The Miguel de Cervantes European University (UEMC) of Valladolid has hosted today the first day of the Summer Course ‘Food and Health’which brings together experts on nutrition and its impact on different aspects of life, such as the environment, sports, education, women’s health, obesity and oncology, for two days. A course that, in the words of its coordinator, Paula Crespo, “allows attendees to discover the latest advances and trends in nutrition, as well as learn to lead a healthier life and obtain practical tools to improve their well-being.”
The rector of UEMC, David García López, was in charge of inaugurating the 2024 edition of the University’s Summer Courses, actions that “allow us to do different things” in a year in which there is a “spectacular program with top-level professionals.” Regarding the ‘Food and Health’ course, García López highlighted how initiatives of this type “highlight the need to seek scientific evidence on a topic as crucial as nutrition“. In contrast to the “quick and poorly contrasted” messages that we are bombarded with on social media, “the university has a lot to say and contribute, which is why I believe that this course is the ideal forum to learn about sports, educational or emotional nutrition,” said the rector.
One of the most interesting aspects discussed in the round table, focused on therapeutic nutrition and its impact on the most prevalent pathologies, was pointed out by Julio Flores Rodríguez, oncologist, director of the Research Department of the Recoletas Campo Grande Hospital, and professor at UEMC, who pointed out that Malnutrition is a very common effect in cancer patients, with a prevalence between 15% and 40% at diagnosis.
“This figure increases considerably as the disease progresses, affecting up to 80% of patients,” he said. Malnutrition has an adverse impact on the evolution of cancer patients, “increasing the incidence of infections, decreasing the response to treatments, prolonging hospital stay and increasing the risk of mortality”according to the oncologist.
For her part, Verónica de la Fuente Sanz, dietician-nutritionist and head of the Nutrition Service at VIDA Recoletas, explained how a balanced diet is also crucial for fertility, “since nutrients such as folic acid, zinc and antioxidants improve the quality of the egg and sperm.” For De la Fuente, “a healthy diet helps maintain a healthy weight”which is essential to regulate reproductive hormones and improve the success rates of assisted reproduction treatments.
The round table also featured Paula Crespo Escobar, coordinator of the Nutrition and Obesity Unit at the Recoletas Campo Grande Hospital and of the Human Nutrition and Dietetics Degree at UEMC, and Naiara Carretero Lozano, president of the Official College of Dietitians-Nutritionists of Castilla y León and also a professor of the Degree. They explained how an obesogenic environment, characterized by the easy availability of ultra-processed foods and a sedentary lifestyle, “promotes habits that contribute to weight gain and obesity.” Modifying this environment is essential to encourage healthier behaviors and prevent obesity.“That is why it is important that professionals and patients have sufficient tools to modify this environment.”
The presentations of the day were led by Miguel Ángel Royo Bordonada, professor at the National School of Health and Director of the Master of Public Health, who explained in ‘Towards healthy, safe and sustainable food’, how to promote healthy, safe and sustainable food at a global level “a major transformation of the agri-food system is needed to promote the production of healthy and sustainable food,” mainly of plant origin, fresh or minimally processed, and discourage the production and promotion of meat and ultra-processed products.
Likewise, Ana Velasco Andonegui, dietician-nutritionist and researcher at the Nutrition Research Centre of the University of Navarra, explained in her presentation ‘Food in shifts’: the impact on health of chrononutrition’ how meal times influence metabolic health. For Andonegui, circadian rhythms, regulated by our master clock, “impact the body’s response to food and metabolism.” However, “their desynchronization with meal times, light or physical activity causes a disruption of the circadian system.” In this sense, adopting dietary patterns that respect our biological rhythms “can improve health and reduce the risk of disease,” she said.
Second day
The second day of the Summer Course will begin on July 4 at 9:30 a.m. with the conference ‘Safe food: do we know what we eat?’ The course will be led by Francisco Ojuelos Gómez, head of the Legal Department of the General Council of Official Colleges of Dietitians-Nutritionists of Spain. The course will answer the most frequently asked questions about health and food safety in a clear, entertaining and direct manner. In addition, basic concepts will be discussed, and the labelling of packaged foods will be reviewed and taught how to interpret them.
Later (10.30 a.m.) Guillermo Casas Ares, nutritionist of the Spanish Rugby Federation, of VRAC Quesos Entrepinares and professor of the Degree in Human Nutrition and Dietetics at UEMC, will discuss the ‘Sports nutrition: its impact on performance’In his presentation, he will explain from a theoretical point of view, but with practical application, how proper nutrition for an athlete or any person who practices sport, even if it is not high-performance or professional, is as important as training.
The conference will take place at 11:45 a.m. ‘Educational nutrition: what we learn about nutrition influences our health’, with Beatriz Álvarez Rivera, Project Director of the Trilema Foundation. Educational nutrition is essential, since what we learn about nutrition and how we incorporate it into our daily lives directly influences our health. Promoting healthy eating habits from an early age and through educational programs can prevent diseases and promote long-term well-being.
The sessions will end with two workshops, the first of which will be ‘Emotional eating: how the way we relate to food impacts our health’, The workshop will be led by Cristina Negro López, a psychologist from the Nutrition and Obesity Unit at the Recoletas Campo Grande Hospital. She will first discuss the concept of emotional eating and its implications, and will end with a practical workshop on conscious eating to improve the relationship with food of the participants. The aim is to raise awareness that people who eat emotionally have a greater risk of developing weight-related health problems, such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
The second workshop (11.45 am) will revolve around the ‘Organized eating: think healthy and you’ll succeed’led by Naiara Carretero Lozano, president of the Official College of Dietitians-Nutritionists of Castilla y León and professor of the Degree in Human Nutrition and Dietetics at UEMC. From a practical point of view, the main food myths will be dismantled, work will be done on how to transform ultra-processed foods into healthy ones, people will learn how to eat healthily outside the home and how to organize their weekly diet with batch cooking.