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Explore clear, research-informed definitions of key concepts connecting nutrition, mental health, behavior, and psychological well-being.
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Nutritional psychology examines how dietary patterns, nutrients, food-related behaviors, and psychological factors interact with mental health and well-being. Launched by the Center for Nutritional Psychology in 2024, the Encyclopedia of Nutritional Psychology defines the terms, mechanisms, processes, and research areas shaping this growing field.
Created for students, educators, researchers, healthcare professionals, and curious readers, the ENP includes hundreds of clear, research-informed entries. Content is written and regularly updated by contributors across relevant scientific disciplines, with new entries and major revisions reviewed by the CNP Encyclopedia Editorial Board before publication.
The encyclopedia helps readers understand terminology and foundational concepts. For deeper exploration of the studies behind those concepts, visit the Nutritional Psychology Research Library .
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GLP-1 medications (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists) are prescription drugs originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes that work by influencing appetite regulation, blood sugar control, and gastrointestinal function. Individuals with…
Glycans are sugar molecules with proteins and lipids in their chemical structure.
The Glycemic Index (GI) is a scale that measures how quickly a carbohydrate-containing food raises blood glucose levels compared to a reference food, reflecting its impact on post-meal blood sugar…
Glycoproteins are molecules composed of carbohydrates and proteins. Mucin, for example, is a type of glycoprotein that gives the mucus layer a gel-like consistency.
The term "gnotobiotic" refers to the study of organisms inoculated in a carefully controlled environment containing one or a few types of organisms to observe their influence on the body…
Gram-staining is a traditional laboratory technique used to rapidly classify bacterial species into two broad categories: gram-positive and gram-negative, according to their type of cell wall.
Gram-negative bacteria contain outer and inner cell membranes and create pink color colonies upon gram-staining. Most of the gram-negative bacterial species are pathogenic due to the presence of lipopolysaccharides (LPS)…
Gram-positive bacteria do not express LPS and have no outer lipid layer except the thick peptidoglycan layer, which gives purple colonies upon gram-staining. Gram-positive bacteria reside in our gut and…
Gray matter is a type of neural tissue found in the brain and spinal cord that appears grayish in color. It primarily consists of the cell bodies of neurons and…
The theory proposed in the late 1970s and early 1980s by Jeffrey Gray postulates that people differ in how sensitive they are to rewards and punishments. It is one of…
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