How are nutrition, the gut microbiome, and mental health connected?

During the four-year project researchers, health experts, data scientists, citizen scientists and stakeholder engagement specialists from across Europe will work together to understand the links between diet, the gut microbiome, and mental health from childhood through older adulthood using data from multiple European population cohorts.

The project brings together 16 organizations, coordinated by the European Food Information Council (EUFIC), with expertise spanning nutrition science, mental health, microbiome research, artificial intelligence, citizen science, public health, food data, and behavioral sciences.

The project will:

• Analyze and integrate existing data from European cohorts and studies
• Explore dietary and lifestyle factors associated with positive mental health outcomes
• Identify nutrition- and microbiome-related signatures associated with mental health trajectories
• Strengthen evidence for prevention-focused approaches to mental health
• Support development of practical tools, recommendations and policy guidance

A strong emphasis will also be placed on stakeholder engagement and co-creation through a Community of Practice involving citizens, researchers, healthcare professionals, policymakers and others to ensure that project outputs are relevant, inclusive and accessible.

“While growing evidence points to connections between nutrition, the gut microbiome, and mental health, important knowledge gaps remain,” says Giacomo Sini, NUTRIMIND project coordinator. “NUTRIMIND will bring together large-scale European data, advanced analytical approaches, and citizen engagement to better understand these relationships and support future evidence-based strategies for prevention and public health."

“Complex challenges at the intersection of nutrition and mental health require approaches that go beyond traditional research boundaries. By bringing together citizens, communities, researchers, policymakers, and other stakeholders, we can co-create knowledge that is more inclusive, relevant, and impactful,” adds Dilek Fraisl, Senior Research Scholar in the Novel Data Ecosystems for Sustainability (NODES) Research Group of the IIASA Advancing Systems Analysis Program.

The NUTRIMIND consortium met in Wageningen, the Netherlands, for its official kick-off meeting early in June 2026, hosting a three-day program of scientific, technical, and operational workshops. The consortium includes partners from Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland, Italy, Slovenia, Spain, Austria, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Serbia and the United Kingdom, representing universities, research institutes, NGOs and SMEs.

IIASA leads the project's work package on Citizen Science and Multi-Actor Approaches. As part of this work package, IIASA will establish the Community of Practice bringing together researchers, policymakers, citizens and communities, industry representatives, and other key stakeholders interested in or working at the intersection of diet, the gut microbiome, and mental health. Through this open and collaborative platform, the project will support knowledge exchange, co-creation, and stakeholder engagement to help shape its direction and outcomes. IIASA will also develop a citizen science app that combines AI and citizen science to gather data and generate new knowledge on the connections between nutrition, the gut microbiome, and mental health.

“Combining artificial intelligence with citizen science opens up new opportunities to generate knowledge that would otherwise not be possible. By integrating diverse data sources with the experiences and observations of citizens, NUTRIMIND will deepen our understanding of the links between nutrition, the gut microbiome, and mental health while helping to inform future research and evidence-based decision-making,” concludes Steffen Fritz, Principal Research Scholar in the NODES Research Group at IIASA.

Further information: 
Visit the NUTRIMIND website for project updates, resources, outputs and opportunities for stakeholder engagement. Updates will also be shared through the project’s social media channels, including LinkedIN and Bluesky.