What is Clinical Nutrition?
Clinical nutrition is the the science of nutrients and how they are digested, absorbed, transported, metabolized, stored, and eliminated by the body. Besides studying how food works in the body, nutritionists are interested in how the environment affects the quality and safety of foods, and what influence these factors have on health and disease.
What do Clinical Nutritionists do?
Clinical Nutritionists specialize in using nutrition to promote health and resolve digestive disorders. They are trained in how proteins, carbohydrates, fats and oils, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants effect the body. They are learned in various specialty programs, such as weight loss, sports nutrition, chronic fatigue syndrome, hypoglycemia, female and male health concerns, boosting immunity, treating autoimmune diseases, diabetes, substance abuse, smoking, candida, adrenal fatigue, thyroid problems, liver toxicity, digestive disorders, gluten intolerance, food allergies, migraines, and other common and uncommon concerns.
What can I expect from a visit to a Clinical Nutritionist?
A typical visit will start off with a discussion about medical history, family history, and personal lifestyle. Typical questions will include questions about your diet, digestion, history of weight loss or gain, sleep and exercise patterns, and relaxation habits. Some Clinical Nutritionists will ask for a 3-day food diary and a list of any herbs, supplements, or medicines you take regularly. Laboratory tests might be used to test nutrient levels and organ function. This all gives the practitioner a full picture of your personal nutritional needs.
The second part of your visit is dedicated to filling any gaps in your nutrition. This can be through diet change or through the use of oral supplements.
What to expect from Clinical Nutrition
Many times a Clinical Nutritionist will recommend a major dietary change for a short period of time, to see if symptoms are alleviated. If, after, there is no change, additional lab work could be ordered. This could be in the form of typical blood tests, or expanded nutritional panels.
The labs used in our office include, but are not limited to:
- Professional Co-op
- Genova Diagnostics
- Diagnos Techs
- Cyrex laboratories
- Spectracell