Free Online Course by EIT Food: Relationship between Food and Brain Functions

EIT Food is offering a free online course explaining the relationship between food, gut and brain. As over the last few years, the importance of the link between gut and brain has become clear. On this course learners will explore this complex relationship.

They will learn how the brain works, and is affected by diet and nutritional deficiencies. And also discover less known, cutting-edge subjects such as the gut-brain axis, the microbiome, and the relationship between food and reproductive health.

This course is presented in partnership with all of: European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) and its EIT Food imitative, in addition to University of Turin in Italy. 

Course duration:

4 hours of study, for 5 weeks.

Who can take the course:

1. This course is open to everyone, but may be of particular interest to psychologists or people working in health and well-being.
2. No previous experience is required, though background knowledge of biology or psychology may help.

Course Topics:

• Week 1: Introduction:

1. Introduction to the course, its structure and its content.
2. Introduction to the brain and cognition.

• Week 2: Responses to feeding, reward systems and food addiction:

1. The reward system and response to feeding.
2. Food addiction.

• Week 3: Cognitive and emotional influences on food behaviors:

1. Emotions and food intake.
2. Cognition and food intake.

• Week 4: Brain, mind and our diet:

1. Food and our brain: the good and the bad.

• Week 5: Gut-brain axis and the microbiome:

1. Microbiome and the gut-brain axis.
2. Microbiome and the brain.

Course Outcomes:

By the end of the course learners will be able to:

1. Explain the role of our diet on brain function.
2. Reflect on the role of psychological and neurobiological factors in our food choices.
3. Reflect on the possible causes (biological, social, psychological) of unhealthy and pathological eating behaviors.
4. Describe the connection between the brain and our digestive system (gut).
5. Discuss the topics of the course and their relationship with daily life.

Course costs:

• Learner can join this course for free and get access to it for 7 weeks.
• Or upgrade this course for $59 and gets:

• Access to this course for as long as it’s on Future Learn.
• Access to this course’s tests as well as a print and digital Certificate of Achievement once he/she is eligible.

• Or buy unlimited for $269.99 for one year and gets: 

• Access to this course, and hundreds of other FutureLearn short courses and tests for a year.
• A printable digital Certificate of Achievement on all short courses once they are eligible.
• The freedom to keep access to any course he/she has achieved a digital Certificate of Achievement on, for as long as the course exists on Future Learn.
• The flexibility to complete own choice of short courses in learner’s own time within the year.

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