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 Approaches

• 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).

Nutritional Medicine Principles (Additional to Western Dietetic Principles)

• 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.

Views of Recommended Dietary Intakes (RDIs)

• 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.