This first part of the course begins with summarized discussions on the basic metabolic aspects of energy nutrients (carbohydrates, fats, proteins) and the micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). It provides description of the essential elements of knowledge on the digestion and absorption of nutrients, energy and protein requirements, mineral and vitamin metabolism. Here, nutritional anemia is discussed as a major example on nutritional deficiencies. The second part of the course highlights in detail the aspects of community nutrition but with primary focus on topics of maternity and child nutrition. These include nutrition during pregnancy and lactation and infant feeding. Particular emphasis is made on the feature of organ immaturity in newborn infants and the special characteristics of the human breast milk. In this part of this course also, the elements of nutrition during weaning period, childhood, and adolescence are extensively discussed, with brief highlight of the special nutritional needs of the elderly. The third part of this course is exclusively a series of lectures dedicated to the discussion of the general principles of dietetics required for the prevention, treatment, and/or management of the major nutritional disorders/diseases. These include obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular and renal diseases, and some other clinical conditions diagnosed in different hospitalized patients.
