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Food for Thought

The Relationship Between Food, Gut and Brain

Alessandro Cicerale, Nanette Stroebele-Benschop, Monika M. Kaczmarek, Julia Jaroslawska, Wieslaw Wiczkowski, Dagmara Złotkowska, and Jan Czerniecki

The course focuses on the relationship between food, brain and mind: Most FutureLearn courses run multiple times. Every run of a course has a set start date but you can join it and work through it after it starts. Find out more This course is open to everyone, but may be of particular interest to psychologists or people working in health and well-being. No previous experience is required, though a background knowledge of biology or psychology may help. The course team won’t be available to answer questions or respond to your comments during this course. However, we encourage you to interact and support each other by posting your thoughts and comments and sharing your knowledge with other learners You can use the hashtag #FLfoodforthought to talk about this course on social media.

Topics Covered

How does the brain work?
How do emotions and thoughts affect our food choices?
How do diets and nutritional deficiencies affect our brain?
Reward systems and their relationship with food
The link between the microbiome and brain

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Reviews summary

Exploring the food, gut, brain link

According to learners, this course offers a fascinating look at the complex relationship between food, the gut, and the brain. Many reviewers found the content engaging and well-explained, describing it as a solid introduction to the topic. The structure of the course, broken into manageable modules, was frequently praised for making the subject accessible. Some students highlighted the lack of direct instructor interaction, noting that support relies heavily on peer discussions in the forums, which can vary in activity. While the course is generally seen as suitable for beginners and those new to the field, a few reviewers felt it could benefit from greater depth for learners with existing biological or psychological backgrounds.

Accessible for beginners, good introduction.

"Great for someone with no prior knowledge of the subject, like myself."

"If you're looking for a comprehensive, in-depth academic study, this might be too basic..."

"Provided a good general understanding, though I wished for more scientific detail in some areas."

"Accessible language and concepts, suitable for a broad audience including those interested in wellness."

Well-organized with logical flow.

"The modules were well-structured and flowed logically from one topic to the next."

"Liked how the course was broken down into bite-sized pieces, making it easy to follow each week."

"The progression through the material felt natural and helped build my understanding."

"Course organization is clear and easy to navigate, making the learning process smooth."

Provides a fascinating and clear overview.

"The course content is very interesting and covers the topic in a way that is easy to understand."

"Found the information on the gut-brain axis particularly insightful and well-presented."

"This course provides a solid foundation for understanding this complex relationship..."

"I learned so much about how food impacts my mood and cognition; it was truly eye-opening."

No direct instructor support provided.

"It would have been helpful to have instructor presence in the forums to clarify points."

"Note that this course relies entirely on peer interaction; instructors do not participate."

"While the content is good, the lack of expert answers in discussions is a downside for complex questions."

Career center

Learners who complete Food for Thought: The Relationship Between Food, Gut and Brain will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Reading list

We've selected 50 books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Food for Thought: The Relationship Between Food, Gut and Brain.

Missing Microbes

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Provides an excellent overview of the microbiome, its role in health and disease, and the potential for microbiome-based therapies. It is written by a leading expert in the field.

Food for Thought

Topics Covered

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Reviews summary

Exploring the food, gut, brain link

Career center

Reading list

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