Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 3 complete abstracts (516 words), 9 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
Improving health status of an individual by adjusting the quantities, qualities, and methods of nutrient intake.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Therapy, Nutrition; Medical Nutrition Therapy; Nutrition Therapy, Medical; Therapy, Medical Nutrition.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Therapeutics
- Narrower topics
- Diet Therapy; Nutritional Support
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 125,240 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Nutrition Therapy” (counts retrieved 2026-11-04). 23,772 of them (19.0%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is through 1999 with 45,420 records.
Reviews account for 23,485 records (18.8%) and meta-analyses for 1,959. Randomized controlled trials number 10,696 (8.5%) as a share of all records on the topic. Randomized trials make up a comparatively large share of this literature, which means many treatment questions have been tested directly.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 45,420 |
| 2000-2009 | 22,251 |
| 2010-2019 | 33,797 |
| 2020 onward | 23,772 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 23,485 | 18.8% |
| Meta-analyses | 1,959 | 1.6% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 10,696 | 8.5% |
Method: PubMed query "Nutrition Therapy"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-11-04.
Reading the evidence in public health and nutrition
Population and nutrition studies mostly observe what people eat, breathe or are exposed to and then look for links with health, which shows association and not proof of cause. Self-reported diet is imprecise, people who eat or live differently also differ in other ways, and effects measured across a population may not apply to one person. Check the study design, how exposure was measured, what else was accounted for and the size of the effect, not only whether it was statistically significant.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dietary restriction is evolutionarily conserved on the phenotypic and mechanistic level | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 3 | cc by PMID 42463971 · DOI · PMC13554105 |
| Acute high-protein feeding induces hepatic amino acid accumulation in diabetic male mice prior to transcriptional adaptation | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 1 | cc by PMID 42791592 · DOI · PMC13615171 |
| What Are We Actually Feeding ICU Patients? The Case for Studying Formula Composition | 2026 | Review article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 1 | cc by PMID 42640598 · DOI · PMC13506233 |
Dietary restriction is evolutionarily conserved on the phenotypic and mechanistic level [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- The anti-ageing response to Dietary Restriction (DR) is thought to be mechanistically ancient, reasoning from its phenotypic conservation.
- Closing excerpt
- The comparative approaches we used here hold promise to identify shared mechanisms relevant to our own species.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (175 words)
The anti-ageing response to Dietary Restriction (DR) is thought to be mechanistically ancient, reasoning from its phenotypic conservation. However, DR is implemented differently across species and evidence for conserved mechanisms remains limited. Here, we tested longevity and fecundity in response to DR across eight different Drosophila species, finding that DR is, on balance, phenotypically conserved. Next, we used comparative transcriptomics and found strongly concordant responses to DR. We studied the evolutionary history of the top concordantly differentially expressed orthologous genes and identified that many are "young" genes, suggesting that the genetic basis of DR is not widely conserved. To validate this hypothesis, we tested the longevity effects of the 15 most conserved genes that change in transcription in response to DR. Surprisingly, we found that 12 out of 15 genes tested had a lifespan phenotype, with 9 extending lifespan. Our findings suggest that while large parts of the DR response are taxonomically specific, some core mechanisms appear conserved. The comparative approaches we used here hold promise to identify shared mechanisms relevant to our own species.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42463971 · DOI · PMC13554105
Acute high-protein feeding induces hepatic amino acid accumulation in diabetic male mice prior to transcriptional adaptation [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Glucagon plays a pivotal role in hepatic amino acid metabolism; acute high-protein diet feeding and diabetic condition both induce enhanced glucagon secretion.
- Closing excerpt
- The altered hepatic amino acid profile in STZ-D mice is likely to be driven by increased hepatic amino acid uptake and accelerated gluconeogenesis.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (193 words)
Glucagon plays a pivotal role in hepatic amino acid metabolism; acute high-protein diet feeding and diabetic condition both induce enhanced glucagon secretion. However, it remains unknown whether these two conditions alter hepatic amino acid metabolism through the same or different pathways. In this study, streptozotocin-induced diabetic (STZ-D) and nondiabetic (ND) mice received liquid normal control (LNC) or liquid high-protein (LHP) diet. Plasma and hepatic parameters were analyzed 2 h post-feeding. LHP increased plasma essential amino acids in both groups. Hepatic amino acid accumulation in LHP-fed STZ-D mice was increased compared to that in LNC-fed STZ-D mice but not in ND mice. In addition, LHP reduced hepatic glycogen while the expression of amino acid metabolism and urea cycle genes remained unchanged both in ND and STZ-D mice. Compared with ND mice, STZ-D mice showed upregulation of genes involved in gluconeogenesis and amino acid metabolism, together with an accumulation of early glycolytic intermediates and glycogen. These findings indicate that acute high-protein intake induces non-transcriptional regulation of amino acid metabolism within 2 h. The altered hepatic amino acid profile in STZ-D mice is likely to be driven by increased hepatic amino acid uptake and accelerated gluconeogenesis.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42791592 · DOI · PMC13615171
What Are We Actually Feeding ICU Patients? The Case for Studying Formula Composition [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Large randomized controlled trials testing the quantity and timing of enteral nutrition (EN) in critically ill patients have consistently failed to demonstrate benefit.
- Closing excerpt
- We argue for a paradigm shift from volume-based to composition-focused nutrition research, pairing patient-centered clinical outcomes with mechanistic endpoints, including effects on the gut microbiome.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (148 words)
Large randomized controlled trials testing the quantity and timing of enteral nutrition (EN) in critically ill patients have consistently failed to demonstrate benefit. We propose that these negative results may partly reflect an unexamined variable: the composition of EN formulas themselves. Most widely used formulas rely on corn-derived simple carbohydrates, isolated functional fibers, dairy-based proteins, and omega-6-rich vegetable oils, ingredients selected largely for manufacturing efficiency and shelf stability rather than clinical evidence. These components bear little resemblance to whole foods, and their distinct effects on metabolism, inflammation, and gut function have received little study in critical illness. Commercially available whole-food and plant-based EN formulas now offer compositionally distinct alternatives, yet no rigorous trials have compared them to conventional formulas in critically ill patients. We argue for a paradigm shift from volume-based to composition-focused nutrition research, pairing patient-centered clinical outcomes with mechanistic endpoints, including effects on the gut microbiome.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42640598 · DOI · PMC13506233
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article The effectiveness and acceptability of Mediterranean diet and calorie restriction in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD): A systematic review and meta-analysis [4]
- Research article Mediterranean diet in the management and prevention of obesity [5]
- Research article Ketogenic Diet Benefits to Weight Loss, Glycemic Control, and Lipid Profiles in Overweight Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trails [6]
- Research article The effects of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet on metabolic risk factors in patients with chronic disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials [7]
- Research article A meta-analysis comparing the effectiveness of alternate day fasting, the 5:2 diet, and time-restricted eating for weight loss [8]
- Research article Association between Mediterranean diet and dementia and Alzheimer disease: a systematic review with meta-analysis [9]
References
- Gautrey SL, Dunning LT, Gossmann TI, Simons MJP. Dietary restriction is evolutionarily conserved on the phenotypic and mechanistic level. . 2026. PMID 42463971 · DOI · PMC13554105
- Sumioki H, Tomatsu E, Seino Y, Hidaka S, Ueno S, Kanie S, et al.. Acute high-protein feeding induces hepatic amino acid accumulation in diabetic male mice prior to transcriptional adaptation. . 2026. PMID 42791592 · DOI · PMC13615171
- Morowitz MJ, Simon DM, Huang DT, Martinez EE, Mehta NM. What Are We Actually Feeding ICU Patients? The Case for Studying Formula Composition. . 2026. PMID 42640598 · DOI · PMC13506233
- Haigh L, Kirk C, Kirk C, El Gendy K, Gallacher J, Errington L, et al.. The effectiveness and acceptability of Mediterranean diet and calorie restriction in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD): A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Nutr. 2022. PMID 35947894 · DOI
- Dominguez LJ, Veronese N, Di Bella G, Cusumano C, Parisi A, Tagliaferri F, et al.. Mediterranean diet in the management and prevention of obesity. Exp Gerontol. 2023. PMID 36792040 · DOI
- Zhou C, Wang M, Liang J, He G, Chen N. Ketogenic Diet Benefits to Weight Loss, Glycemic Control, and Lipid Profiles in Overweight Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trails. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022. PMID 36012064 · DOI · PMC9408028
- Lari A, Sohouli MH, Fatahi S, Cerqueira HS, Santos HO, Pourrajab B, et al.. The effects of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet on metabolic risk factors in patients with chronic disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2021. PMID 34353704 · DOI
- Elortegui Pascual P, Rolands MR, Eldridge AL, Kassis A, Mainardi F, Lê KA, et al.. A meta-analysis comparing the effectiveness of alternate day fasting, the 5:2 diet, and time-restricted eating for weight loss. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2023. PMID 36349432 · DOI · PMC10098946
- Nucci D, Sommariva A, Degoni LM, Gallo G, Mancarella M, Natarelli F, et al.. Association between Mediterranean diet and dementia and Alzheimer disease: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Aging Clin Exp Res. 2024. PMID 38519775 · DOI · PMC10959819
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-11-04; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-11-04.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.