Informatics for your Gut: at the Interface of Nutrition, the Microbiome, and Technology

Abstract

Background: A significant portion of individuals in the United States and worldwide experience diseases related to or driven by diet. As research surrounding user-centered design and the microbiome grows, movement of the spectrum of translational science from bench to bedside for improvement of human health through nutrition becomes more accessible. In this literature survey, we examined recent literature examining informatics research at the interface of nutrition and the microbiome.

Objectives: The objective of this survey was to synthesize recent literature describing how technology is being applied to understand health at the interface of nutrition and the microbiome focusing on the perspective of the consumer.

Methods: A survey of the literature published between January 1, 2021 and October 10, 2022 was performed using the PubMed database and resulting literature was evaluated against inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Results: A total of 139 papers were retrieved and evaluated against inclusion and exclusion criteria. After evaluation, 45 papers were reviewed in depth revealing four major themes: (1) microbiome and diet, (2) usability,(3) reproducibility and rigor, and (4) precision medicine and precision nutrition.

Conclusions: A review of the relationships between current literature on technology, nutrition and the microbiome, and self-management of dietary patterns was performed. Major themes that emerged from this survey revealed exciting new horizons for consumer management of diet and disease, as well as progress towards elucidating the relationship between diet, the microbiome, and health outcomes. The survey revealed continuing interest in the study of diet-related disease and the microbiome and acknowledgement of needs for data re-use, sharing, and unbiased and rigorous measurement of the microbiome. The literature also showed trends toward enhancing the usability of digital interventions to support consumer health and home management, and consensus building around how precision medicine and precision nutrition may be applied in the future to improve human health outcomes and prevent diet-related disease.

Fig. 1

A high-level overview of themes and topics covered in this survey. The concept of dietary patterns, impact on the gut microbiome, and impact of literature reviewed on precision medicine and nutrition is inclusive of multiple disciplines, including health informatics and bioinformatics.

Table 1

Inclusion and exclusion criteria used. A table describing the inclusion (top) and exclusion (bottom) criteria used when examining the literature included in this manuscript. Table 1 . Inclusion and exclusion criteria used. A table describing the inclusion (top) and exclusion (bottom) criteria used when examining the literature included in this manuscript.

Table 2

Survey Themes.