Nutrition Information on the Internet

Which Ones to Trust and Which Ones to Avoid

Jul 16, 2009 Alicia Richardson

Hundreds of Internet web sites offer open access to nutrition data. However, without quality control, how does one separate the "wheat from the chaff"? Read on.

During the last few decades, the public saw the emergence of web sites on the Internet - a vast network of computers - proffering nutrition material. It is a unique communication medium because:

• No one really knows how many computers are "linked"/connected to the Internet, or how many people have access to it.
• It is "free" from a central regulating body that establishes a set of standards or criterion as far content and use is concerned.
• It is independent of distance. Information can be obtained or relayed regardless of where the user is located. In this regard, it's use is "universal," among those who use the technology.
• It offers real-time interaction among users such as online share trading, interactive auctions, etc.
• It "liberalizes" access to information. The general public have almost the same access to information as health experts.

Sources of Information

News, facts, reports, evidences, announcements,tidings, briefings,notifications pertaining to nutrition are available to the public through:

• Goverment Institutional Home Pages - web sites providing information about its owner and their function. Examples: Government organizations such as Health Canada, The National Institute of Health, provincial health agencies, universities, research facilities, World Health Organization (WHO),non-governmental organizations such as the Helen Keller Foundation which provides vitamin A supplementation to children in developing countries. Data produced by these organizations are rigorously "peer-reviewed" for accuracy and are highly-reliable.
• Professional Group Web-Sites. Dietitians of Canada, The American Dietetic Association, The British Dietetic Association and others offer nutrition information to health professionals and the lay public. Because the literature produced by these groups are also "scrutinized" for accuracy, and their works supported by scientific evidence, they are deemed trustworthy.
• Portal Sites - the sites that tells the user what is available. They may operate as directories, search engines, or both. If the information provided on these sites are regularly updated, users can obtain the most timely information on the subject they are seeking. The Nutrition Navigator - a web site produced by the staff of Tuft's University's Nutrition Department provides nutrition information for the general public. Works produced by these groups are also considered sound as they are often reviewed by experts in the industry who are often affiliated with educational facilities.
• Personal/Privately Owned Web Sites. There are two (2) things to keep in mind when obtaining nutrition information from these places. Author's credentials and References or Credits cited at the end of the article(s). If the author/writer is affiliated with a professional group such as The American Dietetic Association, Dietitians of Canada, etc., one can almost be certain that the material is dependable. This is not saying that knowledgeable writers could not produce reliable material. They could, but citing the source of information will support the work(s). Listing references at the end of the article is a matter of professional courtesy. It also facilitates fact-checking. If the author is part of a research team that conducted a study, citing details about the trial (purpose, design,results, conclusion, researchers, where published i.e. journal, etc) is mandatory. The only times an author is not required to cite references involves: fiction writing, autobiography, blogging, etc.
• Mailing Lists and Newsgroups. There are numerous mailing lists and newsgroups. Some allow interaction among subscribers on issues such as weight management, etc.
• Newsletters. These are free one-way nutrition e-mail communications. For the lay reader, Nutrition News Focus is a daily newletter offering current nutrition topics.
• Private Communication. Almost all biomedical journals disclose the e-mail address of the leading or contact researcher. This enhances dialogue between readers and investigators.

The Internet offers unlimited nutrition information easily and without restriction. By knowing which sites to visit, and what to look for, you can be assured that the data you obtain is reliable.

References

Helman T "Nutrition on the Internet" From: Nutritional Health: Strategies for Disease Prevention. Wilson T & Temple NJ Humana Press 2001 Chapter 19, pp: 299-313

Vozenilek G "The Wheat from the Chaff: Sorting Out Nutrition Information on the Internet" J Am Diet Assoc(JADA) 1998;98(11):1270-1272

The copyright of the article Nutrition Information on the Internet in Nutrition is owned by Alicia Richardson. Permission to republish Nutrition Information on the Internet in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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