Food Supplements (ZFTK_021)
About Study Course
Objective
Promote the basic knowledge about food supplements:
• conduce the comprehension of the main differences between the food supplements and food, between the food supplements and drugs;
• conduce the comprehension of health and nutrition claims shown on foods;
• create notion about natural substances used in food supplements, their effect on an organism.
Prerequisites
Inorganic and organic chemistry, biochemistry, normal and pathological physiology, pharmacology, food chemistry, medical terminology, Latin, English, food law.
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of the course the students will be able to:
• explain the difference between food supplements and daily food, functional food, homeopatic and allopathic drugs;
• explain the difference between food supplements, ethnomedicine, traditional, scientific medicine and homeopathy;
• term EU and LR regulations on food supplements;
• explain the essence of health claims made on foods;
• name and classify the main groups and sources of the substances that are used in food supplements;
• characterise the main active substance groups of food supplements and explain their role in providing normal function of human organism;
• name official (non-commercial) evidence-based information sources about natural products that are used in the food supplements;
• explain safe purchase rules of the food supplements.
Upon completion of the course the students will be able to:
• see the difference between the food supplements and drugs and explain their effect on the physiological functions of the organism;
• explain the role of food supplements in providing normal function of the human organism;
• critically evaluate the utility of food supplements depending on the biologically active substances that they contain;
• critically evaluate food supplement purchase and using safety;
• find and properly use non-commercial evidence-based information on natural products of food supplements;
• prepare food supplement – tea for daily consumption.
As a result of successfully acquired course the students will be able to:
• evaluate the role and utility of food supplements in providing normal function of human organism;
• evaluate the safety of food supplements depending on the distribution form and information about the product;
• independently improve their knowledge about food supplements and use that knowledge in their professional work.
Study course planning
| Study programme | Study semester | Program level | Study course category | Lecturers | Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nutrition, RFU | 7 | Bachelor’s | Required | Inga Sīle |
| Study programme | Study semester | Program level | Study course category | Lecturers | Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nutrition, RFUN | 8 | Bachelor’s | Required | Inga Sīle |
