Food and Nutrition

UK sources of information and / or support

 Patient UK (this website)

Has an information leaflet on healthy eating.

 British Nutrition Foundation

Promotes the nutritional wellbeing of society through scientifically based nutritional knowledge and advice. Includes information on Vegetarianism, Healthy Teeth, Bone Health, Achieving a Balanced Diet, Obesity, Heart disease, Unpleasant Reactions, Malnutrition, Diet and Cancer Prevention, The Role of Iron and more.

 Eatwell

Helping you to make healthier choices. From the Food Standards Agency.

 The British Dietetic Association

The British Dietetic Association is the professional organisation forRegistered Dietitians in the UK. This site contains information on thework of the organisation. It also hasmany fact sheets written by Registered Dietitians about currenthealth issues. Recent topics include:

• Nutrition and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (October 2007)
• Understanding more about Diet and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ Myalgic Encephalopathy (October 2007)
• Probiotics (October 2007)
• Healthy Packed Lunches (updated September 2007)
• Help Yourself to Healthy Snacks (updated September 2007)
• Confused About...Sugar (updated September 2007)
• Diet and the Behaviour and Learning of Children (June 2007)
• Plant Stanols and Sterols (June 2007)
• Soya and Health (February 2007)
• Diet and autistic spectrum disorder
• Vitamin D (September 2006)
• Eat, Drink and be Healthy at Christmas (revised November 2006)
• The truth about...food allergy and food intolerance testing
• Cholesterol Facts (September 2005)
• Healthy Eating for Pregnancy (Updated August 2005)
• Nutritional Nirvana - A Pill for Every Ill (November 2004)
• Wholegrains - the way to go (July 2005)
• Diet, Lifestyle and the Menopause (June 2005)
• The Truth About...Detox Diets (January 2004)
• Vegetarian Diets - Keeping a Healthy Balance (May 2003)
• Weaning Your Child - Getting Started (April 2005)
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids - Fishing for Facts (February 2005)
• The Truth About...Fad Diets (January 2005)
• Food Allergy - Fact or Fiction? October 2004)
• Salt & Health (March 2004)
• Understanding the Food Label (December 2003)
• Eating for a Healthy Heart (July 2003)
• A Healthy Breakfast - the best start to your day (May 2003)
• Want to Lose Weight - and Keep it Off? (Apeil 2003)
• Healthy Eating For Children (July 2002)

 Healthy Living

Find out what healthy eating and physical activity are all about. This website is a joint collaboration between NHS Health Scotland and the Scottish Executive. It is designed to help you attain a healthier diet and a more active lifestyle by providing resources, advice and support on healthy eating and physical activity.

 Nutrition Network for Wales

The website is a resource designed to support people who are working to make Food and Well Being, the nutrition strategy for Wales, happen on the ground. Also lots of info for the general public. In particular, check out their campaigns section.

 5 A DAY

Information from the Department of Health. The Government recommends an intake of at least five portions of fruit or vegetables per person per day to help reduce the risk of some cancers, heart disease and many other chronic conditions.

 5 A DAY 'Top Tips for Top Mums'

'Top Tips' which could help you and your family to enjoy eating more fruit and vegetables.

 Centre for Pregnancy Nutrition

Information form the University of Sheffield. This site is for you if you're thinking about having a baby or you're already expecting a baby. Lots of information about eating a healthy diet during pregnancy.

 Just Eat More (fruit and veg)

Website explaining why fruit and vegetables are key to a healthier life style. Run by the Department of Health.

 Foodfitness

Foodfitness is a healthy lifestyle initiative with a unique dual approach promoting increased moderate physical activity coupled with enjoyable, healthy eating. The Food and Drink Federation's (FDF) foodfitness programme was established in 1996, on behalf of the UK food and drink manufacturing industry.

 Join the Activaters

Healthy lifestyle messages for primary school children. It promotes the complementary benefits of healthy eating and moderate physical activity in an innovative and fun way with the aid of two cartoon families - the Activaters and the Dolittles. Their aim is to engage the public and show that a healthy lifestyle need not be dull, demanding, extreme or expensive.

 Food and Drink Federation (FDF)

The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) is the voice of the UK food and drink manufacturing industry. FDF promotes the industry's views and works to build consumer confidence in the food chain as a whole.

 Food Additives and Ingredients Association

Affiliated to the Chemical Industries Association and represents companies whose principal business is the manufacture and marketing of food additives and ingredients. The organization promotes better awareness of the role additives play in modern food.

 Understanding Food Additives

A website that discusses the uses and regulation of food additives.

 Nutrition support in adults

A patient guide to complement the NICE national guideline for health professionals called Nutrition support in adults.

 Food Commission

The Food Commission is committed to ensuring good quality food for all. The Food Commission is a national non-profit organisation campaigning for the right to safe, wholesome food.

 Maternal and infant nutrition

Advice and information from the Department of Health.

 Hassle Free Food: A Guide to Cheap, Quick, Healthy Eating

Factsheet from HEBS

 Kellogg's Easy Energy Evaluator

Allows individuals to calculate their currentenergy intake (calories), and current energy needs (often different!) assesstheir activity levels and monitor their food intake throughout the day, thenin a few simple steps calculate what their GDA intake is - including totalcalories - and what it should be based on their current energy needs. Italso provides realistic recommendations regarding food choices and activitylevels needed to meet an individual's daily needs. The tool also includes advice on how to make simplelifestyle changes

 Eating4health

Run by a state registered dietician, this site has a series of guides on food and nutrition. Also offers dietary change programmes over the internet.

 Royal Cornwall Hospital Renal Units Patients and Carers Web Site

Site geared to patients at the above hospital but includes general information on a range of kidney issues including Nutrition and Dietetics.

 Nutrition Society

The Nutrition Society's aim is to advance the scientific study of nutrition and its application to the maintenance of human and animal health. The site does not give nutrition information or advice but has links to worldwide sources of information.

 Department of Health

Their Food and Health Action Plan.

 Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN)

An advisory Committee of independent experts that provides advice to the Food Standards Agency and Department of Health as well as other Government Agencies and Departments. Its remit includes matters concerning nutrient content of individual foods, advice on diet and the nutritional status of people.

 Foodreactions.org

Includes information about Lactose Intolerance; Food Intolerance, Carbohydrate Intolerance; Alcohol Intolerance; Fructose Intolerance; Fructose Malabsorption; Gluten Intolerance (Coeliac); Non Coeliac Gluten Intolerance; Irritable Bowel Syndrome; Pancreatitis; Baby Colitis; Food Allergy; Milk Allergy; Natural and Chemical Allergy; Food Additives.

 Water for Health

Water for Health is a water industry initiative to guide and inform health professionals and health authorities, to stimulate interest and research and to help move water up the public health agenda.

 SALT

Information about salt and health from the Food Standards Agency.

 CASH (Consensus Action on Salt and Health)

CASH is a group of specialists concerned with salt and its effects on health. It is successfully working to reach a consensus with the food industry and Government over the harmful effects of a high salt diet, and bring about a reduction in the amount of salt in processed foods as well as salt added to cooking, and the table.

See also our obesity page.

Further sources / more detailed information

Some non-UK sites

The following list popular non-UK health information sites with content aimed at the general public. They are mainly from the US. They have not been checked to see if information about the above topic is included but these large sites are comprehensive.

• Non-UK disease / illness sites
• Non-UK self-help / support group sites

More detailed medical information

The following list online sources of more detailed medical information, mainly from the UK. These sites are mainly aimed at health professionals, but are of interest to all. They have not been checked to see if information about the above topic is included, but information about most medical topics can usually be found.

• PatientPlus - hundreds of medical reference articles provided by Patient UK.
• Evidence Based Medicine - such as from Clinical Evidence, The Cochrane Library, etc.
• Database of UK Clinical Guidelines - from NICE, SIGN, Clinical Knowledge Summaries, etc.
• Medline - abstracts available from thousands of journals.
• Sites listing free online medical textbooks and journals.
• Sites listing free medical images - pictures, atlases, anatomy, skin diseases, etc.