Gut microbiome, nutrigenomics, vitamin supplements, omega-9 fatty acids, gluten free, GMO: we are all bombarded with these terms—and so many other—on a daily basis when we talk with friends, listen to the media, and even glance at an advertisement. The public routinely turns to health care or wellness professionals to understand what these nutritional concepts mean. Will you be ready to answer the questions of your clients, patients, and family?
Over the past decade, there has been a growing interest by health care professionals in nutrition as it is recognized that nutrition knowledge broadens and supports their areas of practice. For example, nutrition education will help health professionals 1.) deeply understand chronic disease implications, treatment, and prevention; 2) translate recent scientific findings to practice-based guidelines; and 3) create individualized healthy lifestyle plans for patients and clients.
The University of Texas at Austin has specifically designed and developed an online Master of Science in Nutritional Sciences (MSNS) to deepen the knowledge base of health care and wellness professionals. This comprehensive MSNS goes beyond the nutrition fundamentals and teaches students to critically evaluate and apply scientific findings both in practice and research. The skills learned enhances the expertise of working health professionals who learn to evaluate the current literature and better serve their patients. “I am able to explain nutrition and disease interactions more clearly and have confidence and skill in interpreting the current research,” explained Drew Hays, MS, RD in a recent evaluation of the MS in Nutritional Sciences from UT Austin.
Within the field of nutrition, there has been increasing interest in using food as medicine. For example, recent research by Stefano Tiziani and Alessia Lodi of the Department of Nutritional Sciences found that certain foods have strong anti-cancer properties. Specifically, this research suggests that compounds found in apple peels, turmeric, and red grapes have the most promise for cancer prevention therapies. These results suggest that with the right technology and research, we might better understand how to truly use food as medicine.
If advanced nutrition education might be in your future, check out the 100% online Master of Science in Nutritional Sciences or other advanced nutrition education programs (in-residence MS and PhD) offered through the UT Austin Nutrition Department. Applications are currently being accepted for the online MSNS now thru June 1st for a summer start (July 1st). For additional information, please contact online-nutrition@austin.utexas.edu. To stay up-to-date on news, events, and program information follow @UTexasNutrition on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
