PubMed – verify subject terms
Did simple keyword searching give too many results? Try verifying search terms in MeSH, and using focused search strategies to enhance retrieval of articles about substances, nutritional disorders, or therapies. The subheading “diet therapy” is available.

Examples:

"Fatty Acids, Omega-6" [MeSH] is more specific than "Fatty Acids"

"Fatty Acids, Omega-6/metabolism"[MeSH] is even more specific

“Osteoporosis/diet therapy”[Mesh]
“Osteoporosis/diet therapy”[Majr] retrieves articles where diet therapy is a major topic

PubMed – apply Limits and select Subset

Are you familiar with the Limits link on the PubMed search screen? Clicking Limits reveals many options including Subsets.

Examples:

Enter keyword "Fatty Acids" + Select subset: Dietary Supplements

Enter keyword "Osteoporosis" + Select subset: Complementary Medicine (may include nutrition)

PubMed - discover search terms

The Medical Subject Heading [MeSH] database can suggest further search terms. If appropriate for your topic, explore available headings for Diet, Diet Therapy, Food, Micronutrients, Nutrition, and more. You can always ask a librarian for assistance.

Examples:

Food Labelling

Nutritional Requirements

FOR CONSUMER EDUCATION ~ Government Sites

AnalyzeMy Plate
http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/activities/analyze_my_plate.html A fun way to analyze meals and create healthier ones. Drag selected food items to your plate, and get nutritional information. SuperTracker interactive tool helps plan and analyze your diet and physical activity.

Food and Nutrition Information Center http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/ from the USDA National Agriculture Library links to practical resources for health professionals, educators, government personnel and consumers.

My Plate has an interactive food planner, meal plans and recipes.
Diet and Disease section focuses on diets and nutrition for specific diseases and conditions, including food sensitivities. Also includes links to further resources.

FOR CONSUMER EDUCATION ~ Non-government Sites

Self Nutrition Data: Know What You Eat

http://nutritiondata.self.com/
While it includes advertising, it also offers useful science-based tools for analyzing and using nutritional data. It explains terminology and the food labeling system more clearly than government sites.

NetWellness – Diet and Nutrition http://www.netwellness.org/healthtopics/diet/default.cfm Includes sections on specific diseases and conditions, and links to nutrition information by age, ethnicity, and sex.

FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS ~ Resources beyond our library

Free newsletter subscription

Alex Vasquez, DC, ND, DO offers free articles, sampled from his books at http://www.optimalhealthresearch.com/newsletter.html. His work provides clinically oriented coverage of functional medicine, with an emphasis on integrating nutrition into care.

Other databases

Health care providers whose expertise allows for nutritional consulting may want to subscribe to commercial databases. There are several from which to choose for nutritional analysis, and up-to-date data on herbs and supplements. The databases webpage at Bastyr University provides a starting place for exploration.

Consumer sites often include valuable data for professionals as well. Several of the consumer level sites listed above are from:

Finding Health and Wellness @ the Library: Nutrition and Foods http://www.library.ca.gov/lds/docs/healthtoolkit.pdf (PDF, p. 17-21). Hand-picked sites for seniors, women, and age groups are listed there. Doctors may want to recommend certain sites to their patients. This bibliography was published in 2010; but any resources with outdated links are usually easy to find.

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