Diet & Nutrition Therapy (DNT) is a therapeutic approach to treating medical conditions and their associated symptoms via the use of a specifically tailored diet devised and monitored by a health provider, registered dietitian or professional nutritionist. The diet is based upon the patient’s health record, physical examination, functional examination and dietary history.
The role of DNT when administered by an Physician, dietitian or professional nutritionist 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.
An example is Intradialytic Parenteral Nutrition (IDPN) Therapy, a nutritional support therapy for people on hemodialysis who have a difficult time maintaining adequate nutrition. Another recent example is the use of macronutrient preload in type 2 diabetes.