Nutrition and Food Sciences

Food and Nutritional Science

Nutritional Sciences is the examine of food, nutrients, and other food constituents, the intake and biochemical processing of food substances, their association to health and disease, and the application of this data to policy and programs. Its application is far reaching. Nutritional scientists recognize how food is digested, absorbed, and metabolized at different stages of life, and explore the effects of nutrient deficiencies and extremes to prevent and treat disease. Those who work in the field of nutritional science also draw on information of the social sciences to recognize the socio-cultural, psychological, economic, and political factors influencing food choice and health statues. Foci within the field comprise diverse approaches, from the study of biochemical pathways and connections with genetics, to observing population intake and relationship to health outcomes (nutritional epidemiology), to designing and testing nutrition interventions to improve community health, to handling nutrition programs and policies to ensure access to nutritious food, among others.