Course description: NP 120 Part I prepare you with the knowledge necessary to enroll in NP 120 Part II, which provides the first evidence-based conceptual model directly connecting the MGBA with the DMHR. This course introduces the MGBA and its major systems, including the gastrointestinal system (GI), central nervous system (CNS), peripheral nervous system (PNS), autonomic nervous system (ANS), neuroendocrine system (NE), enteric nervous system (ENS), the immune system, the vagus nerve, and the microbiota. The historical discoveries illuminating the MGBA’s existence are explored and the primary methods used within MGBA research are reviewed and the in-depth discussion of microbiota is presented, — including its characterization, evolution, and the major factors shaping its unique composition, abundance, and diversity.

We explore the anatomy and physiology of the gut barrier of the gut barrier and how it protects our gastrointestinal tract (GIT), internal organs, brain, and circulatory system from harmful bacteria and toxins. We learn how a weakened gut barrier increases intestinal permeability (or “leaky gut“), which sets the stage for influencing brain function, psychological processes, and mental health outcomes. The intricate structural and biochemical communication pathways linking the microbiota with the gut and the brain are presented to make way for the conceptual model presented in NP 120 Part II.

Course prerequisites: NP 110 highly recommended.

Course Description: This course deepens the study of the mechanisms interconnecting the microbiota-gut-brain axis with the diet-mental health relationship (MGBA-DMHR) from NP 120 Part I. We begin with the exploration of how certain foods contain keys to unlocking the mechanisms within the MGBA-DMHR, and in doing influence and shape our moods, emotions, psychological experience, social functioning, and dietary intake behavior. In this course, you’ll gain knowledge of the major MGBA-DMHR mechanisms including myelination, synaptogenesis, neural plasticity, neurogenesis, hormones, neuropeptides, gut peptides, short-chain fatty acids, BDNF, and the guardians of the brain—the mighty microglia. These mechanisms operate within an intricate symphony to orchestrate and influence our psychological states, moods and emotions, social behavior, stress experience, resilience, cognitive processes, dietary intake behaviors, and mental health outcomes. By the end of this course (and two part series), you’ll understand the intimate role these mechanisms play in the development of psychological, psychiatric, neurodevelopmental, and neurodegenerative diseases.

This course provides professional with a complete conceptual model through which to understand how the microbiota gut-brain axis interconnects with dietary intake patterns to influence all aspects of the diet-mental health relationship.

Course prerequisites: NP 120 Part I

NP 150 Part I introduces innovative mechanisms influencing the diet-mental health relationship (DMHR) and is the final course in the Introductory Certificate in Nutritional Psychology (NP 100 Series). This course is a cornerstone in the emerging field of nutritional psychology and focuses on illuminating the mechanisms by which diet impacts DMHR.

In the context of DMHR, a mechanism refers to the detailed series of events or processes at the molecular, cellular, or physiological level enacted through dietary intake. These processes involve complex biochemical pathways, molecular interactions, and cellular processes that influence our mood, cognition, and behavior and collectively contribute to our overall functioning and mental health.

Mechanisms explored in this course include macronutrients, micronutrients, nutritional deficiencies, phytonutrients, and neuroactive compounds. Topics include dietary patterns, the microbiota-gut-brain axis, early life nutrition, hormonal regulation, and neuroendocrine pathways.  Key brain structures such as the amygdala, hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, hypothalamus, and striatum are analyzed in relation to emotions, memory, decision-making, appetite, and food-seeking behaviors. The course covers the impact of dietary intake on neurotransmitters, neurogenesis, neural repair, neuroplasticity, neurotrophins, neuropeptides, and neuroinflammation.

Additionally, we investigate how dietary patterns and specific nutrients influence immune-brain communication, inflammation, oxidative stress, microglia, mitochondrial function, and the blood-brain barrier. These insights are examined in the context of their effects on psychological functioning and clinical mental health disorders. View the Course Flyer here.

This course, in conjunction with NP 110 and NP 120 Parts I & II and NP 150 Part II, constitutes a crucial element of the Introductory Certificate in Nutritional Psychology (NP 100 Series). Upon completing this course, students are equipped with essential knowledge and critical insights to bridge the gap between nutritional science and mental health. These skills can contribute positively to the well-being of individuals and communities worldwide.

Course prerequisites: None. It is preferred, particularly if you wish to obtain the Certificate in Nutritional Psychology, that you begin with NP 110, NP 120 Part I, NP 120 Part II as prerequisites for NP 150 Part I and II.

This course explores the physiological, psychological, behavioral, social, and environmental factors influencing DMHR. Through these advanced modules, learners will gain insight into how stress, immune function, emotional and cognitive patterns, social contexts, and environmental factors dynamically interact within the diet-mental health relationship to influence eating behaviors, psychological experience, and brain and mental health outcomes.

We begin by exploring psychoneuroimmunology, highlighting the interactions between stress, the nervous system, and immune responses, as well as the role of diet in modulating these processes to impact mental health. It investigates stress as both a physiological and psychological response, focusing on how early-life stress shapes dietary choices and mental well-being and the bidirectional relationship between stress and eating behaviors. We then gain insight into the psychological and behavioral mechanisms that shape our relationship with food, focusing on how emotions, cognition, and habits influence dietary choices and mental well-being. We focus on emotional eating, body image, cognitive distortions, mindfulness, and how habit formation, reward systems, and psychological dynamics like food noise and food addiction impact eating behaviors. 

The final module examines the social and environmental factors influencing the relationship between diet, mental health, and resilience (DMHR), moving beyond individual mechanisms to focus on broader contexts. It examines the impact of socioeconomic factors, cultural influences, social support, food environments, and urbanization on dietary choices and mental health outcomes.

NP 150 Part II, in conjunction with NP 110 and NP 120 Parts I & II, and NP 150 Part I, completes the Introductory-Level Certificate in Nutritional Psychology (NP 100 Series) for professionals. Upon completing this course, learners will have a strong foundation in the intersection between nutrition and the psychological sciences. These skills can contribute positively to the well-being of individuals and communities worldwide.

Course prerequisites: NP 150 Part I (it is recommended that the order of courses taken in the NP 100 certificate be NP 110, NP 120 Parts I & II, and NP 150 Parts I and II, respectively).