The Science of Nutrition

The Science of Nutrition offers a rigorous, science-based approach to nutrition that capitalizes on students’ natural interest in nutrition by demonstrating how nutrition relates to their own health. The text is uniquely organized using an applied approach which organizes vitamins and minerals based on their functions and effects on the body.

This applied approach is most evident in the functional organization of the micronutrient (vitamin and mineral) chapters. Rather than requiring students to memorize all the vitamins and minerals and their characteristics, the authors present them based on their functions (like fluid and electrolyte balance, antioxidant function, bone health, energy metabolism, immunity, and blood health) so that students can understand their effects on the body. This approach also allows instructors to go into greater depth on processes like energy and metabolism, fluid and electrolyte balance, antioxidants, blood health, bone health, and how micronutrients work in each of these functions.

Another unique feature of the The Science of Nutrition is its Nutri-Cases that focus on five recurring characters of various backgrounds and nutritional needs. The characters relate scenarios and ask questions related to the material being covered in each chapter, prompting students to think about nutrition issues in a real-life setting and to apply the material learned to real-life situations.

The authors have also concentrated on the goal of debunking commonly held myths about nutrition, and they do this with the Nutrition Myth or Fact? boxes and the chapter-opening Test Yourself true or false quizzes. The text achieves currency in the field of nutrition through the inclusion of the latest theories and research and through the Nutrition Debates, which highlight an examine hot topics occurring in the media today.

Janice Thompson earned a doctorate in exercise physiology and nutrition at Arizona State University. She is currently a professor of public health nutrition at the University of Bristol in the Department of Exercise and Health Sciences and is also an adjunct faculty member at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center. Her research focuses on designing and assessing the impact of nutrition and physical activity interventions to reduce the risks for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes in high-risk populations. She also teaches nutrition courses and mentors graduate research students.

Janice is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and a member of the American Society for Nutrition (ASN), the British Association of Sport and Exercise Science (BASES), and The Nutrition Society. Janice won an undergraduate teaching award while at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. In addition to The Science of Nutrition, Janice coauthored the Benjamin Cummings textbooks Nutrition: An Applied Approachand Nutrition for Life with Melinda Manore.  Janice loves cats, yoga, hiking, and cooking and eating delicious food. She likes almost every vegetable except peas and believes chocolate should be listed as a food group.

Melinda Manore earned a doctorate in human nutrition with a minor in exercise physiology at Oregon State University (OSU). She is the past chair of the Department of Nutrition and Food Management at OSU and is currently a professor in the Department of Nutrition and Exercise Sciences. Prior to her tenure at OSU, she taught at Arizona State University for 17 years. Melinda’s area of expertise is nutrition and exercise, especially the role of diet and exercise in health, exercise performance, weight control, and micronutrient needs. She has a special focus on the nutritional needs of active women and girls.

Melinda is an active member of the American Dietetic Association (ADA) and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). She is the past chair of the ADA Research Committee and the Research Dietetic Practice Group and currently serves on the ADA Obesity Steering Committee. She is a fellow of the ACSM and is a member of the board of trustees. Melinda is also a member of the American Society of Nutrition (ASN) and the North American Association for the Study of Obesity (NASSO). Melinda writes the nutrition column for and is an associate editor for ACSM’s Health and Fitness Journal, serves on editorial boards of numerous research journals, and has won awards for excellence in research and teaching. She has also coauthored the Benjamin Cummings textbooks Nutrition: An Applied Approachand Nutrition for Life with Janice Thompson. Melinda is an avid walker, hiker, and former runner who loves to cook and eat great food. She is now trying her hand at gardening.

Linda Vaughan is a professor and past chair of the Department of Nutrition at Arizona State University. Linda earned a doctorate in agricultural biochemistry and nutrition at the University of Arizona. She currently teaches, advises graduate students, and conducts research about independent-living older adults and the nutrient content of donated and distributed food from community food banks. Her area of specialization is older adults and life-cycle nutrition.

Linda is an active member of the American Dietetic Association (ADA), the American Society of Nutrition (ASN), and the Arizona Dietetic Association. She has served as chair of the Research and Dietetic Educators of Practitioners practice groups of the American Dietetic Association.  Linda has received numerous awards, including the Arizona Dietetic Association Outstanding Educator Award (1997) and the Arizona State University Supervisor of the Year award (2004). Linda enjoys swimming, cycling, and baking bread in her free time.