Unit of Study FOOD5004 Food as Medicine (2024)

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Unit Snapshot

Unit type

PG Coursework Unit
Credit points

12
Faculty & College

Faculty of Health
Placement

No

Unit description

This unit explores the links between food and health, and how food can play an important role in contemporary health care. You will discover the therapeutic benefits of food (beyond basic nutrition) and investigate potential food contaminants. Having identified and critically appraised current evidence, you will communicate research outcomes in language that is meaningful to the average consumer. You will learn how to analyse an individual’s diet (perhaps even your own), and provide recommendations in the context of values, culture and lifestyle. This will be conducted with a recognition that food choices not only affect the health of the individual but also have ethical, social, economic and environmental effects on the wider community.

Unit content

Basic nutrition and different types of diets
The role of food in complementary and integrative medicine and planetary health
How food contaminants impact health
The role of food in chronic disease and mental health
Evidence for organic food consumption
Foods that support a healthy gut microbiome

Availabilities

Location	Domestic	International
Online	Term5	Term5

Learning outcomes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

compare the composition of a range of diets for their nutritional value and contribution to health

critically appraise the effects of primary production, storage and processing methods on individual and planetary health

critically appraise the impacts of food on physical and mental health

propose evidence-based dietary recommendations in the context of lifestyle, values and culture

Teaching and assessment

Teaching method

Project 150 hours (Across the term)

Assessment
Infographic	40%
Case study	60%

Prescribed learning resources

Prescribed Texts

No prescribed texts.

Prescribed Resources/Equipment

There are readings and resources and overview provided for each module in this unit. See MySCU for details.

Prescribed Learning Resources may change in future Teaching Periods.

Fee information

Domestic

Commonwealth Supported courses
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Fee paying courses
For postgraduate or undergraduate full-fee paying courses please check Domestic Postgraduate Fees OR Domestic Undergraduate Fees.

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