❓When did humans start thinking about “eating right”?
From early foraging societies to today’s science-based dietary recommendations, our understanding of nutrition has undergone a fascinating journey. This chapter explores how nutritional thinking evolved through ancient beliefs, cultural shifts, and scientific revolutions—shaping the modern science of what we eat and why.
🎯 Learning Outcomes:
✅ Trace the historical progression of human dietary and nutritional understanding from ancient to modern times.
✅ Explore how nutrition was understood in different historical periods (e.g., Ancient, Medieval, Renaissance, Enlightenment).
✅ Recognize the major discoveries of the 19th–21st centuries (e.g., vitamins) and their role in shaping nutritional science.
✅ Understand how modern nutrition science contributes to clinical care, disease prevention, and public health today.
📜 Reflection|Understanding nutrition through the lens of time
Nutrition isn’t just about food—it’s a story of culture, science, and human evolution. In this chapter, you’ve journeyed from ancient dietary beliefs to the scientific breakthroughs of the 21st century. You now see how nutrition has shifted from instinct to evidence.
What matters now is not only what you’ve learned, but how you live it. You’re no longer just a student of nutrition—you’re someone equipped with the wisdom of the past to shape a healthier future. Let your daily choices reflect that insight, and carry this awareness into your own life and those you influence.
Lesson 1.3.1 – The Evolution of Nutritional Science
In this first of four brief videos, Dr. Reece Lim traces the origins of nutritional science, beginning with primitive dietary practices and early human development. The lesson introduces how ancient civilizations approached nutrition and sets the foundation for understanding its transformation through history. This video marks the start of an insightful journey through the evolution and impact of modern nutrition.
Lesson 1.3.2 – The Evolution of Nutritional Science
In the second video of this four-part series, Dr. Reece Lim explores how nutrition was understood during the Middle Ages and Renaissance. She highlights key developments in medical thinking and diet during these periods, setting the stage for the scientific breakthroughs that would later define modern nutrition. This lesson uncovers the roots of nutritional thought that still influence practice today.
Lesson 1.3.3 – The Evolution of Nutritional Science
In the third video of the series, Dr. Reece Lim focuses on the 19th and 20th centuries—an era marked by major scientific breakthroughs. This lesson covers the birth of modern nutritional science, including the discovery of essential vitamins and the contributions of key scientists whose research laid the groundwork for today’s dietary guidelines and nutritional therapies.
Lesson 1.3.4 – The Evolution of Nutritional Science
In the final video of this four-part series, Dr. Reece Lim brings the journey into the 21st century, highlighting how modern science, technology, and global health trends are shaping current nutritional practices. The lesson reflects on how far nutritional science has come and introduces emerging perspectives that will influence the future of health and wellness.