Medical nutrition therapy (
MNT) is the use of specific nutrition services to treat an illness, injury, or condition. It was introduced in 1994 by the American Dietetic Association to better articulate the nutrition therapy process. It involves the assessment of the nutritional status of the client and the actual treatment, which includes nutrition therapy, counseling, and the use of specialized nutrition supplements, devised and monitored by a medical doctor
physician or registered
dietitian nutritionist (RDN). Registered dietitians started using MNT as a dietary intervention for preventing or treating other health conditions that are caused by or made worse by unhealthy eating habits. The role of MNT when administered by a
physician or dietitian nutritionist (RDN) is to reduce the risk of developing complications in pre-existing conditions such as
type 2 diabetes as well as ameliorate the effects any existing conditions such as high cholesterol. Many medical conditions either develop or are made worse by an improper or unhealthy diet. Similar to MNT is diabetes self-management training (DSMT) which is an education and training program by a healthcare professional rather than a personal treatment plan from a registered dietitian. An example is the use of
macronutrient preload in type 2 diabetes.
Administration In most cases the use of Medical Nutrition is recommended within international and professional guidelines.
Advantages The following advantages come with medical nutrition: • It is often very effective in treating
type 1 or
type 2 diabetes. • It can help one to live better at any age
Disadvantages The following are some disadvantages of medical nutrition: • A patient may need to follow a strict diet to see benefits while using a medical nutrition plan. • Some forms of medical nutrition can be very expensive. A poor patient may not afford such. ==Journals==