NST 10 INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN NUTRITION

DEPARTMENT OF NUTRITIONAL SCIENCES & TOXICOLOGY

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY
SPRING 2015

Lecture:
Discussion Section:
Professors:

Tuesday & Thursday, 11:10am 12:00 pm, Wheeler Auditorium

50-minute discussion each week, please see your schedule for date/time/location
Greg Aponte, Ph.D. (aponte@berkeley.edu)
Office Hours Wednesday 2-3:00pm or by appointment, 5166 VLSB

NST10 COURSE OVERVIEW:

After successful completion of this course each student should be able to assess the quality of his or her own diet
in order to make informed decisions about food. This course focuses on the relationship between diet and
health, and how the human body responds to different diets and food components including carbohydrate, fat,
protein, vitamins, minerals, water, and alcohol. We will discuss the role of diet in disease and optimal health,
based on current knowledge in the field of nutritional and medical science.
The class meets for 2 hours of lecture and 1 hour of a smaller discussion section per week. The lecture is
available via audio-cast (a recording of the lecture can be heard but you cannot see slides) and is available
through bCourses. The discussion sections are led by Graduate Student Instructors (GSIs) and provide a forum
for discussing current research and consumer nutrition-related ideas, application of lecture material, concepts and
products. Information discussed in sections is an essential component of the course and will be on the exams.
COURSE MATERIALS:

The textbook is Smolin & Grosvenor, Nutrition: Science and Applications, 3rd edition. ISBN: 978119052074.
There are two options for purchasing the textbook, listed below. The previous edition of the textbook is also
acceptable, however readings may be slightly changed.
1. New, printed text in the bookstore packaged with a WileyPLUS access code (about $105).
2. Electronic version of the book with WileyPLUS access code available at:
http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/Section/id-824175.html ($60)
Note: Three copies of the textbook are also on permanent reserve at the Moffitt library.

Access to bCourses and the USDA SuperTracker, https://www.supertracker.usda.gov

ENROLLMENT:
Adding and dropping the course will take place through Tele-Bears. Please visit registrar.berkeley.edu for
information about late adding/dropping. Discussion sections begin on Monday, January 26.
ASSIGNMENTS:
Five discussion section assignments, worth 10 points each, will be given throughout the semester. Assignments
are due in discussion section and will be graded by your GSI. Five (5) points will be deducted for each week they
are late. Assignments emailed, left in professor or GSI mailboxes or under office doors will NOT be accepted.
You will be granted one late assignment, which can be turned in one week late for full credit. Any assignmentrelated questions should be directed at your GSI.
There will be one diet analysis project, worth 25 points, which provides an opportunity for you to evaluate and
critique your diet and personal nutrient needs. The project requires you to record and analyze your diet for three
days using the free USDA SuperTracker program available at https://www.supertracker.usda.gov. The diet
analysis project cannot be used as your free late assignment.

EXAMS:
There will be 3 midterm exams and 1 cumulative final. Each exam will consist of 50 multiple-choice questions.
Your lowest midterm grade will be dropped, but all students are required to take the final exam.

There will be NO make-up or early exams. NO EXCEPTIONS. FOR ANYONE.

Please plan accordingly. Any questions or concerns related to exams must be addressed no later than one week
from when exam grades are posted after 1 week, exam grades are final.
If you require additional arrangements per the Disabled Students Program (DSP) protocol, report this to your
GSI by February 6. You must also be officially filed with DSP in order to have special arrangements.
COURSE GRADE:
Cheating and plagiarism on assignments and exams is not tolerated and can result in failing the course and
expulsion from the university. All policies found in the Campus Code of Student Conduct will be enforced.
Your grade is based on a percentage. There is no rounding of points or additional assignments if you do not
receive the grade you desire. NO EXCEPTIONS.
COMPONENT
2 Midterm Exams
1 Final Exam
5 Section Assignments
1 Diet Analysis Project
COURSE GRADE
FINAL GRADE:
A+ 98.00 - 100%
B+ 88.00 - 89.99%
C+ 78.00 - 79.99%
D+ 68.00 - 69.99%

POINTS
100 points per midterm
100 points per final
10 points per assignment
25 points

A 92.00 - 97.99%
B 82.00 - 87.99%
C 72.00 - 77.99%
D 62.00 - 67.99%

TOTAL POINTS
200 points from midterms
100 points from final
50 points from section
25 points from DA project
375 points
ABCD-

90.00 - 91.99%
80.00 - 81.99%
70.00 - 71.99%
60.00 - 61.99%

F Less than 60.00%

Date
Tues,
Jan 20
Thurs,
Jan 22
Tues,
Jan 27
Thurs,
Jan 29
Tues,
Feb 3
Thurs,
Feb 5
Tues,
Feb 10
Thurs,
Feb 12
Tues,
Feb 17
Thurs,
Feb 19
Tues,
Feb 24
Thurs,
Feb 26
Tues,
Mar 3
Thurs,
Mar 5
Tues,
Mar 10
Thurs,
Mar 12
Tues,
Mar 17
Thurs,
Mar 19
Tues,
Mar 24
Thurs,
Mar 26
Tues,
Mar 31
Thurs,
Apr 2

Lecture Topic
Introduction:
Function of nutrients
Nutrition- whole body, tissues, single cells,
organelles
Homeostasis
Carbohydrate, protein, and lipid structure
Energy balance, ATP, oxidation, entropy,
mitochondrion
Vitamin C, iron
Water, sodium, chloride
Overview of digestion: Function, strategy,
behavior, health
Protein: Absorption, structure, function,
bioavailability
Protein: Metabolism, quality, excess,
deficiency
Carbohydrate: Absorption, structure, function,
bioavailability
Carbohydrate: Metabolism, glycolysis,
glycogen, behavior, health

Professor

Lecture
Reading

GA

5-21

GA

GA

254-280

GA

410-437

GA

74-109

GA

214-251

GA

214-251

GA

110-155

GA

110-155

Lipid: Absorption, structure, function

GA

157-201

Lipid: Metabolism, diet, health

GA

157-201

Midterm Exam I

GSIs

GA

440-471

GA

474-509

Water soluble vitamins

Dr. Shane

324-365

Water soluble vitamins

Dr. Shane

324-365

Fat soluble vitamins

Dr. Napoli 370-399

Major minerals, calcium, phosphorus, and

bone health
Iron and trace minerals

Healthy body weight

GA

280-300

No Lecture

No Lecture

GA

280-300

Obesity
Midterm Exam II

GSIs

Section Topic

Section Reading/
Assignment

No Section

No Section

Understanding
nutrition
guidelines

34-50

Reading
nutrition labels

Assignment 1
(Nutrition
Guidelines)
51-53

Protein and
vegetarianism

244-248, 739

No Section

No Section

Exam Review

Assignment 2
(Nutrition Labels)

Nutrition
supplements

54-58

The great fat

debate

Assignment 3
(Supplements)
90-91, 235

Food insecurity

671-672,736,
750-753

No Section

No Section

Exam Review

Assignment 4
(Food Insecurity)

Date

Lecture Topic

Tues,
Apr 7
Thurs,
Apr 9
Tues,
Apr 14
Thurs,
Apr 16
Tues,
Apr 21
Thurs,
Apr 23
Tues,
Apr 28
Thurs,
Apr 30
May 4
May 8
Thurs,
May 14
8-9am

Nutrition and physical activity

Professor

Lecture
Reading

Dr. Brooks

526-569

GA

202-213

GA

401-405,
661

GA

731-759

GA

278-282

Alcohol
Whole food phytochemicals
Starvation
Food intake regulation
Eating disorders
Nutrition overview
Midterm Exam III
RRR Week

Final Exam

Section Topic

Section Reading/
Assignment

Food
technology

698-711, 722-729

Nutrition
research

16-29

Popular diets

Assignment 5
(Nutrition
Research)
288-297
Diet Analysis
Project

GA

304-321

GA

GSIs

Exam Review
Course
Evaluations

No Section

GSIs