Editorial standards

How we research, write and correct

The standards behind every guide on this site: where the information comes from, how it is checked, how often it is reviewed, and what happens when we get it wrong.

Last reviewed 20 August 2026Reviewed every 12 months
The short version We work from national and international health guidance rather than from other blogs. We name our sources in the text. We review every article at least once a year. When we get something wrong we correct it and say so. Nobody can pay us to reach a conclusion.

Health writing carries a duty that most writing does not. Someone may change what they eat, how they train or when they see a doctor because of something they read here. This page sets out the standards we hold ourselves to, so you can judge whether the work deserves that trust.

Where our information comes from

We work outwards from primary guidance, not inwards from a headline. In practice that means a clear order of preference.

National guidance ICMR-NIN dietary guidelines for Indians, National Institute of Nutrition reference values, and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare programmes. These take precedence for anything about Indian diets, nutrient requirements or public health advice.
International guidance World Health Organization guidance and, where relevant, established clinical bodies. Used where national guidance is silent or where the question is not India specific.
Research literature Peer-reviewed studies, with systematic reviews and meta-analyses preferred over single trials, and randomised trials preferred over observational work.
What we do not use Other health blogs, press releases, supplement company material, influencer claims, and single studies reported in the news without checking the original paper.

How an article is made

  1. Question first. We start from something a reader would actually type or ask, not from a keyword we would like to rank for.
  2. Source gathering. We collect the primary guidance and the strongest available research before writing a word of the draft.
  3. Drafting. The article is written from those sources, with the specific guidance named in the text so a reader can go and check it.
  4. Accuracy pass. Every number, dose, threshold and claim is checked back against its source. Anything that cannot be traced to a source is cut.
  5. Limits pass. We add what the evidence does not show. Small samples, short follow-up and mixed findings are stated rather than smoothed over.
  6. Publication. The article goes out with a visible publication date and, from then on, a visible review date.

How often we review

Every article is reviewed at least once every twelve months. We review sooner when national guidance changes, when significant new research lands, or when a reader tells us something looks wrong. The review date shown on each article is the date a human last read it against its sources, not the date a plugin last touched the file.

Corrections

We will get things wrong. When we do, the correction matters more than the embarrassment.

  • Send anything you think is inaccurate to fit@fitandwell.in with the article and, if you have it, the source.
  • We aim to respond within five working days.
  • Factual errors that change the meaning of a piece are corrected and noted at the foot of the article, with the date.
  • Small errors such as typographical mistakes are fixed without a note.
  • We do not quietly delete articles to make an error disappear.

Use of artificial intelligence

We use AI tools for research assistance, structuring and language editing. We do not publish machine-generated text as though it were researched work. Every factual claim is verified by a person against a named source before publication, and a person is accountable for every page. AI does not decide what we recommend.

Commercial relationships

Where an article contains an affiliate link, a gifted product or any other commercial arrangement, we disclose it at the top of that article, before the recommendation rather than in the small print after it. We do not accept payment for a favourable review, we do not publish sponsored posts dressed up as editorial, and no advertiser sees an article before it is published.

A line we hold. A commercial relationship can determine whether we look at something. It never determines what we conclude about it. If we cannot recommend a product, we say so or we do not publish.

What we will not publish

  • Guaranteed outcomes, whether in kilograms, centimetres or days.
  • Detox protocols, cleanses and cures without evidence behind them.
  • Advice to start, stop or alter prescribed medication.
  • Content that frames restriction, purging or punishment as a legitimate approach to eating or exercise.
  • Before and after imagery used as proof.
  • Diagnosis. We can describe what a condition looks like. We cannot tell you that you have it.

Independence

Fit & Well is independently owned and run. It is not funded by, affiliated with or editorially influenced by any hospital group, pharmaceutical company, supplement brand or fitness chain.

Questions about anything on this page are welcome at fit@fitandwell.in.