Skip to 0 minutes and 0 seconds Do you know how foods affect our body and mind, and how our emotion and thought affect the way we eat? In Food for Thought, we will touch about psychological topics, such as emotional eating, and biological ones, such as the relationship between our brain and the microbiome. In the course, you will find videos, articles, and quizzes that will help you understand the relationship between areas that could seem unconnected. So, how does the food affect our mind, brain, and body? Join us, and we will discover it together.
The gut and brain are very closely linked. Explore how neurology, the microbiome and more interact to affect health.
44,179 enrolled on this course
Duration
5 weeksWeekly study
4 hours100% online
How it works
Food for Thought: The Relationship Between Food, Gut and Brain
This course has been certified by the CPD Certification Service as conforming to continuing professional development principles. Find out more.
Find out how your diet affects your brain, and your brain affects your diet
Please note this course runs without facilitation. A Spanish version of the course can be found here.
Over the last few years, the importance of the link between gut and brain has become clear. On this course you’ll explore this complex relationship.
You’ll learn how the brain works, and is affected by diet and nutritional deficiencies. You’ll also discover less known, cutting-edge subjects such as the gut-brain axis, the microbiome, and the relationship between food and reproductive health.
Syllabus
Week 1
Introduction
Welcome to the course
Introduction to the course, its structure and its content.
Introduction to the brain and cognition
Let's explore basic information about the brain and its energy metabolism. We will also introduce some psychological topics, most notably what is meant by cognitions.
Week 2
Responses to feeding, reward systems and food addiction
The reward system and response to feeding
What is a reward and what is the reward system in the brain? What happens when we eat food and how this activates the reward circuits? Let's find out!
Food addiction
What is food addiction? Does it really exist? Let's explore the idea of food addiction from a biological point of view and featuring the point of view of a clinical psychologist.
Week 3
Cognitive and emotional influences on food behaviors
Emotions and food intake
Can emotions change our eating behaviour, and can what we eat change our emotions?
Cognition and food intake
How do our thoughts and experiences affect our eating style? What is restrained eating and what are its consequences?
Week 4
Brain, mind and our diet
Food and our brain: the good...
Let's explore the positive effects of some foods and molecules, such as antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids, on our brain.
... and the bad
Now let's focus on the negative effects of the food we eat on our brain and on our body, including the effects of nutritional deficiencies and diets rich in sugar.
Week 5
Gut-brain axis and the microbiome
Microbiome and the gut-brain axis
Let's explore the gut-brain axis and the role that the microbiome plays in it.
Microbiome and the brain
Let's explore the relationship between our brain and our gut, including the role of gut microbiome in the gut-brain axis.
When would you like to start?
Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.
Available now
Learning on this course
On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Describe the role our diet has on brain function
- Identify the role of psychological and neurobiological factors in our food choices
- Evaluate the possible causes (biological, social, psychological) of unhealthy and pathological eating behaviours
- Explain the connection between the brain and our digestive system (gut)
- Assess the relationship between emotions and food intake
- Discuss the relationship between the food we eat, the digestive system, and the brain and how this affects daily life
Who is the course for?
This course is open to everyone, but may be of particular interest to psychologists or people working in health and well-being. No previous experience is required, though a background knowledge of biology or psychology may help.
The Educators won’t be able to join the discussions themselves or respond to individual comments, but the course encourages a strong learning community. The learning is focused around debate and discussion – supporting other learners, sharing your own experience and knowledge, and listening to new perspectives. We hope that you will enjoy interacting with and learning from each other in this way. Don’t forget to comment, reply to other learners and ‘like’ comments.
What do people say about this course?
Who will you learn with?
I am a research fellow and lecturer at the University of Torino, Italy. My research activities include neuroimaging of eating disorders and neurostimulation with therapeutic and rehabilitative goals.
I am a professor at the Institute of Animal Reproduction & Food Research Polish Academy of Sciences in Poland. I am interested in molecular aspects of reproduction, including diet-mediated programming
I am a professor and lecturer for nutritional psychology at the University of Hohenheim in Germany. I am interested in the psychological aspects of our eating and consumer behavior.
Ways to learn | Subscribe & save | Buy this course | Limited access |
---|---|---|---|
Choose the best way to learn for you! | $349.99 for one year Automatically renews | $134/one-off payment | Free |
Develop skills to further your career | Fulfill your current learning need | Sample the course materials | |
Access to this course | tick | tick | Access expires 8 Dec 2024 |
Access to 1,000+ courses | tick | cross | cross |
Learn at your own pace | tick | tick | cross |
Discuss your learning in comments | tick | tick | tick |
Tests to check your learning | tick | tick | cross |
Certificate when you're eligible | Digital only | Printed and digital | cross |
Cancel for free anytime |
Ways to learn
Choose the best way to learn for you!
Buy this course
$134/one-off payment
Fulfill your current learning need
- Access to this course
- Learn at your own pace
- Discuss your learning in comments
- Tests to boost your learning
- Printed and digital certificate when you’re eligible
Subscribe & save
$349.99 for one year
Automatically renews
Develop skills to further your career
- Access to this course
- Access to 1,000+ courses
- Learn at your own pace
- Discuss your learning in comments
- Tests to boost your learning
- Digital certificate when you're eligible
Cancel for free anytime
Limited access
Free
Sample the course materials
- Access expires 8 Dec 2024
Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades) |
Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)
Learning on FutureLearn
Your learning, your rules
- Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
- Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
- Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores
Join a global classroom
- Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
- Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
- Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others
Map your progress
- As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
- Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
- Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate
Want to know more about learning on FutureLearn? Using FutureLearn
Learner reviews
Learner reviews cannot be loaded due to your cookie settings. Please and refresh the page to view this content.
Get a taste of this course
Find out what this course is like by previewing some of the course steps before you join:
Do you know someone who'd love this course? Tell them about it...
You can use the hashtag #FLfoodforthought to talk about this course on social media.
More courses you might like
Learners who joined this course have also enjoyed these courses.
Browse more in Healthcare & Medicine and Psychology & Mental Health