IPAK-EDU

The Biology of Nutrition

From Pre-Conception to Old Age

Fall Term Syllabus (Initial)

Instructor: Michael Gaeta

Contact: Michael@MichaelGaeta.com

This course will focus on the biology of nutrition throughout life. Students will read papers and studies in the week before each topic and will bring their own perspectives to the discussion. We will focus, as much as possible, on biological mechanisms of nutrition and health, anchoring findings from clinical and epidemiological studies in the context of systems biology.

There is no book. Students are encouraged to recommend additional readings.

Accessing the literature: The instructor will share .pdfs of each reading to the extent that copyright laws permit fair share use. Students are encouraged to download the Unpaywall extension to help access available online resources.

1. Overview and Pre-Conception Nutrition

Boersma GJ, Bale TL, Casanello P, Lara HE, Lucion AB, Suchecki D, Tamashiro KL. Long-term impact of early life events on physiology and behaviour. J Neuroendocrinol. 2014 Sep;26(9):587-602. doi: 10.1111/jne.12153. PMID: 24690036.

Nutrition and pre-conception care. Lancet. 1985 Dec 7;2(8467):1297-8. PMID: 2866353.

Grieger JA, Pelecanos AM, Hurst C, Tai A, Clifton VL. Pre-Conception Maternal Food Intake and the Association with Childhood Allergies. Nutrients. 2019 Aug 9;11(8):1851. doi: 10.3390/nu11081851. PMID: 31404968; PMCID: PMC6723396. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31404968/

Simeoni U, Yzydorczyk C, Siddeek B, Benahmed M. Epigenetics and neonatal nutrition. Early Hum Dev. 2014 Sep;90 Suppl 2:S23-4. doi: 10.1016/S0378-3782(14)50007-2. PMID: 25220121.

2. Nutrition During Pregnancy: Benchmarks and How A Fetus Eats

Brain development phases 1

3. Breastfeeding and Nutrition

Brain development phases 2

4. Early Year

Brain development phases 3

Foods that cause microglial activation

5. Childhood Nutrition

Brain development

6. Adolescent Nutrition

Puberty

7. Adulthood

-Nutrition and Neurodegeneration priority 1

Starvation and autophagy

Fasting and aging

8. Aging and Nutrition

-Calories

-Brain Development

9. Genetics and Nutrition

10. Nutrition and the Immune System

12. Metabolic Syndrome... Insulin Regulation

13. Food Allergies

14. Nutrition and Autoimmunity

15. Guest Lecture

Additional Readings

Topic 1. PreConception Nutrition

Bound JP, Harvey PW, Francis BJ, Awwad F, Gatrell AC. Involvement of deprivation and environmental lead in neural tube defects: a matched case-control study. Arch Dis Child. 1997 Feb;76(2):107-12. doi: 10.1136/adc.76.2.107. PMID: 9068297; PMCID: PMC1717078.

Hofmanova I. Pre-conception care and support for women with diabetes. Br J Nurs. 2006 Jan 26-Feb 8;15(2):90-4. doi: 10.12968/bjon.2006.15.2.20369. PMID: 16493284.

Simeoni U, Yzydorczyk C, Siddeek B, Benahmed M. Epigenetics and neonatal nutrition. Early Hum Dev. 2014 Sep;90 Suppl 2:S23-4. doi: 10.1016/S0378-3782(14)50007-2. PMID: 25220121.

Topic 2. Nutrition During Pregnancy

Livock M, Anderson PJ, Lewis S, Bowden S, Muggli E, Halliday J. Maternal micronutrient consumption periconceptionally and during pregnancy: a prospective cohort study. Public Health Nutr. 2017 Feb;20(2):294-304. doi: 10.1017/S1368980016002019. Epub 2016 Aug 3. PMID: 27485466. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27485466/