WNM / NUTRITION KNOWLEDGE

Nutrition Medicine Encyclopedia

Begin with food. Discover nutrition.
Explore the connections between what we eat, our bodies and our health.

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Good questions begin with everyday foodFOOD, PEOPLE & WELLBEING

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Move from the nine fields to specific questions. Explore each topic’s scope, boundaries and categories.

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Topic groups
79
Categories
407

Scope

Food and diets, physiology, assessment, life stages, disease, interventions, lifestyle, public nutrition and research methods.

Classification boundaries

Each topic has one primary home, determined by its central question. Related field codes connect content without duplicating categories.

THE TOPIC DIRECTORY

All topic groups

Each topic has a defined scope. Expand a group to explore its boundaries and categories.

79 topic groups

Food, Nutrients & Dietary Patterns

01.0213 categories

Vitamins

Vitamin identities, forms and food sources.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Each vitamin has one foundational record. Deficiency and toxicity belong to 05.01.

Third-level categories13

01.0314 categories

Minerals & Dietary Elements

Foundational knowledge organised by element.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Inclusion does not imply that every element is essential. Status assessment belongs to 03.04 and abnormal states to 05.01.

Third-level categories14

01.047 categories

Water & Other Dietary Components

Water, choline and food-derived components outside the first three groups.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Definitions of non-essential bioactive substances are recorded separately from evidence of health effects. Supplementation and interventions belong to 06.

Third-level categories07

01.0517 categories

Food Sources & Groups

Foods and their commonly consumed forms. Basic products remain with their source food; complex substitutes follow their specific definitions.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Nutrient identity belongs to 01.01–01.04. Processing is an attribute, not a duplicate food record. Guideline groups, exchanges and meal-planning uses are mapped separately; using pulses as staples does not change their primary group.

Third-level categories17

01.068 categories

Processing, Cooking & Nutritional Quality

Nutritional quality and food safety in processing, preservation, cooking, fortification and formulation.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

General nutritional value and data tools belong to 01.08, human bioavailability mechanisms to 02, individual interventions to 06 and public food-safety regulation to 08.

Third-level categories08

01.076 categories

Dietary Patterns & Food Culture

Overall dietary structures, food combinations and cultural contexts.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Pattern definitions belong here; individual dietary change belongs to 06, behavioural determinants to 07.04 and public guidelines to 08.02.

Third-level categories06

01.084 categories

Food Composition & Nutrition Information

Concepts, food-composition data and information used to interpret nutritional quality.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

A specific food’s composition belongs to 01.05, actual individual intake to 03.01, planned menu evaluation to 06.08.04, data generation and validation to 09.06, and label regulation to 08.02.03.

Third-level categories04

Nutritional Physiology & Metabolism

02.025 categories

Bioavailability, Transport & Storage

Differences between intake, bioavailability and distribution within the body.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Absorption across the intestinal epithelium belongs to 02.01.04. This group covers overall availability from food to tissues and its determinants.

Third-level categories05

02.037 categories

Energy & Nutrient Metabolism

General metabolic pathways and homeostatic regulation.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Nutritional management of disease belongs to 05; measurement and estimation of requirements belong to 03.06.

Third-level categories07

02.046 categories

Nutrition & Organ System Function

Nutritional actions organised by tissue and system function.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Disease-specific prevention and management belong to 05; mechanisms specifically mediated by microbiota belong to 02.05.

Third-level categories06

02.055 categories

Gut Microbiota & Nutrition

Interactions between diet, microorganisms and the host.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Microbial preparation identities belong to 01.04.06, test interpretation to 03.04 and interventions to 06.06.

Third-level categories05

02.075 categories

Metabolic Stress & Physiological Adaptation

Metabolic changes under physiological or pathological stress.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

This group explains mechanisms. Exercise arrangements belong to 07; nutrition in critical illness and other diseases belongs to 05.

Third-level categories05

Nutrition Assessment & Monitoring

03.015 categories

Dietary Intake Assessment

Established methods for estimating an individual’s actual dietary intake.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Food and dietary pattern definitions belong to 01; instrument development, bias and validity research belong to 09.

Third-level categories05

03.025 categories

Anthropometry & Body Composition

Applied measurement of body size, composition and hydration.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Integrated management of sarcopenia and other diseases belongs to 05; device and model validation belong to 09.06.

Third-level categories05

03.035 categories

Clinical & Functional Assessment

Individual factors affecting nutritional intake, utilisation and function.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Specific causes and disease plans belong to 05; research on lifestyle relationships belongs to 07.

Third-level categories05

03.046 categories

Laboratory & Metabolic Indicators

Interpretation of nutrition-related tests under clearly defined conditions of use.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Groups follow the measurement target. Research indicators are not equivalent to validated diagnostic tools; test development belongs to 09.

Third-level categories06

03.055 categories

Nutrition Screening & Diagnosis

Risk screening, integrated assessment, analysis of causes and evidence, and formulation of nutrition diagnoses.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Screening identifies risk; assessment integrates information; nutrition diagnosis describes actionable problems. Disease and syndrome concepts belong to 05. Diagnostic terminology is mapped to a versioned external system.

Third-level categories05

03.069 categories

Requirements, Reference Values & Goals

Reference values, their populations and versions, and measurement or estimation of individual nutrition goals.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Food energy concepts belong to 01.08.02, life-stage needs to 04, disease adjustments to 05, menu implementation to 06.08 and population programmes to 08. Reference-value development belongs to 09.

Third-level categories09

03.076 categories

Nutrition Monitoring & Outcomes

Changes following nutrition care and progress towards goals.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Measurement belongs here; changes to treatment or support routes belong to 06. Outcome-measure development belongs to 09.06.

Third-level categories06

Life Stages & Physiological Needs

04.045 categories

Infant & Toddler Feeding

General nutrition and feeding from birth to under two years, including cross-stage feeding overviews.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Prematurity, low birth weight and childhood feeding disorders belong to 05.14; maternal lactation needs belong to 04.03. Single-age questions follow the relevant stage; cross-stage progression belongs to 04.04.05.

Third-level categories05

04.053 categories

Preschool & School-age Nutrition

General needs and everyday diets from age two to under twelve, using this directory’s search intervals.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Under-two topics belong to 04.04. Pubertal development belongs to 04.06 with an actual-age tag; school meal systems belong to 08.03.02; diseases follow 05.

Third-level categories03

04.064 categories

Adolescence & Puberty

General adolescent needs and nutrition specific to pubertal development.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

General adolescent content uses age tags from twelve to under eighteen. Puberty-specific topics follow physiological status across age bands. Disease-related eating and growth problems belong to 05; exercise purposes belong to 07.

Third-level categories04

04.073 categories

Adulthood & Physiological Transitions

Normal adult requirements and specific physiological transitions.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Preconception, pregnancy and lactation take their dedicated categories. Disease and exercise purposes take 05 and 07. Age is a tag rather than a duplicate category.

Third-level categories03

04.085 categories

Nutrition in Older Age

Age-related physiological changes and maintenance of normal function.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Management of sarcopenia and frailty belongs to 05.02; residential care services belong to 08.03.

Third-level categories05

Nutrition Disorders & Disease

05.016 categories

Undernutrition & Nutrient Imbalances

Disorders centred on undernutrition, nutrient abnormalities and refeeding risk.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Comprehensive nutrition care for a disease follows its organ or disease branch. This group covers standard concepts and general management of nutritional disorders.

Third-level categories06

05.036 categories

Endocrine & Metabolic Diseases

Nutrition in common acquired metabolic and endocrine diseases.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Pregnancy-specific disease belongs to 05.13, inherited metabolic disease to 05.15 and obesity to 05.02.

Third-level categories06

05.056 categories

Gastrointestinal Diseases

Nutritional management of gastrointestinal disease and intestinal dysfunction.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Liver, biliary and pancreatic disease belong to 05.06; food allergy and non-immune intolerance to 05.19. Coeliac disease stays in 05.05.04; infectious gastroenteritis belongs to 05.17.01. Named chronic gastrointestinal diseases follow their branches here.

Third-level categories06

05.065 categories

Liver, Biliary & Pancreatic Diseases

Nutrition in liver, biliary and pancreatic diseases.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

General concepts of accompanying malnutrition remain in 05.01; surgical-stage plans belong to 05.09.

Third-level categories05

05.086 categories

Cancer & Haematological Diseases

Nutrition-related cancer risk and prevention, nutrition across cancer stages, and non-deficiency blood disorders.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Cancer risk and primary prevention belong to 05.08.06; survivorship to 05.08.04. Cachexia itself belongs to 05.01.01, deficiency anaemia to 05.01.04 and perioperative plans to 05.09.

Third-level categories06

05.095 categories

Surgery, Trauma & Critical Care

Integrated nutrition care during surgery, severe injury and critical illness.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Long-term organ disease management follows the relevant disease branch. This group centres on the care stage, with organ tags where relevant.

Third-level categories05

05.107 categories

Neurological & Psychiatric Conditions

Nutrition-related issues in neurological and psychiatric conditions.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Everyday eating behaviour and stress associations belong to 07; diagnosed eating disorders belong here.

Third-level categories07

05.112 categories

Respiratory Diseases

Non-infectious respiratory disease and associated nutrition care, including comprehensive cystic fibrosis nutrition.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Respiratory infections belong to 05.17, critical respiratory care to 05.09.03 and perioperative topics to 05.09. Long-term lung disease management belongs here.

Third-level categories02

05.122 categories

Bone, Muscle & Joint Diseases

Bone health disorders and local joint or musculoskeletal diseases not primarily driven by systemic immunity.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Sarcopenia and frailty belong to 05.02, systemic immune disease to 05.18, specific nutrient deficiency lesions to 05.01.04 and major trauma stages to 05.09.

Third-level categories02

05.136 categories

Pregnancy & Reproductive Conditions

Pregnancy-specific complications and reproductive diseases.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Normal pregnancy and lactation requirements belong to 04. Pre-existing diseases follow their original disease category when that is the main question.

Third-level categories06

05.155 categories

Inherited Metabolic Diseases

Nutritional management driven by specific inherited metabolic defects.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

This group takes priority over general organ and acquired metabolic categories. General mechanisms of genetic variation belong to 02.06.

Third-level categories05

05.165 categories

Multimorbidity & Special Care

Integrated nutrition problems requiring coordination across diseases or special care goals.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Single-disease plans remain with that disease; general care transition processes belong to 06.07.

Third-level categories05

05.182 categories

Systemic Immune & Inflammatory Diseases

Nutrition in systemic autoimmune and inflammatory diseases and non-HIV immunodeficiency.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Food allergy belongs to 05.19.01, inflammatory bowel disease to 05.05.02 and coeliac disease to 05.05.04. Other established organ diseases follow their dedicated branches.

Third-level categories02

05.192 categories

Food Allergy & Intolerance

Nutrition care for immune-mediated food allergy and non-immune food intolerance.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Coeliac disease stays in 05.05.04. Food poisoning is not classified as allergy or intolerance; general elimination-diet methods belong to 06.06.

Third-level categories02

Nutrition Interventions & Support

06.016 categories

Nutrient Adjustment & Clinical Diets

Adjusting intake to established goals, basic hospital diets, texture modification and diets for diagnostic procedures.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Food exchanges and menus belong to 06.08, requirement estimation to 03.06, disease prescriptions to 05 and institutional meal systems to 08.03.04.

Third-level categories06

06.025 categories

Nutrition Counselling & Behaviour Support

General methods that help individuals understand and follow nutrition plans.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Behavioural determinants belong to 07.04 and public education to 08.05. Disease psychotherapy is outside this group.

Third-level categories05

06.035 categories

Oral Nutrition Support & Supplements

General approaches to providing additional nutrition by mouth.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

General food-based dietary adjustment belongs to 06.01, tube feeding to 06.04 and food or ingredient foundations to 01.

Third-level categories05

06.046 categories

Enteral Tube Feeding

General nutritional support through gastrointestinal tube feeding.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

This group specifically covers tube feeding. Oral support is separate in 06.03; disease-specific indications and plans belong to 05.

Third-level categories06

06.056 categories

Parenteral Nutrition

General methods for providing nutrition intravenously.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Disease-specific use belongs to 05. Preparation and infusion topics are professional knowledge, not personal operating instructions.

Third-level categories06

06.065 categories

Special Diets & Component Interventions

General intervention strategies that need their own description and conditions of use.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Disease-specific plans belong to 05. This group centres on methods and records evidence and applicability for each one.

Third-level categories05

06.076 categories

Integrated & Individualised Care

Integration of nutrition methods, professional roles and continuing care.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Assessment algorithms and tests belong to 03 or 09, conflicting disease goals to 05.16 and institutional governance to 08.06.

Third-level categories06

06.085 categories

Meal Planning & Menu Design

Turning established nutrition goals into food portions, meal timing and menus, with evaluation of nutritional and practical feasibility.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Requirement estimates belong to 03.06, actual intake assessment to 03.01, disease menus to 05 and institutional meal organisation to 08.03. This group provides reusable methods across populations.

Third-level categories05

Nutrition & Lifestyle

07.015 categories

Exercise & Nutrient Supply

Dietary and nutritional arrangements by exercise demands.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

This group centres on supply around exercise. Post-training recovery and body composition goals belong to 07.02.

Third-level categories05

07.034 categories

Sleep & Circadian Rhythms

Relationships between nutrition, sleep, daily schedules and circadian rhythms.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Basic circadian metabolic pathways belong to 02. Disease-related sleep topics enter 05 only where a clear nutritional connection exists.

Third-level categories04

07.045 categories

Eating Behaviour & Psychosocial Factors

How everyday eating behaviour develops and what influences it.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Diagnosed eating disorders belong to 05.10, behaviour-change methods to 06.02 and descriptive food culture to 01.07.

Third-level categories05

07.054 categories

Daily Activity & Occupational Nutrition

Activity, work and daily living demands experienced by individuals.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Population-level environmental changes belong to 08; competitive sport takes priority in 07.01 and 07.02.

Third-level categories04

Public Nutrition & Food Environments

08.014 categories

Population Monitoring & Needs Assessment

Nutritional status and disparities across populations and regions.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Individual testing and assessment belong to 03; sampling designs and causal inference methods belong to 09.

Third-level categories04

08.025 categories

Nutrition Policy & Public Measures

Population policies, guidelines and public interventions.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Public application of guidance belongs here; guideline development and evidence evaluation methods belong to 09.04.

Third-level categories05

08.036 categories

Community & Institutional Nutrition

Population diets and nutrition services organised by public-service setting.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Population tags do not alter individual articles’ primary categories. Individual hospital treatment belongs to 05 or 06; hospital-wide meal systems belong here.

Third-level categories06

08.045 categories

Food Environments & Supply

External conditions that shape access to food and food choices.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Individual dietary arrangements in special environments belong to 07.05; food composition and processing quality belong to 01.

Third-level categories05

08.055 categories

Public Nutrition Education & Communication

Nutrition education and communication for populations.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Individual counselling belongs to 06.02; professional research methods and evidence evaluation belong to 09.

Third-level categories05

08.065 categories

Nutrition Services & Quality Governance

Institutional and system-level service organisation, capacity and quality management.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Individual care delivery belongs to 06.07; research ethics and research data governance belong to 09.07.

Third-level categories05

Nutrition Research & Evidence

09.025 categories

Nutritional Epidemiology

Methods for observational research and analysis of nutritional exposures.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Population monitoring and policy action belong to 08; clinical use of individual questionnaires belongs to 03.

Third-level categories05

09.035 categories

Clinical & Behavioural Intervention Research

Design and implementation methods for human nutrition intervention trials.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Established clinical intervention practice belongs to 06. Disease plans and specific trial findings follow the relevant disease in 05.

Third-level categories05

09.045 categories

Evidence Synthesis & Guidelines

Methods for forming evidence and recommendations from research.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Disease-specific guideline content belongs to 05; public guideline application belongs to 08.02.

Third-level categories05

09.056 categories

Nutritional Omics & Data Science

Methods for omics measurement, models and computational tools.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Biological mechanisms belong to 02, individual result interpretation to 03.04 and plan implementation to 06.07.

Third-level categories06

09.066 categories

Measurement, Statistics & Outcomes

Methodology for nutrition measurement, statistics and outcome indicators.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Clinical use of established tools belongs to 03; specific modelling algorithms take priority in 09.05.

Third-level categories06

09.076 categories

Translation, Implementation & Research Governance

Methods for applying research findings and governing research.

Boundaries & categories

Classification boundaries

Actual public programmes and service systems belong to 08. This group addresses research design, evaluation and governance.

Third-level categories06

Each topic has one primary home, with connections to related fields.

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