This course has been certified by the CPD Certification Service as conforming to continuing professional development principles. Find out more.

Learn how a healthy microbiome can combat disease

The microbiome – the microbes that live within the human body – can have a huge impact on human health. As such, it’s vital to understand the complexity of the microbiome, and how it can impact on disease and wellbeing.

On this course, you’ll go on a fascinating journey into the human body – down to the gut – where the ecology and roles of the human microbiome will be narrated.

You’ll explore how your microbiome changes throughout your life, reflect on the role of food in its modulation, and explain the functions the microbiome has in the gastrointestinal tract in daily life.

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Skip to 0 minutes and 10 seconds This course focuses on the human microbiome with a focus on the gut microbiome. That is all the microbes that live between our stomach and colon and how they interact with our health.

Skip to 0 minutes and 24 seconds In the first week, you will be introduced to this fascinating world of the human microbiome and how it interacts and impacts our health and well-being. In week two, you will learn about the journey of food, how our body absorbs nutrients, and how all microbiota is influenced by our diet. And in week three, we’ll explain how your gut microbiota and cells communicate, and why it’s so important to feed your gut microbiota appropriately as a means to care for your health. By the end of this course, you’ll have a good understanding of the human microbiome, our gut microbiota, and how our diet impacts and can benefit our health and well-being.

What topics will you cover?

The human microbiome, role in human health and how it changes during life
How can we determine our gut microbiota
The role of food and lifestyle in the modulation of human gut microbiome
The human microbiota and prevention of diseases through microbiota-directed foods

Who is this accredited by?

The CPD Certification Service:

The CPD Certification Service was established in 1996 and is the leading independent CPD accreditation institution operating across industry sectors to complement the CPD policies of professional and academic bodies.

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 how the human microbiome changes throughout the human life
Reflect on the role of food in the modulation of human microbiome
Explain the functions that human microbiome has in the gastrointestinal tract
Reflect on the links between human microbiome and diseases
Discuss the topics of the course and their relationship with daily life
Assess the complexity of the human microbiome communities

Who is the course for?

This course is for anyone interested in subjects related to the human microbiome, how food can influence it, and how this resultantly impacts on human health.

What do people say about this course?

I've learned so much about the relationship between food and our gut.

"This course has inspired me to eat more of certain foods and less of others."

Eileen Gilpin

Who will you learn with?

Luca Cocolin

I’m a professor in food microbiology at the University of Torino, Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences. My research focuses on food safety and microbial ecology of fermented foods.

Marta Olivares

I am a researcher interested in the communication between the gut microbiota and the cells our body, and its consequences on health.

Anisha Wijeyesekera

I'm a Lecturer in the Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Reading. My research is focussed on better understanding the relationship between diet, gut microbiota and health

Maria Traka

I am deputy Head of UK Food Databanks and a Group Leader in Diet & Health at QIB. My research focuses on the role of diet in preventing disease, and the interplay of nutrition with the gut microbiome.

Who developed the course?

EIT Food

EIT Food is Europe’s leading food initiative, working to make the food system more sustainable, healthy and trusted.

University of Turin

The University of Turin is one of the largest and most prestigious Italian universities, with about 70,000 students, 4,000 employees, and 1,800 research fellows, encompassing all academic sectors.

European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT)

The European Institute of Innovation & Technology strengthens Europe’s ability to innovate by powering solutions to pressing global challenges and by nurturing entrepreneurial skills in Europe’s largest innovation ecosystem.

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