Is Nutrients a good journal?

Nutrients is a strong target if present research revealing new understanding of nutrition and health. It is a weaker fit if test tube or cell culture studies of nutrient chemistry lacking health implications are less competitive.

What is the Nutrients JIF?

The JIF is 5.0 (2024 JCR). See the full year-by-year trend and category ranking in our Nutrients JIF analysis.

What is the acceptance rate of Nutrients?

Manusights currently treats ~50-60% as an estimate for Nutrients, not an official journal-published rate. One common reason papers fail is laboratory nutrient biochemistry without health outcome evidence.

How long does Nutrients take to review?

Nutrients typically takes ~60-90 days median, but timing varies by editor, field, and reviewer availability. Expect an editorial screen first, then manuscript preparation, then peer review.

How much does it cost to publish in Nutrients?

Nutrients applies a publication fee, and the current page-level figure we track is ~$2,300 CHF. Reconfirm the official pricing page before budgeting because publisher fees can change.

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Journal Guide

Publishing in Nutrients: Fit, Timeline & Submission Guide

Q: Is Nutrients peer reviewed?

Yes, Nutrients is fully peer reviewed. All submissions undergo rigorous peer review by 2-3 nutrition experts assess study design, statistical validity, mechanistic plausibility, and health significance. First decision 60-90 days..

Q: What does Nutrients look for in submissions?

Novel finding on nutrient or dietary pattern health effects: Present research revealing new understanding of nutrition and health. Does nutrient improve disease outcome? Does dietary pattern prevent disease? Show clear health benefit with mechanism.

Nutrition science: from micronutrients to dietary patterns advancing health

Should you submit here?

Submit if present research revealing new understanding of nutrition and health. Be careful if test tube or cell culture studies of nutrient chemistry lacking health implications are less competitive.

IF 5.0 · ~50-60% accepted · ~60-90 days median

Best fit if

Present research revealing new understanding of nutrition and health

Not ideal if

Test tube or cell culture studies of nutrient chemistry lacking health implications are less competitive

Also compare

Scienceand RNA

5.0

Impact Factor (2024)

~50-60%

Acceptance Rate

~60-90 days median

Time to First Decision

Submission guide

Nutrients Submission Guide: What Editors Screen Before Review

This Nutrients submission guide helps authors decide whether the manuscript is genuinely a nutrition paper and whether the package is ready for a fast editorial screen.

Desk rejection

How to Avoid Desk Rejection at Nutrients

Avoid desk rejection at Nutrients by proving health relevance, stronger study design, and a credible biological nutrition story.

Review timeline

Nutrients Review Time: What Authors Can Actually Expect

Nutrients moves faster than many traditional nutrition journals, but the speed only helps if the paper is genuinely about nutrition and the compliance surface is already clean.

What Nutrients Publishes

Nutrients published by MDPI is an open-access journal covering all aspects of nutrition science. With JIF 5.0 and Q2 ranking in Nutrition & Dietetics, Nutrients emphasizes research on nutrient function, dietary patterns, and health outcomes. The journal publishes research on micronutrients, macronutrients, bioactive compounds, and nutritional epidemiology. Critically: Nutrients values research with clear health relevance. Pure biochemistry of nutrient metabolism without health context is less competitive. The journal seeks papers showing how nutrients or dietary patterns affect human health.

Micronutrients: vitamins, minerals, trace elements, bioavailability
Macronutrients: protein, carbohydrate, lipid metabolism and health
Bioactive compounds: polyphenols, carotenoids, phytosterols, functional ingredients
Dietary patterns: Mediterranean diet, DASH, plant-based, traditional diets
Nutritional epidemiology: dietary intake assessment, dietary patterns and disease
Sports nutrition: nutrient needs for athletic performance and recovery
Clinical nutrition: nutritional support in disease, dietary interventions
Nutrigenomics: gene-nutrient interactions, personalized nutrition

Editor Insight

“Nutrients publishes research advancing nutrition science and health. We seek studies with clear health relevance, rigorous design, and mechanistic understanding. The best papers show how nutrients or dietary patterns improve health outcomes through understood biological mechanisms.”

What Nutrients Editors Look For

Novel finding on nutrient or dietary pattern health effects

Present research revealing new understanding of nutrition and health. Does nutrient improve disease outcome? Does dietary pattern prevent disease? Show clear health benefit with mechanism.

Rigorous study design with appropriate sample size and controls

Randomized controlled trials or well-designed observational studies with adequate statistical power. Proper control groups and appropriate outcome measures. Methodological rigor essential.

Mechanistic understanding of how nutrient affects health

Explain biological pathways. How does nutrient improve health? What biochemical mechanisms are involved? Mechanism plus association stronger than correlation alone.

Real food or dietary pattern validation, not isolated nutrients

Studying whole foods or realistic dietary patterns more relevant than isolated nutrient supplements. Food synergies and whole-diet effects important for nutrition.

Practical dietary recommendation or health application

Connect findings to actual dietary guidance. What should people eat? How much is beneficial? Practical application increases impact.

Why Papers Get Rejected

These patterns appear repeatedly in manuscripts that don't make it past Nutrients's editorial review:

Laboratory nutrient biochemistry without health outcome evidence

Test tube or cell culture studies of nutrient chemistry lacking health implications are less competitive. Show how nutrient affects human health or disease.

Observational association without mechanistic explanation

Documenting correlation between dietary intake and disease outcome is baseline. Nutrients expects mechanism: how does nutrient prevent disease? Mechanism strengthens impact.

Short-term intervention without demonstrating sustained health benefit

Long-term health effects more significant than short-term changes. Studies with sustained intervention or follow-up showing lasting benefit more competitive.

Testing isolated supplements without relevant dietary context

Supplement studies less compelling than whole-food or dietary pattern research. Foods contain multiple bioactive compounds with synergistic effects.

Health claims without rigorous statistical support

Nutritional epidemiology prone to confounding. Show robust associations accounting for known confounders. Proper statistical adjustment essential.

Does your manuscript avoid these patterns?

The Free Readiness Scan reads your full manuscript against Nutrients's criteria and flags the specific issues most likely to cause rejection.

Run Free Readiness Scan →

Insider Tips from Nutrients Authors

Bioactive compound food sources and bioavailability increasingly competitive

Research on polyphenols, carotenoids, or other phytonutrients in foods, bioavailability, and health benefits aligns with functional food and nutraceutical interest.

Dietary pattern studies showing disease prevention or health promotion valued

Whole-diet approaches (Mediterranean, plant-based, DASH) showing cardiovascular, metabolic, or cognitive benefits receive strong reception.

Microbiome and gut health nutrition research trending

Research on how nutrients shape microbiota composition and how microbiota-derived metabolites affect health increasingly competitive.

Personalized nutrition and nutrigenomics gaining prominence

Studies on gene-nutrient interactions enabling personalized dietary recommendations increasingly competitive as precision medicine expands.

Sustainable and plant-based protein research increasingly relevant

Research on plant protein quality, sustainable protein sources, and plant-based diet adequacy increasingly important for environmental and health reasons.

The Nutrients Submission Process

Manuscript preparation

Prep

5,000-8,000 words with 5-7 figures. Include nutrient/dietary pattern description, study design and sample characteristics, outcome measurement, results with statistical analysis, mechanistic discussion, and health implications. Supporting: dietary assessment methods, biochemical analysis details, additional outcomes.

Submission via MDPI system

Day 0

Submit at https://www.mdpi.com/journal/nutrients/submit. Required: manuscript emphasizing nutrition novelty and health significance, figures showing nutrient/dietary effects, cover letter highlighting health implications.

Editorial assessment

1-2 weeks

Editor assesses study novelty, health relevance, and methodological rigor. Papers lacking health context or clear relevance face lower priority. Moderate desk rejection ~15-25%.

Peer review

60-90 days

2-3 nutrition experts assess study design, statistical validity, mechanistic plausibility, and health significance. First decision 60-90 days.

Revision and publication

Revision: 2-4 weeks

Revisions often request additional mechanism explanation or clearer health application. Publication 1-3 weeks after acceptance (fast MDPI OA publishing).

Nutrients by the Numbers

2024 Impact Factor	5.9
5-Year Impact Factor	6.2
Acceptance rate	~50-60%
Desk rejection rate	~15-25%
Median first decision	~75 days
Open access APC	~$2,300 CHF
Publisher	MDPI
Founded	2017

Before you submit

Nutrients accepts a small fraction of submissions. Make your attempt count.

Start with the Free Readiness Scan. Unlock the Full AI Diagnostic for $29. If you need deeper scientific feedback, choose Expert Review. The full report is calibrated to Nutrients.

Run Free Readiness Scan See a sample report

Article Types

Research Article

5,000-8,000 words

Nutrition study with health outcomes and mechanism

Review

7,000-12,000 words

Nutrition topic review

Short Note

2,500-4,000 words

Brief nutrition finding

Landmark Nutrients Papers

Papers that defined fields and changed science:

Mediterranean diet studies (ongoing) - cardiovascular and metabolic benefits
Vitamin D and immune function (2000s+) - nutrient roles in immunity
Polyphenols and antioxidant action (1990s+) - plant compound mechanisms
Probiotics and microbiome (2010s+) - gut-health connections
Sustainable nutrition and plant-based diets (2010s+) - environmental health link

Preparing a Nutrients Submission?

Get pre-submission feedback from reviewers who've published in Nutrients and know exactly what editors look for.

Run Free Readiness Scan

Need expert depth? See Expert Review Options

NDA-protected

Confidential

Primary Fields

Dietary PatternsMicronutrientsBioactive CompoundsNutritional EpidemiologyClinical NutritionSports Nutrition

More Guides for This Journal

Ready to submit to Nutrients?

A desk rejection costs months. Get expert feedback before you submit, from scientists who know exactly what Nutrients editors look for.

Avoid Desk Rejection

Get expert pre-submission review before you submit to Nutrients. 3-7 day turnaround.

Manuscript Rejected?

Expert revision help to strengthen your manuscript and resubmit with confidence.

Reviewer Response Help

Get expert guidance crafting your response to Nutrients reviewers.

Reference library

Compare Nutrients with the broader publishing context

This journal guide is the best starting point for Nutrients. The reference library covers the surrounding questions authors usually ask next: whether the package is ready, what drives desk rejection, how neighboring journals compare, and what the submission constraints look like across the field.

Open the reference library →

Checklist system / operational asset

Elite Submission Checklist

A flagship pre-submission checklist that turns journal-fit, desk-reject, and package-quality lessons into one operational final-pass audit.

Flagship report / decision support

Desk Rejection Report

A canonical desk-rejection report that organizes the most common editorial failure modes, what they look like, and how to prevent them.

Dataset / reference hub

Journal Intelligence Dataset

A canonical journal dataset that combines selectivity posture, review timing, submission requirements, and Manusights fit signals in one citeable reference asset.

Dataset / reference guide

Peer Review Timelines by Journal

Reference-grade journal timeline data that authors, labs, and writing centers can cite when discussing realistic review timing.