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Social dynamics modeling of chrono-nutrition
Human relationships and gut microbes are inextricably linked. What we consume reflects our relationship with our body and mind and harmonizes with those around us. However, it has yet to be investigated how this affects the gut microbiota or how gut bacteria affect our food habits. In this study by Di Stefano et al. (2019), the authors investigate the “gut-human behavior axis” and its evolutionary dynamics in a real-world situation represented by the social multiplex network to quantify the complicated dynamics of this interaction between gut and human behaviors. In addition to psychological and unconscious biases, this interplay was analyzed under two types of resemblance: homophily and gut similarity. The effect of human actions on diets and gut microbial composition was measured both ways using a control mechanism in terms of the dynamics of social and gut microbial communities. Along with the type and amount of food consumed, meal timing mechanisms and “chrono-nutrition” are essential factors in eating behavior. The authors investigated the dynamic interaction between shift workers’ eating habits and gut flora by simulating the social dynamics of chrono-nutrition in a multiplex network. The authors comment that their findings enable methodologically introducing gut metabolic models and statistical estimators, capable of capturing their dynamic interaction, to quantify the relationship between human behaviors and gut microbiota. Additionally, analysis of the results revealed that shift work has an influence on the dynamics of chrono-nutrition in the form of a fluctuation in behavioral strategies with a high tendency for defection (such as high-fat meals) and that the timing of gut microbial populations is slower than social interactions and shift work. The authors discuss that it is possible to improve our understanding of metabolic models and their impacts on human health by developing a deeper understanding of the links between gut microbiota and dietary behavioral patterns and incorporating related social aspects, thereby enabling the development of effective social therapeutic nutritional interventions. [NPID: Gastrointestinal microbiome, feeding behavior, metabolome, biological model, shift work, social behavior, time factors]
Year: 2019
