC) Nutrition for Everyone: Carbohydrates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Carbohydrates in human nutrition, University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) Patient Education, Carbohydrates

Lipids (aka “fats.”): MedlinePlus, CDC Nutrition for Everyoen: Dietary Fat, FAO Fats and oils in human nutrition, UCSF Patient Education, Fat, Fats Domino (I was just seeing if anyone was paying attention.)

Protein: MedlinePlus, CDC Nutrition for Everyone: Protein, FAO Energy and Protein Requirements, UCSF Patient Education Healthy Ways to Increase Calories & Protein

Vitamins: Medline Plus, Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) Vitamins, FAO Human Vitamin and Mineral Requirements, WHO Vitamin A Deficiency

Minerals: Medline Plus, Harvard Health Vitamins & Minerals: Understanding Their Role, FAO Human Vitamin & Mineral Requirements, US National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) Calcium

Meal Planning Guides 

The new diagram gives a more understandable representation of proportions recommended than the Food Pyramid did.

 

Dietary Supplements

Week 2: Heart Disease

Therapeutic Lifestyle Change (TLC) [This advocates diet, physical activity and weight management as a first step.]

Dietary Fat and Heart Disease

Essential Fatty Acids [Fatty acids you need but your body cannot synthesize on its own.  There is an older study on PubMed asserting that the ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 fatty acids is out of whack.  I’ve seen some viral youtube videos suggesting the ratio can lead to “inflammation” of the arteries, suggesting eventual problems.  I see more reputable sources saying “there is no evidence” than I see evidence.]

Dietary Fiber and Heart Disease

The Mediterranean Diet and Heart Health [Its focus is reducing cardiovascular risk factors through a diet low in saturated fats and cholesterols.  It is not low-fat, but considers type of fat.  A recent review in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests there is credibility.]

The DASH Diet [Its focus is reducing hypertension through decreased fat, salt and cholesterol intake while trying to increase potassium.  Not surprisingly, most of the salt comes from my favorite foods: breads, pizza, cheese, pasta, potato chips, pretzels, and bacon.]

Dietary Management of Hypertriglyceridemia: American Heart Association, MedlinePlus

Plant Stanols and Sterols [These are used to reduce cholesterol; They’re pretty expensive and only effective with a decent diet.  In other words, you’re still going to have to cut back on the bacon and egg lardshakes.] — Cleveland Clinic, University of Southern California, Keck Medical Center

The Cholesterol Nuclear Option.  Source: http://imgur.com/gallery/V2dtI

Week 3: Diabetes

Defining and Diagnosing Diabetes

Physical Activity and Weight in Diabetes

Meal Planning for Diabetes

Carbohydrate Counting and Exchange Lists For Meal Planning

Dietary Fiber and Blood Sugar Control

Non-Nutritive Sweeteners

Gestational Diabetes: PubMed Health, American Diabetes Association, UCSF Patient Education – Diabetes in Pregnancy

Week 4: Cancer

Cancer Prevention

Diet and Cancer

Debunking Cancer and Diet Myths [Executive summary: eat sensibly.  There’s no silver bullet, but there’s a big pile of bullshit out there.]

Nutrition Needs in Cancer

 

Week 5: Obesity and Weight Management

Defining Obesity: World Health Organization, HSPH Measuring Obesity

Energy Balance: NIH/NHLBI, National Cancer Institute

Metabolic Syndrome [These are risk factors that, when occur together, imply a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular problems.]: Medline Plus, PubMed Health

Pediatric Obesity [Children who are obese are more likely to be obese adults.]

Guest Lecturers [These were the two folks I remember as they offered different viewpoints.]

  • Robert Lustig: Sugar – The Bitter Truth [This was interesting; I now understand the concerns about high-fructose corn syrup in diets.]

 

Week 6: Disorders of the GI Tract 

Nutrient Digestion and Absorption: National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse – Your Digestive System and How it Works

FODMAPS [fermentable oligo-, di-, and monosaccharides and polyols — groups of foods containing short-chained carbohydrates that cause problems] Approach to IBS [Irritable Bowel Syndrome] Management: Today’s Dietition – Successful Low-FODMAP Living, Shepherd Works – Low FODMAPs Diet

Celiac Disease [Your immune system gets drunk on gluten, goes medieval on your small intestine.]

Diets for Diverticular Disease [This sounds awful.]: UCSF Patient Education – Diverticular Disease Diet, NDDIC – Diverticulosis and Diverticulitis

Other:

  • World Health Organization, Diarrhea
  • MedlinePlus – Diet, Constipation
  • NDDIC Intestinal Gas
  • MedlinePlus – GERD (Gastroesophageal reflux disease – food leaks back up.  Among other problems, this can cause your teeth to weaken.)
  • Nobel Prize, H. pylori [The cause of peptic ulcers is bacteria]

Food Allergies [Key learn: allergy == can kill you; sensitivity == makes you feel bad, but doesn’t kill you]  The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Food Allergy

Dysphagia

Probiotics and Prebiotics