This course examines the role of nutrition, functional foods, and nutraceuticals in health promotion and disease prevention. Students explore bioactive food components such as probiotics, prebiotics, polyphenols, carotenoids, botanicals, algae, and lipid bioactives, with emphasis on their mechanisms of action, metabolic effects, safety, and scientific evidence. The course also introduces the evaluation of health claims and the regulatory frameworks relevant to nutraceutical and functional food development.
Nutrition and Nutraceuticals
Hybrid
Course Overview
Key Topics
- Functional foods, dietary supplements, and nutraceuticals
- Human metabolism and health indicators
- Probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, and postbiotics
- Polyphenols, carotenoids, botanicals, algae, and lipid bioactives
- Glycaemic index, fermented foods, and metabolic regulation
- Nutraceuticals in chronic disease prevention and management
- Clinical and epidemiological research design in nutrition science
- Scientific and regulatory evaluation of health claims
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Distinguish between major categories of functional and bioactive food products
- Explain how nutraceuticals and dietary components influence metabolic and physiological pathways
- Critically assess the evidence linking nutrition-based interventions to health outcomes
- Interpret clinical and epidemiological data in nutrition research
- Evaluate safety, efficacy, and quality considerations for nutraceutical ingredients
- Design and communicate evidence-based nutrition or nutraceutical interventions
Teaching & Learning Format: Hybrid
Assessment
- Written examination
- Weekly quizzes and reflections
- Laboratory and applied project work
- Oral presentation
- Final written report
Indicative Background: A background in biology, chemistry, human physiology, biochemistry, nutrition, or metabolism is recommended.