With the objective of communicating and opening the doors to the external scientific community of the Faculty, as a way to promote and affirm the best that is done in this school with the creation of the Degree in Nutrition Sciences (LCN), the Conference Cycle “Nutrition at the Academy” was held, coordinated by professors Catarina Sousa Guerreiro and Joana Sousa. “We want to create a nutritional culture within our institution, hence the name. However, we also intend to open the doors of the academy abroad and create a space for discussion and reflection of ideas that revolve around nutrition sciences”, said Joana Sousa.
Each cycle will have a topic to be discussed. The first, after deep consideration by the organization as to which one would be most appropriate for a “kick-off”, was nutrition science and evidence-based nutrition because “the launching topic should be crosscutting to the nutritionist's various areas of expertise. It is in this context that a sufficiently broad, but at the same time scientifically sound, topic has been proposed to set the tone for the beginning of this outreach beyond the nutrition scientific community. It was a totally consensual choice. It could just be this topic. We wanted to discuss the importance of recognizing and valuing valid science over volatile phenomena, which are so often associated with nutrition”.
“Evidence-based nutrition: from prevention to treatment” was the first topic of this session moderated by the President of the Nutritionists’ Association, Dr Alexandra Bento, and presented by Professor António Vaz Carneiro. The complexity of the nutrition sciences, in which evidence-based clinical studies face particular difficulties, was mentioned. “Knowing, identifying and critically analysing this domain in the field of nutrition becomes critical to better grow and develop the production of scientific knowledge and more effective practices. The nutrition sciences currently enjoy a status of something that is highly interesting to the consumer, but often conveyed in an unreliable and very media-based way”, explains Joana Sousa.
This is because research on nutrition is a very complex task, where most studies are biased, due to the fact that one is studying food/eating patterns and not single substances, as with medicines, then one cannot understand nutrition as being clinically based on scientific evidence. “For these and other reasons, sometimes it is difficult to create solid foundations that support some nutritional recommendations. This leads to a gap between what is scientific evidence and professional's belief. Rethinking Nutritional Sciences is a consequence of this”, says Joana Sousa.
In her opinion, “evidence-based practice should be the priority of any health professional. Nutritionists are “health professionals who act to safeguard human health through health promotion, disease prevention and treatment by assessing, diagnosing, prescribing and having food and nutritional intervention in people, groups, organizations and communities, as well as planning, implementing and managing communication, food safety and sustainability through scientifically proven and constantly improving professional practice. Nutritionists also have the technical-scientific activities of teaching, training, educating, and organizing health promotion and disease prevention through food”. Thus, it is essential that they are constantly updated technically and scientifically, supported by the highest levels of scientific evidence, knowing, analysing, criticizing and adapting the guidelines according to the limitations inherent to scientific knowledge in the area of nutrition. It is important for them to recognize where there is good and bad research, where there is or is not evidence on a particular subject, and having this reflection done, choose a conduct that translates existing knowledge. The scientific credibility of nutritionists and the importance of transposing to our client/patient correct and scientifically valid recommendations have been much discussed.”
With the Aula Magna full of students, health professionals and lecturers, this was the first conference, which will be repeated early next year, with another topic that will, once again, affirm Nutrition as such a relevant area of our medical school.
Ana Raquel Moreira
Editorial Team
