Journal of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine

“On the basis of research that has already been published, it could be considered bordering on professional negligence for physicians and surgeons not to take into consideration nutritional and environmental factors (as well as genetic, lifestyle, psychological and spiritual factors), in their approach to patients.”

In 1989 the then British Society for Nutritional Medicine was invited by publishers to establish a journal in its subject area. Dr Stephen Davies and I edited the first issue in 1990; the quotation above is from our first editorial, twenty nine years ago. Plus ça change!

We published until 2008, when it was closed down by the publishers in a rapidly-changing publishing world of internet and open access. All articles are now available to members in our searchable online archive (logged in members only).

Here are 10 highlights that you might want to look up:

• Essential fatty acids, immunity and viral infections. David Horrobin 1990
• The pill, hormone replacement therapy, vascular and mood over-reactivity, and mineral imbalance. Ellen Grant 1998
• A clinical evaluation of a wheat-free diet. Gibson SLM et al 1995
• Adverse health effects of indoor molds. Curtis L et al 2004
• Multiple chemical sensitivity: Recognition and management. Keith Eaton et al 2000
• Gut fermentation or the “Auto-Brewery” syndrome. Hunnisett A, Howard J, Davies S 1990
• Reduction of chemical sensitivity by means of heat depuration, physical therapy and nutritional supplementation in a controlled environment. William Rea et al 1996
• Sulphur metabolism in autism. Rosemary Waring et al 2000
• Pharmacokinetics of oral vitamin C. Steven Hickey et al 2008
• The autism epidemic, vaccinations, and mercury. Bernard Rimland 2000

We tried several times to get the journal indexed, and were turned down by the National Library of Medicine every time, on the grounds that not enough of the Indexing Committee gave a hoot about nutrition and environment. 

Now, after much work under the bonnet, we are making the entire published archive of the journal – nearly 500 papers – available in searchable form, to members of the society. 

Where do you look when you start researching something in our subject area? Medline/Pubmed? It’s limited to the point of bias.  Greenmed Info? It’s not been around long enough to develop the depth it needs. Personally I always look in the journal first, although that’s because I probably remember that we published something relevant. We usually did though! I hope and believe you will enjoy using it, and learn from it.

Data is power. Please use it wisely.

Dr Damien Downing