How can we use foods as medicine?

At a time when food and nutrition information is at an all-time high, there is a lot of confusion and misinformation out there about food-based recommendations for wellness.

A new free three-week online course is being offered by the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Monash University. It seeks to help unravel the myth and hype from the facts and evidence.

According to Professor Helen Truby, Head of the Department, the concept of food as medicine is not new.

“While foods have been used for medicinal purposes for hundreds of years and is a feature of many cultures around the world our knowledge of nutrients, bioactive compounds of foods, and their relationship with disease, is significantly more advanced and our understanding of the role of food in health continues to grow,” she said.

“Despite this there is still a lot of debate and expectations of ‘foods as medicine’”.

The course – one of which starts on 2 May and another on 23 October – aims to:

explore food’s current role in health and disease
expand your understanding of nutrition science and how it guides us on what and how much to eat for health
learn how to apply evidenced-based nutrition knowledge to guide what food can be used as medicine for you and your family.

Professor Truby said the course will be of particular interest to healthcare professionals who are looking to learn more evidenced-based information to assist them in providing food-based recommendations to their patients.

“This course is designed for anyone with an interest in food, nutrition and health and does not require previous knowledge or experience in science or health studies.”

15 April 2016.