Nutritional Medicine Flashcards

Western Dietetics Approach

In Australia, Western dietetics contributes to health promotion and illness prevention/treatment through optimizing nutrition.
It utilizes scientific principles and methods to study nutrition and dietetics.
These findings are applied to influence factors affecting food intake and eating behavior.
Dietitians Association of Australia (2025) is mentioned as a reference.
Western dietetic principles include:
- Adequacy: Meeting nutritional needs.
- Balance: Consuming a variety of foods from different food groups.
- Energy control: Balancing energy intake with energy expenditure.
- Nutrient density: Choosing foods that are rich in nutrients relative to their calorie content.
- Moderation: Avoiding excesses of unhealthy components.
- Variety: Eating a range of different foods.

Nutritional medicine, also known as holistic nutritional medicine or naturopathic nutritional medicine, involves personalized nutritional interventions.
Practitioners apply evidence-based knowledge of the therapeutic potential of food, diet, and micronutrients, combined with traditional knowledge.
Goal: To maintain and promote an individual's health.
Blends a holistic approach with reductionist-based science.
- Holistic approach: Considers all aspects of a person's health (physical, psychological, social, economic, and cultural factors).
- Application of knowledge regarding the therapeutic and preventative potential of food, diet, and micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, trace elements).

Aim to optimize intake of beneficial substances.
Minimize exposure to potentially harmful substances.
Preference for whole, natural foods with minimal additives, minimal processing, and minimal packaging.
Considers emotional and social needs met by foods, as well as psychological needs.
Considers the environmental sustainability of food choices.
Considers biochemical individuality.

Nutrient guidelines (NRVs) apply to healthy people.
Adjustments are needed for malnourished or individuals with medical problems requiring supplemental or restricted intakes.
Recommendations are not minimum requirements, nor are they necessarily optimal intakes for individuals.
Recommendations target most people but cannot account for individual variations in nutrient needs.
Recommendations apply to average daily intakes.
Trying to meet the recommendations for every nutrient every day is difficult and unnecessary.
Each NRV category serves a unique purpose.
- EAR (Estimated Average Requirement): Most appropriate for developing and evaluating nutritional programs for groups (e.g., schoolchildren).
- RDI (Recommended Dietary Intake) or AI (Adequate Intake, if an RDI isn't available): Can be used to set goals for individuals.