101 Advanced Nutritional Medicine – Essentials of Metabolism and Theories of Aging

Advanced Nutritional Medicine – Essentials of Metabolism and Theories of Aging

The first of 6 courses in the ROHP-Qualifying Program (Registered Orthomolecular Health Practitioners).

This Course is Organized into the following 3 sections and each section includes an exam.

1. Essentials of Nutrition and Metabolism in Health and Disease Part 1.

2.   Essentials of Nutrition and Metabolism in Health and Disease Part 2

3. Theories of Aging.

1. Essentials of Nutrition and Metabolism in Health and Disease Part 1.

This course provides students with an in-depth look at key metabolic and physiological processes in the body impacted by specific macronutrients (carbohydrates, fiber, protein, fat), as well as macronutrient synthesis, absorption and utilization. Emphasis is placed on explaining how various nutrients are processes at the cellular level, which in turn can promote or discourage specific biochemical pathways linked to degenerative disease processes, such as diabetes, dementia, atherosclerosis, cancer and joint inflammatory diseases. Special emphasis is placed on energy production pathways in the body as well as the synthesis of key molecules, such as DNA and protein synthesis.The course also provides an overview of macronutrient synthesis in plants and animals, macronutrient ingestion, transport and their metabolic processing and utilization in the body.

Learning Objectives:

1. Students will understand the synthesis of various macronutrients, energy production pathways and shifts in metabolism based on various factors, such as low blood sugar, fasting, insulin resistance, over ingestion of carbohydrates, cholesterol synthesis up-regulation etc.
2. Students will understand macronutrient physiological processing within the body of all macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fiber), along with their role in energy metabolism and influence of major health and disease pathways.
3. Students will have the clinical skills to begin counseling patients on key dietary strategies to improve key health parameters

2.   Essentials of Nutrition and Metabolism in Health and Disease Part 2

This course involves a detailed look at the physiological role played by each vitamin, including their use as supplements in the prevention and management of various health conditions. The course highlights the role each vitamin plays in nutritional biochemistry, enabling students to understand why certain vitamin deficiency states result in specific symptoms. The course also explains the importance of vitamin therapy in overcoming specific types of enzyme polymorphism, which in some cases can be improved using therapeutic doses of specific vitamins, or using specific form of certain vitamins, to improve health outcomes.

Learning Objectives:

1. Students will develop an in-depth understanding of the biochemical pathways where vitamins are required as coenzymes or cofactors, or play a unique role as antioxidants or in other health-modulating roles
2. Students will be able to identify early warning signs of specific vitamin deficiency or toxicity states
3. Students will be able to recommend specific doses of various micronutrients in the complementary management of various common and rare health disorders.

3. Theories of Aging

This course reviews the best-documented understanding of the aging process, including an investigation into telomeres, damage accumulation, neuro-endocrine clock adaptations, immune function, cross-linking of proteins, mitochondrial dysfunction, and other considerations. Embedded in this course are evidence-based nutrition and lifestyle strategies shown to modulate the aging process at the cellular and neuroendocrine level, with the purpose of understanding how to slow age-related changes and help maximize healthy life expectancy and longevity. As well a detailed look at some unique molecules, such as L-Carnitine, Glutathione, Choline, Melatonin and Hyaluronic acid is included in the program.

Learning Objectives:

1. Students will understand the physiological impact of specific biological processes on the aging process.
2. Students will be able to identify key age-related biomarkers in their patient population.
3. Students will be able to help patients reverse or slow key physiological processes involved in the aging process using targeted dietary, exercise and supplementation practices, to improve their healthy life expectancy and reduce the risk of common age-related degenerative diseases.