Overview of Course

Food is not only a form of sustenance but serves as the foundation for health and a form of medicine. “Food as medicine” is both an evolving concept and an age-old adage. Hippocrates is cited as having said, ‘‘Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.’’ Food and diet are considered part of a comprehensive approach to health promotion, and the prevention, management, and treatment of disease.

In this course, we will explore the function of food consumption patterns, individual foods, and specific food components (nutrients, bioactive compounds, and bioactive food components) in the promotion of health and the prevention and treatment of disease. We will examine traditional systems of medicine that incorporate nutrition, such as Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine. We will evaluate the effects of individual food components to provide health benefits through critical review and examination of scientific studies. Throughout our Mediterranean Exploration, we will investigate and compare traditional food practices and dietary patterns in geographical territories surrounding the Mediterranean Sea.