Molecular Nutrition and Dietetics

Image by Marco Veringa via Flickr

Diet and food components are prime factors that affect our genes, proteins and metabolism, defining our health or disease. We are starting to understand the molecular basis of the interaction of foods with our molecules and cells. Nutrition and dietetic science are going genomic, protein and metabolic connections are getting better understood, preparing the basis for next generation dietitians and nutrition practitioners.

How to become one?

E-How lists a few steps starting from takingbiology, chemistry, mathematics, home economics and health courses in high school.

American Dietetic Association, visually explains the pathways from High School to Registered Dietitian (RD) or Dietetic Technician Registered (DTR)

To become a registered dietitian you would need to:

* Enroll in a Coordinated Program. This may be a bachelor or master's degree program that combines classroom and supervised practical experience and is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education. Graduates are then eligible to take the Registration Examination for Dietitians to become credentialed as RDs, registered dietitians.
Or:
* Enroll in a Didactic Program in Dietetics academic program. This is a program, granting at
least a bachelor's degree, that is accredited or approved by CADE. After you receive your degree, you will then need to apply for and complete supervised practical experience in a CADE-accredited Dietetic Internship Program. You will then be eligible to take the Registration Examination for Dietitians to become credentialed as a RD, registered dietitian.

There are three steps to becoming a professionally qualified dietitian in Canada - education, supervised practical experience and registration with the dietetic regulatory body (College or Association) in the province where you intend to practice

The first step is a Bachelor's degree with major credits in Foods and Nutrition from a university offering a Dietitians of Canada accredited dietetic education program or an academically equivalent program. Step 2 is successful completion of a program of supervised practical experience and step 3 is registration with the regulatory body.

Knowledge, Skills and Competencies for entry level education programs in dietetics
and entry-level dietitians:
1. COMMUNICATIONS
2. PHYSICAL AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
3. SOCIAL SCIENCES
4. RESEARCH
5. FOOD (food tech, biotech, ...)
6. NUTRITION
7. MANAGEMENT
8. HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS

Nutrigenomics, Nutriproteomics and Nutrimetabolomics links

• Novel omics technologies in nutrition research.
• Nutritional Genomics in Practice — Where Do We Begin? (PDF)
• Metabolomics in Practice — Emerging Knowledge to Guide Future Dietetic Advice toward Individualized Health (PDF)
• Nutrigenomics, Proteomics, Metabolomics and the Practice of Dietetics (PDF)
• Nutrigenomics — From Molecular Nutrition to Prevention of Disease (PDF)
• Nutrigenetics, Plasma Lipids and Cardiovascular Risk (PDF)
• Single-Gene Autosomal Recessive Disorders and Prader-Willi Syndrome — An Update for Food and Nutrition Professionals (PDF)
• Ethical and Legal Issues in Nutritional Genomics (PDF)
• Epigenetics — What It Is and How It Can Affect Dietetics Practice (PDF)
• Genetic and Epigenetic Contributions to Human Nutrition and Health — Managing Genome-Diet Interactions (PDF)
• Nutritional Genomics, Polyphenols, Diets and Their Impact on Dietetics (PDF)
• Nutriproteomics: Identifying the Molecular Targets of Nutritive and
  Non-nutritive Components of the Diet (PDF)
• Nutrimetabolomics from the points of systemic estimation of function of metabolic complexes
• Nutrimetabonomics: an approach to assess individuals health trajectory (PDF)