Nutrition Resources

Books, Journals and Audiovisual Materials

  • To search for books, journals and audiovisual materials held by the WVU Libraries, use Mountainlynx, the online catalog. Mountainlynx allows you to search by title, journal title, author, subject, keyword, and call number. Possible Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) terms that you may want to use for searching include child nutrition, diet, diet therapy, dietary supplements, food, food habits, nutrition disorders, and nutritional requirements.
  • To link to a Bibliography of Nutrition Resources in the WVU Health Sciences Library, click here.
  • If you would like to browse for nutrition books in the library stacks, here are some call number ranges where you might look:

    • QP 141 - 185 Nutrition (physiology)
    RA 784 Personal health & nutrition
    RC 620 - 627 Nutritional diseases
    RM 214 - 258 Diet therapy
    TX 341 - 641 Food & food supply

  • To search for books, journals, or audiovisual materials from other libraries, use the WorldCat database. There are links from this database to request an Interlibrary Loan (for WVU-affiliated patrons only).
  • Good Nutrition Reading List for Consumers

    • Sponsored by the American Dietetic Association, this online guide identifies and describes more than 100 books and newsletters that provide timely and scientifically-based nutrition information that consumers can trust.

Journal Article Indexes and Databases

  • Academic Search Premier

    • This multi-disciplinary database offers full text for nearly 1,850 scholarly journals, including more than 1,250 peer-reviewed titles. Covering virtually every area of academic study, Academic Search Elite offers full text information dating as far back as 1985.

  • AGRICOLA

    • This is a bibliographic database of citations to agricultural literature created by the National Agricultural Library. The records describe publications and resources encompassing all aspects of agriculture and allied disciplines, including food and human nutrition. Free access from Internet.

  • CINAHL

    • The Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature provides indexing and abstracting for over 1,600 current nursing and allied health journals and publications dating back to 1982.

  • Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews

    • The best single source of reliable evidence about the effects of health care and evidence-based medicine.

  • Health and Psychosocial Instruments (HaPI)

    • Provides access to information on measurement instruments (i.e. questionnaires, interview schedules, checklists, index measures, coding schemes/manuals, rating scales) in the health fields. A good source to find questionnaires regarding diet.

  • Health Source: Consumer Edition

    • Features searchable full text for over 190 journals including Consumer Reports on Health and Men’s Health, as well as abstracts and indexing for over 205 general health, nutrition and professional health care publications. Good for information regarding herbal and dietary supplements.

  • Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition

    • Provides nearly 600 scholarly full text journals dating as far back as 1975, including nearly 450 peer-reviewed journals focusing on many medical disciplines. Also featured are abstracts and indexing for nearly 850 journals. Coverage of nursing and allied health is particularly strong. Also includes Clinical Pharmacology, which provides access to up-to-date, concise and clinically relevant drug monographs for all U.S. prescription drugs, hard-to-find herbal and nutritional supplements, over-the-counter products and new and investigational drugs.

  • International Bibliographic Information on Dietary Supplements (IBIDS)

    • Provides access to bibliographic citations and abstracts from published, international, scientific literature on dietary supplements. The Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) at the National Institutes of Health produces this database to help consumers, health care providers, educators, and researchers find credible, scientific information on a variety of dietary supplements including vitamins, minerals and botanicals. Free access from Internet.

  • Lexis-Nexis

    • Good source for newspaper articles relating to nutrition.

  • MD Consult

    • Requires registration. Can search medical textbooks and journals, some full-text; good source for news in the field of medicine; provides drug information and a wide variety of patient handouts.

  • Medline (PubMed)

    • This bibliographic database from the National Library of Medicine covers the fields of medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine and pre-clinical sciences. MEDLINE contains bibliographic citations and author abstracts from more than 4,600 biomedical journals published in the United States and 70 other countries. Free access from Internet.

Electronic Journals

Professional Organizations and Associations

National Organizations

State Organizations

Government Resources

  • Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion

    • This site features the USDA Food Guide Pyramid, Dietary Guidelines for Americans, Healthy Eating Index, consumer education materials, online publications, and a wealth of data on the U.S. food supply.

  • CDC: Nutrition & Physical Activity

    • This site presents a public health approach to address the role of nutrition and physical activity in improving the public's health and in preventing and controlling chronic diseases. The Nutrition page includes such topics as the 5-A-Day program, breastfeeding, iron status, obesity, and bone health. The Physical Activity page includes recommendations for living a physically active lifestyle, how to start exercising and making it a regular part of your life, and how to measure intensity of exercise.

  • FDA Food Labeling and Nutrition

    • This site provides details about food and dietary supplement labeling requirements for industry and consumers plus status of proposed changes, health claims and other labeling issues. A food label quiz is available to test your knowledge.

  • FoodSafety.gov

    • A gateway to government food safety information. Includes news and safety alerts, consumer advice, how to report illnesses and product complaints, and a section for kids, teens, and educators.

  • Healthfinder.gov

    • Government-sponsored guide to reliable health information, including topics related to prevention and wellness, diseases and conditions, and alternative medicine. Excellent links for Nutrition.

  • HealthierUS.gov

    • This site is designed to help Americans live healthier lives by offering credible and accurate information on physical fitness, nutrition, prevention, and avoiding risky behaviors. It provides links to publications produced by a variety of Federal health agencies.

  • National Center for Health Statistics

    • A good place to find information about the health of Americans. Features include information on trends in aging, Fastats A to Z, growth charts, and Healthy People 2010.

  • National Heart, Lung & Blood Institute Health Information

    • This site contains information on heart and vascular diseases, lung diseases, blood diseases, and sleep disorders for patients and the general public, health care professionals, and Healthy People 2010. Includes excellent information on cholesterol, nutrition and cardiovascular disease, how to maintain a healthy weight, heart-healthy recipes, how to shop for healthy food, and guides to physical activity and behavior change.

  • Nutrition.gov

    • Government gateway to nutrition resources, including food facts, lifecycle issues, research, health management, and food assistance.

  • Office of Dietary Supplements

    • Information categories include Health Information, Research Programs and Information, Grant and Funding Opportunities, and News & Events. Fact sheets are available for various dietary supplements.

  • Recalls.gov

    • This is an online resource for government recalls. The Food & Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture share responsibility for food safety. The FDA has jurisdiction over recalls involving food and pet & farm animal feed; the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service inspects and regulates meat, poultry products, and eggs. Active recalls and safety alerts are posted here, along with information on how to report a problem with a product.

  • USDA Food & Nutrition Information Center

    • The FNIC includes an A-Z list of Food & Nutrition Topics, resource lists for various nutrition subjects, links to sites that determine food composition, links for dietary supplement and herbal information, the Food Guide Pyramid, dietary guidelines, FNIC databases, and a consumer corner. The site is updated daily.

  • USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory

    • This site allows you to search for nutrient values of foods in the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. There is also an option to download their software to a Windows PC or to a Palm OS handheld personal digital assistant (PDA).The database lists up to 117 nutrients for more than 6,000 food items and is an excellent tool to track intake.

Internet Guides

  • Arbor Nutrition Guide

    • This is a highly-acclaimed nutrition guide edited by Dr. Tony Helman. It includes major sections on applied nutrition, clinical nutrition, food science, and food. The site features its own search engine, and each subsection (such as weight disorders or diabetes) has websites that are featured as the "Cream of the Crop."

  • Index of Food & Nutrition Internet Resources

    • An extensive list of "Food & Nutrition Topics from A to Z" compiled by the USDA's Food and Nutrition Information Center. An excellent resource for a variety of nutrition-related topics.

Consumer Sites

  • Aim for a Healthy Weight

    • This site contains many helpful tools to assess your risk of overweight/obesity and to control your weight. There are links to a BMI Calculator and Menu Planner, as well as to sites discussing Portion Distortion, shopping tips, recipes, and sample reduced-calorie menus.

  • All Refer.com Diet & Nutrition Index

    • This site provides comprehensive and reliable medical information on over 70 diet and nutrition topics, ranging from vitamins and minerals — giving an overview, dosage recommendations, side effects, and food sources — to additives in food, school lunches, vegetarianism, and more. Topics can be located by using the A-Z listing or the search function.

  • American Diabetes Association: Nutrition & Recipes

    • This section of the ADA website provides nutrition information for persons with diabetes regarding making healthy food choices, label reading, the exchange lists, eating out, sweeteners, holiday meal planning, and recipes. Another section of the site provides information on weight loss and exercise.

  • Ask the Dietitian

    • Authored by Joanne Larson, Registered Dietitian, this is a collection of questions & answers on diet and nutrition topics. Visitors to the site can send in their own questions via email.

  • Consumer Corner

    • A sub-site of the USDA's Food & Nutrition Information Center, the Consumer Corner contains information about food and nutrition topics the public most frequently asks about. Much of the information is presented in full-text documents. It includes an A-Z list of hot topics, sections on Nutrition over the Lifecycle, Practical Tools that You can Use, and All About Food: Cooking, Recipes, and Canning; and FAQ's.

  • Delicious Decisions: American Heart Association

    • Presented in a cookbook format, Delicious Decisions provides recipes and tips for shopping, eating out, and fitness for consumers concerned about heart health.

  • Dietary Analysis & Intake Calculators

    • Another sub-site of the USDA's Food & Nutrition Information Center, this page provides links to free pages that will calculate diet and recipe analyses, including calorie, fat, fiber, and fruit/vegetable intake analyses, among others.

  • Dietary Guidelines for Americans

    • This page links to the 2000 (5th edition) version of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, as well as to consumer pamphlets and brochures on how to put the Guidelines into practice.

  • Herbs, Botanicals, and other Products

    • Sponsored by Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, this site provides objective, evidence-based information about herbs, botanicals, vitamins, and other supplements. A clinical summary is provided for each agent, as well as its adverse effects, interactions, and potential benefits or problems. Evaluations of alternative or unproved cancer therapies, as well as products for sexual dysfunction are also included. A consumer version of each monograph is also included.

  • MEDLINEplus: Herbs and Supplements

    • Includes information on over 100 herbs and supplements from Natural Standard. Each monograph contains evidence-based, peer-reviewed data, and many contain illustrations. References are also included.

  • MEDLINEplus: Nutrition

    • Links to reliable, authoritative government and non-government sites compiled by the National Library of Medicine. They are organized by nutrition news, general overviews, research, specific conditions/aspects, statistics, and web pages from the National Institutes of Health.

  • New York Online Access to Health (NOAH): Nutrition

    • Links to high quality nutrition information for consumers, including eating well for your lifestyle, vegetarianism, weight reduction, dietary supplements, nutrition and aging, nutrition and children, nutrition in pregnancy, nutrition in disease, food allergies, and food additives.

  • NutritionData.com

    • This user-friendly site provides nutrition analysis of a wide variety of foods, including brand names and fast foods. The site shows a Nutrition Facts label for common portion sizes of the food entered, along with values for
    many other nutrients, including caffeine, fatty acids and amino acids. It also tells you the "good" and "bad" about the food, rates it from 1-5 stars, and shows its ratio of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Other nice features: there is a pantry area in which favorite foods can be stored and combined to form recipes; a nutrient search tool can help find foods that are lowest in carbohydrate, highest in protein, or that match any other dietary restrictions or goals; the food additive identifier can translate confusing ingredient labels; and the 50 most popular foods show foods most frequently analyzed by site visitors in the last 24 hours.

  • Penn State University Nutrition Information and Resource Center

    • This site provides access to information three different ways: through reviewed Web sites, downloadable publications, and NIRC library materials. Users can locate resources for General Nutrition Information, Nutrition Through the Lifecycle, Food Science and Food Groups, Nutrition for Chronic Disease States, Fitness & Sports Nutrition, Nutrition News, Nutrition for Limited Resource Groups, and Community Resources.

  • Vegetarian Nutrition

    • Compiled by the USDA Food and Information Center, this site is a compilation of resources on vegetarian nutrition for the consumer. The resources are in a variety of information formats: articles, pamphlets, books and full-text materials on the World Wide Web. Updated May 2002.

  • Weight Loss & Control

    • Sponsored by NIDDK and the Weight-Control Information Network, this site contains booklets and fact sheets on many weight loss & control topics. There are also links to other resources and to statistics about obesity and overweight.

  • "What's in the Foods You Eat" search tool

    • Launched in August 2005, this free, searchable database provides nutrient values for approximately 13,000 foods. Designed for foods typically eaten in the United States, it contains many food mixtures and common portion sizes and will help consumers make informed decisions about food choices.

Nutrition & Disease

  • DASH Diet for Hypertension

    • This downloadable PDF format booklet contains a week's worth of sample menus, recipes, heart healthy dishes, and an easy-to-read summary of the findings from the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension clinical study that showed how elevated blood pressure levels can be reduced with an eating plan low in total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol, and rich in fruits, vegetables, and lowfat dairy products.

  • Diabetes & Nutrition

    • Sponsored by NIDDK, this link to What I Need to Know about Eating and Diabetes is an easy-to-read summary about all aspects of a good nutrition plan for people with diabetes. Correct portion sizes are illustrated, and information is included at the end on how to find more reliable help.

  • Eating Disorders

    • This site is part of the USDA's Food & Nutrition Information Center. There are several links to general information about eating disorders, as well as those specific to anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating. It is further broken down into sections for Teens and Eating Disorders, Exercise and Eating Disorders, and Special Conditions and Eating Disorders. Finally, there is a section on Education Resources for eating disorders.

  • Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network

    • This site focuses on food allergies in children. However, it also provides an excellent general guide to allergy and describes some of the more common food allergies. It offers practical support, recipes, advice for school cafeteria workers, and a communication network for sharing information among members.

  • Grapefruit & Drug Interactions

    • This 4-page handout from The People's Pharmacy lists all drugs that may have negative interactions with grapefruit or grapefruit juice, as well as frequently asked questions about this interaction. Needs Adobe Acrobat to display properly on your computer.

  • Nutrition in Cancer Care

    • Part of the Cancer.gov website, this page discusses the effect of cancer and its treatments on nutrition, an overview of nutrition therapy, nutrition suggestions for symptom relief, unproven dietary treatments, and other nutrition issues and resources important to the cancer patient.

  • Renal Disease & Nutrition

    • Sponsored by NIDDK, this online publication is titled, Eat Right to Feel Right on Hemodialysis. It covers all aspects of a renal diet, including protein, phosphorus, sodium, fluids, potassium, calories, and vitamin concerns.