The internet has plenty of nutrition information, and almost none of it is useful. Supplement companies blog about why their pill is essential. Wellness influencers oversell whatever they just discovered. Proper medical sites are accurate but unreadable. The result is that someone wondering “should I take magnesium?” or “is salmon really that good for me?” ends up more confused than when they started.
Nutrition Encyclopedia is the resource we wished existed: a plain-English nutrition reference where every claim has a source you can check, where the language matches how normal people actually talk about food, and where we’re upfront about what’s well-established versus what’s still being debated.
What you’ll find here
The site is built around four kinds of pages:
- Foods — one page per food, with the actual nutrition data (sourced from the USDA FoodData Central database), evidence-backed health benefits, and how it fits into common diets
- Supplements — one page per supplement, with what the evidence actually says (good, bad, or “we don’t really know yet”), dosage guidance, and how to pick a quality brand
- Vitamins & minerals — one page per nutrient, with food sources, deficiency signs, and supplementation guidance
- Conditions and goals — one page per common health goal, pulling together the foods and supplements with the best evidence for it
What makes us different
A few things we do that most nutrition sites don’t:
Every claim is sourced. When we say “vitamin D supports immune function,” there’s a link to the EFSA-authorised claim or a primary study. When we say “the evidence on X is mixed,” we explain which evidence and why. If we can’t back something up, we don’t say it.
Both UK and US reference values. Most nutrition sites quote US RDAs. We also include the UK NHS Reference Nutrient Intakes (RNIs), the Tolerable Upper Intake Levels, and notes about where the two differ.
Plain language with optional depth. Each page leads with what most people want to know in a paragraph or two. If you want the study details, they’re there too — just one click away.
Honest about uncertainty. Nutritional science changes. The “saturated fat is the enemy” consensus of the 1990s has been revised. We tell you when something is contested rather than pretending the answer is settled.
No mid-page subscription pop-ups. Or push notifications. Or “click here to lose 10 lbs” boxes. The site funds itself through display ads at the bottom of articles and through affiliate links to supplements where we genuinely think they’re worth considering. See How we make money for the full breakdown.
Who we are
Nutrition Encyclopedia is an independent UK-based information site. We are not doctors, registered dietitians, or registered nutritionists. We don’t give personalised nutrition advice. We compile, organise, and explain publicly available nutritional information from primary sources — the same sources your GP or a registered nutritionist would use.
Where a page involves anything beyond general food-and-nutrient information — for example, supplement recommendations or condition-specific guidance — we say clearly that you should speak to a qualified healthcare professional before acting on it.
For pages dealing with specific health conditions or substantial dietary changes, we work with registered nutritionists to review content for accuracy. Reviewer credentials are shown on those pages.
What this site is not
- Not medical advice. Nothing on this site can substitute for a consultation with your GP, a registered dietitian, or a registered nutritionist. If you have a medical condition, take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are considering significant dietary changes, please speak to a qualified professional before acting on anything you read here.
- Not a diagnostic tool. We don’t diagnose deficiencies or conditions. We can describe symptoms that are commonly associated with deficiencies — getting tested and diagnosed is your GP’s job.
- Not a substitute for tested supplementation guidance. If you suspect you’re deficient in something, ask your GP for the relevant blood test. Many vitamin and mineral levels can be tested simply and cheaply on the NHS.
- Not selling you anything directly. We don’t sell supplements, courses, or coaching. We earn commission when readers buy supplements through our affiliate links, but the products we recommend are widely available and not branded.
Our editorial standards
Six rules we follow:
- Sources for every claim. Primary sources (peer-reviewed studies, EFSA, NIH ODS, NHS, USDA) over secondary sources (other nutrition blogs).
- EFSA-authorised wording for health claims. The EU/UK have a specific list of health claims that can be legally made about nutrients. We use that wording for claims, with the source EFSA opinion linked.
- Updates dated and visible. Every page shows when it was last reviewed.
- Errors corrected publicly. If we get something wrong and you tell us, we fix it and note the correction at the bottom of the page.
- No affiliate-rate-driven ranking. When we compare supplement brands, the ranking reflects quality (third-party testing, formulation, manufacturer reputation), not commission rate. See How we make money.
- No content farms or AI slop. Some of our food data pages are generated from structured nutrition data using AI. The data itself is from USDA. The narrative around the data is reviewed for accuracy before publishing. We don’t publish anything we wouldn’t read ourselves.
Getting in touch
Spotted an error, want to suggest a topic, or have a question? Email hello@nutritionencyclopedia.com.
We don’t accept guest posts, sponsored articles, or “link insertion” requests. Please don’t ask.
A final note
Nutrition is one of those fields where the more you learn, the more you realise nobody has all the answers. Anyone telling you they do — whether on Instagram, in a supplement ad, or on a podcast — is probably selling something. We’re trying to be the resource that respects your intelligence enough to show you the evidence and let you decide.
Thanks for reading.
The Nutrition Encyclopedia team
Last updated: May 2026