About International Journal of Nutrition

Advancing Nutritional Science Through Rigorous Research and Open Access Publishing

Nutrition is the cornerstone of human health, encompassing the study of how nutrients—including vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats—support physiological functions and influence disease outcomes. Beyond essential macronutrients and micronutrients, foods contain bioactive compounds such as phytochemicals, polyphenols, and antioxidants that exert profound health-promoting effects.

Optimal nutrition varies significantly across life stages, each presenting unique nutritional requirements and challenges:

• Prenatal & Maternal Nutrition: Critical for fetal development, birth outcomes, and long-term offspring health
• Infant & Childhood Nutrition: Foundation for growth, cognitive development, and metabolic programming
• Adolescent Nutrition: Supporting rapid growth, bone health, and establishing lifelong dietary patterns
• Adult Nutrition: Disease prevention, weight management, and performance optimization
• Geriatric Nutrition: Addressing malnutrition, sarcopenia, and age-related metabolic changes

Emerging research demonstrates the profound connection between nutrition and brain health. Dietary patterns influence neurotransmitter production, neuroplasticity, and inflammatory pathways that affect mood, cognition, and mental health disorders. Evidence supports nutritional interventions for depression, anxiety, cognitive decline, and neurodegenerative diseases.

The International Journal of Nutrition is a peer-reviewed, open access journal dedicated to advancing the science and practice of human nutrition across the globe. The journal publishes rigorous original research, comprehensive reviews, and clinically relevant studies that examine how nutrients, foods, and dietary patterns influence health maintenance, disease prevention, and therapeutic outcomes from the molecular to the population level.

The International Journal of Nutrition welcomes submissions spanning the full spectrum of nutritional science, including clinical nutrition and medical nutrition therapy; molecular and biochemical nutrition; public health and community nutrition; nutritional epidemiology; sports and exercise nutrition; pediatric and adolescent nutrition; maternal and prenatal nutrition; adult and geriatric nutrition; obesity and metabolism; gut microbiome and diet–microbiota interactions; plant-based and sustainable dietary patterns; and food science related to nutrient composition, bioactive compounds, processing, and bioavailability. Studies from diverse geographic regions and resource settings, including low- and middle-income countries, are encouraged.

The journal publishes a range of article types, including original research articles, systematic and narrative reviews, meta-analyses, observational studies, interventional and clinical studies, and well-designed qualitative or mixed-methods research that informs nutrition policy, practice, and implementation. Methodologically sound work using quantitative, qualitative, or mixed approaches is welcome, provided it addresses clearly defined questions in human nutrition.

The primary audience of the International Journal of Nutrition includes nutrition scientists, clinicians, dietitians, public health practitioners, epidemiologists, policy-makers, and other professionals engaged in nutrition-related research and practice. By providing immediate open access to all accepted articles and adhering to rigorous peer review and publication ethics, the journal aims to support evidence-based nutrition practice and inform guidelines and policies worldwide.

All submissions undergo a single-blind peer review by subject matter experts, following a standardized process designed to ensure rigorous and impartial evaluation.

• Rigorous Review: Manuscripts undergo comprehensive evaluation by subject matter experts
• Timely Initial Decision: Editorial and peer review processes are managed to provide decisions within a reasonable timeframe while maintaining rigorous evaluation standards.
• Constructive Feedback: Detailed reviewer comments to strengthen manuscript quality
• Transparent Process: Clear communication throughout editorial workflow
• Ethical Standards: Adheres to COPE's publication ethics guidelines and requires appropriate use of established reporting standards (such as CONSORT for trials, PRISMA for systematic reviews, and STROBE for observational studies) where applicable.

Randomized and Controlled Trials (CONSORT)

The International Journal of Nutrition requires that reports of randomized and other controlled clinical trials in nutrition adhere to the CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials) guidelines. Authors must submit a completed CONSORT checklist and flow diagram at the time of initial submission, indicating page numbers where each item is addressed in the manuscript.

Trial reports that do not follow CONSORT will be returned to authors for revision prior to peer review. The checklist and flow diagram should be uploaded as supplementary files in the online submission system or included as separate attachments when submitting via email. Adherence to CONSORT ensures transparent, complete, and reproducible reporting of clinical nutrition interventions and facilitates rigorous assessment by reviewers and readers.

Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA)

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses submitted to the International Journal of Nutrition must comply with the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. Authors should provide a completed PRISMA checklist and a PRISMA flow diagram documenting the study selection process.

The checklist and flow diagram must be uploaded as supplementary material with the initial submission or attached when submitting via email. Manuscripts should clearly describe search strategies, inclusion and exclusion criteria, data extraction methods, and risk of bias assessment. Submissions that do not meet PRISMA standards may be returned to authors for revision before peer review.

Observational Studies (STROBE)

Observational studies in nutrition (including cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional designs) submitted to the International Journal of Nutrition should follow the STROBE (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) guidelines. Authors are required to submit a completed STROBE checklist indicating where each item is addressed in the manuscript.

The checklist should be uploaded as a supplementary file at submission or attached for email submissions. Clear reporting of study design, setting, participants, variables, data sources, bias, study size, and statistical methods is essential for rigorous evaluation and interpretation of observational nutrition research.

Trial Protocols (SPIRIT)

Protocols for randomized or non-randomized clinical nutrition trials submitted to the International Journal of Nutrition should comply with the SPIRIT (Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials) guidelines. Authors must include a completed SPIRIT checklist with page references for each item.

Protocols should clearly describe study objectives, design, eligibility criteria, interventions, outcomes, sample size, data collection, and analysis plans. The SPIRIT checklist should be uploaded as supplementary material or attached to email submissions. Submissions that do not meet SPIRIT standards may be returned for revision prior to peer review.

Sex and Gender Reporting (SAGER)

The International Journal of Nutrition endorses the SAGER (Sex and Gender Equity in Research) guidelines. Authors should design, analyze, and report nutrition studies in a way that appropriately considers sex and gender, where relevant. Manuscripts must clearly state the sex of human participants and, where applicable, describe how sex and/or gender were accounted for in study design, analysis, and interpretation.

Where sex- or gender-specific analyses are not conducted, authors should provide a brief justification. Failure to address sex and gender considerations in relevant studies may lead to requests for revision during peer review. Authors are encouraged to consult the SAGER guidelines when planning and reporting their research.

Economic Evaluations (CHEERS)

Economic evaluations of nutrition interventions, policies, or programs submitted to the International Journal of Nutrition should follow the CHEERS (Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards) guidelines. Authors must provide a completed CHEERS checklist indicating where each reporting item is addressed.

Manuscripts should transparently report perspective, time horizon, comparators, costing methods, outcome measures, and uncertainty analyses. The completed checklist should be uploaded as supplementary material or attached for email submissions. Submissions that do not meet CHEERS standards may be returned for revision before peer review.

Data and Code Availability

The International Journal of Nutrition expects authors of empirical studies to make underlying data and, where applicable, analysis code available to support transparency and reproducibility. Authors should include a Data and Code Availability Statement in their manuscript, specifying whether data and code are publicly available, available on reasonable request, or not available (with justification).

Where possible, datasets and code should be deposited in a stable, publicly accessible repository, with persistent links provided in the manuscript. Any restrictions related to privacy, consent, or proprietary data must be clearly described. Manuscripts without an appropriate Data and Code Availability Statement may be returned to authors for revision prior to peer review.

Clinical Trial Registration

The International Journal of Nutrition requires prospective registration of all clinical trials and interventional studies involving human participants in a publicly accessible trial registry (e.g., a WHO-approved registry) before enrollment of the first participant. The trial registration number and registry name must be included in the abstract and Methods section of the manuscript.

Submissions reporting unregistered or retrospectively registered trials must provide a clear explanation, and the editorial team reserves the right to decline such manuscripts. Trial protocols should also reference the registration record. Manuscripts that do not include appropriate registration information may be returned to authors prior to peer review.

Image and Figure Integrity

The International Journal of Nutrition requires that all images, figures, and graphical data accurately represent the original findings. Authors must not manipulate images in a way that could mislead readers, including inappropriate enhancement, selective alteration, or removal of data. Adjustments to brightness, contrast, or color balance are acceptable only if applied uniformly and do not obscure or misrepresent information.

Authors may be asked to provide original, unprocessed image files during peer review or post-publication assessment. Suspected image manipulation may lead to manuscript rejection or retraction. Any composite images must be clearly labeled, and splicing of gels or blots must be explicitly indicated in the figure and legend.

Statistical Methods and Review

All manuscripts submitted to the International Journal of Nutrition must describe statistical methods in sufficient detail to allow replication. This includes clear specification of study design, sample size determination, handling of missing data, model assumptions, and approaches to multiple comparisons where relevant. Effect sizes and appropriate measures of uncertainty (e.g., confidence intervals) should be reported alongside p-values.

Manuscripts presenting complex or novel statistical analyses may be evaluated by a statistical reviewer in addition to subject-matter experts. Submissions with inadequate or unclear statistical reporting may be returned to authors for revision prior to or during peer review.

The International Journal of Nutrition offers a streamlined submission experience designed to facilitate efficient manuscript handling:

Authors can submit manuscripts through our online submission portal or via email to [email protected]. All submissions are logged in our manuscript management system, and authors receive a unique manuscript ID to track the editorial and peer review process.

As an open access journal, the International Journal of Nutrition ensures that published research reaches the widest possible audience without subscription barriers. All articles are freely accessible online, maximizing research visibility, citations, and real-world impact on nutrition policy and practice.

The International Journal of Nutrition has published impactful research across diverse nutrition topics. Our highly cited articles include: