Level 112
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Nutritional Science Fundamentals

Nutritional Science Fundamentals

An exploration of the macronutrients and micronutrients that make up food, and of how the human body digests, absorbs, and metabolizes them for energy, growth, and repair.

60-Second Review

Express review

A condensed, point-by-point summary of the module, for reviewing right before a test or exam.

  1. Macronutrients: Carbohydrates, Proteins, and Fats. Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats supply energy and building blocks, each with distinct metabolic roles.
  2. Vitamins and Minerals. Vitamins and minerals, fat- and water-soluble, enable growth, immunity, and metabolic function in small amounts.
  3. Digestion, Hydration, and Energy Balance. Water, fiber, digestion, and calorie balance underpin how the body processes and uses food.
  4. Absorption, the Microbiome, and Hormonal Regulation. Absorption, gut bacteria, and hormones like insulin and leptin regulate nutrient use and appetite.
  5. Nutritional Biochemistry and Functional Foods. Enzymes, antioxidants, phytonutrients, and genetics shape how nutrients are used at the cellular level.
  6. Nutrient Timing and Body Composition. When and how nutrients are consumed influences muscle building and fat storage in the body.
  7. The History and Measurement of Nutritional Science. From Lind's citrus trial to modern DRIs, nutritional science evolved through deficiency disease discovery.
  8. Nutrient Balance, Deficiency, and Research Methods. Nutrient interactions, deficiency and toxicity risks, and research methods shape nutrition science today.

This is the starting point of Nutritional Science Fundamentals: you don't need any prior knowledge of this subject to begin.

Key points

Visual module map

1Macronutrients: Carbohydrates, Proteins, and Fats
2Digestion, Hydration, and Energy Balance
3Nutritional Biochemistry and Functional Foods
4Nutrient Timing and Body Composition
5Nutrient Balance, Deficiency, and Research Methods

Alternative visual view: a simplified sequence of some of the module's key points, in their order within the syllabus.

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Final test

You need to review all key points to unlock the final test.

Optional mini-games

Extra practice, with no penalty, to reinforce the module's content.

Review Flashcards

Review each key point with cards that flip to reveal the summary.

Memory

Match each concept with its definition in as few attempts as possible.

Time Attack

Answer true or false statements before time runs out.

Chronological Order

Put the module's key points back in their original order.

Further reading

Bibliography and cited sources used to create this module.

  • Mahan, L.K. and Raymond, J.L. (eds.) (2017). Krause's Food & the Nutrition Care Process. St. Louis: Elsevier.
  • National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (2023). Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
  • Insel, P., Ross, D., McMahon, K., and Bernstein, M. (2020). Nutrition. Burlington: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
  • Gropper, S.S. and Smith, J.L. (2018). Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism. Boston: Cengage Learning.
  • Funk, C. (1912). "The Etiology of the Deficiency Diseases." Journal of State Medicine, 20, 341-368.
  • Lind, J. (1753). A Treatise of the Scurvy. Edinburgh: Sands, Murray, and Cochran.
  • USDA, Agricultural Research Service. "FoodData Central." https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/