How we write guides.

The sources we use

We start with Indian evidence and guidance, because Indian diets, bodies and kitchens are what the guides are for:

• ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition: Nutrient Requirements for Indians (2020) and the Dietary Guidelines for Indians (2024).
• FSSAI regulations and orders, for food standards, fortification and limits.
• National surveys: NFHS-5 (2019–21) and the Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey (2016–18).
• The food composition data behind our Food library.

Then the World Health Organization and other national bodies, systematic reviews and meta-analyses (including Cochrane), large trials and cohort studies, and finally individual studies. We do not cite blogs, press releases or brand websites, and we say so when the best available study is small, old or funded by industry.

How we check figures

Every number in a guide is confirmed in the source it is credited to. We open the paper, report or regulation itself, find the table or passage, and keep a record of where the figure came from.

References are checked against Crossref or PubMed so the authors, journal, year and link are correct. A claim we cannot confirm is left out, however often it is repeated elsewhere.

Citations

Small numbers after a sentence link to the numbered source list at the end of the guide, in the order they are first cited. Each source links to the paper, report or regulation itself. Figure captions name their sources too.

How strong the evidence is

We say what kind of evidence stands behind a claim. Trials can show cause and effect; observational studies show links that may have other explanations; laboratory and animal studies suggest what to look at next. Where experts disagree, the guide says so and explains why.

Charts and diagrams

Charts are drawn from the data in the studies we cite, or from the food values in our Food library. They are never illustrations made to look like data. Every chart has a “Show the data” table with the exact values, and its caption names its source.

Dietitian review

Each guide says at the top whether a registered dietitian has reviewed it, who, and when. Until a guide has been reviewed, it shows “A registered dietitian has not reviewed it yet”, and we ask search engines not to list it.

Reviewed or not, guides are general information, not advice for you. See our medical disclaimer.

Independence

Guides carry no advertising or sponsored content and name no brands or products. Nobody pays to be mentioned. Where a guide links to our own tools, such as the Food library or the calorie tracker, it is because they show the numbers being discussed.

Corrections and updates

If you think something is wrong or out of date, tell us. We check it against the evidence and, if we were wrong, correct the guide and change its “Updated” date. Guides are reread when major new guidance appears.