THE INSTITUTE FOR OPTIMUM NUTRITION (ION) is an independent charity, established for the study, research and practice of Nutrition. All profits from ION go straight back into the organisation.

At ION, we believe it is vital to cover all aspects of health, both orthodox and alternative, in order to achieve a complete understanding of the subject. Our activities focus on achieving optimum health and mental and physical performance, by careful and thorough evaluation of an individual’s nutritional requirements.

ION is based in South West London (map) and was founded in 1984 by nutritionist and author Patrick Holford. The facilities include a comprehensive library & optimum nutrition information service (ONIC), the ION clinics - Optimum Nutrition Clinic, ION Sports Clinic (specifically for Sports Nutrition) and ION Teaching Clinic as well as the education, marketing and administrative teams that run ION.

These resources together with the excellent reputation of ION, makes it one of the most respected training bodies and health information resources of its kind in the UK.

ION’s Nutritional Therapists Diploma Course was the first Nutrition course to specialise in all aspects of Nutrition and Health from both a holistic and scientific perspective. This three year course sets the gold standard for nutrition analysis and consultation in the UK. Every year applications for the course exceed intake and we are immensely proud that more than 1000 graduates have now completed the ION course to become DipION Nutritional therapists practising world-wide from New Zealand to South Africa to Spain to the UK!