Iftikhar Alam1,2*
1Clinical Nutrition, Department of Community Health Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia
2Department of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Bacha Khan University, Charsadda, Pakistan
*Corresponding Author Email Address: [email protected]
ABSTRACT
To talk about nutrition is to talk about life. However, arguably today, talking about nutrition seems to be no longer talking about the dietary origins of the human being, but of a science which dedicates its study to food in order to improve human consumption, optimizing health-related processes, with the development, with the maintenance and/or obtaining of some specific or general processes. In other words, nutrition today is considered a biological branch of study that deals with the interaction of food with human beings, seeking the best properties for themselves in different aspects. Given this premise and the evolution that Clinical Nutrition has undergone in the last few decades of academic existence, we can argue that, like any other discipline, it has suffered fragmentations which elucidate different branches and work. For example, there are branches that dedicate their studies to patients with certain pathologies, other branches that dedicate their studies to the preventive area, others who dedicate their studies to the general clinical area and, of course, those who focus on sports nutrition. However, is it true that we consider the need for a Clinical Nutritionist for certain audiences? Is it often that self-knowledge could not be a more advantageous and viable practice in our daily life? And roughly speaking, do all patients need a nutritionist? Are the academic and research areas in Clinical Nutrition in close alignment with the patients’ needs? These and many other questions need to be answered in the future Clinical Nutrition academic and research efforts to enable the profession to stand on its feet.
Keywords: Clinical Nutrition, Human Health, Nutritional Therapy
Citation: Iftikhar Alam. Clinical Nutrition – Is it Really Needed? Canadian Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2019; 7 (2): 1-6.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.14206/canad.j.clin.nutr.2019.02.01