Mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression affect millions of people across Europe and are increasingly recognized to be closely linked to diet, nutrition, social inequalities and wider lifestyle factors. The new Horizon Europe-funded research project NUTRIMND (‘Understanding Mental Health and Nutrition in Europe’) was launched in early June and aims to investigate how nutrition, dietary choices, the gut microbiome and lifestyle factors interact with mental health. This project investigates these relationships from early childhood to old age using data from multiple European population cohorts.
During the four-year project, researchers, health experts, data scientists, citizen scientists and stakeholder engagement experts from across Europe will collaborate to understand the links between diet, gut microbiome and mental health. NUTRIMND is coordinated by the European Food Information Council (EUFIC), which brings together 16 organizations with expertise across nutritional science, mental health, microbiome research, artificial intelligence, citizen science, public health, food data and behavioral science.
NUTRIMND aims to improve our understanding of these interactions by combining existing data from large-scale cohort analyses, dietary and biomarker data, microbiome and multi-omics approaches, AI-assisted modeling, and public engagement activities.
The project will:
- Analyze and synthesize existing data from European cohorts and studies
- Investigating dietary and lifestyle factors associated with positive mental health outcomes
- Identify nutritional and microbiome-related signs associated with mental health journeys
- Strengthening the evidence for prevention-focused approaches to mental health
- Support the development of practical tools, recommendations and policy guidance.
There will also be a focus on stakeholder engagement and co-creation through communities of practice involving citizens, researchers, health professionals, policy makers and others to ensure project outcomes are relevant, inclusive and accessible.
While there is growing evidence of a link between nutrition, gut microbiota, and mental health, important knowledge gaps remain. NutriMind brings 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. ”
Giacomo Sini, NutriMind Project Coordinator
The NUTRIMND consortium held its official kickoff meeting in Wageningen, the Netherlands, from June 2 to 4, 2026, hosting a three-day program on science, technology, and operations. The consortium includes partners representing universities, research institutes, NGOs and small and medium-sized enterprises in Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland, Italy, Slovenia, Spain, Austria, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Serbia and the United Kingdom.
EUFIC coordinates NUTRIMND and contributes expertise in science communication and stakeholder engagement. As coordinator, EUFIC supports cooperation between project partners, communication with the European Commission, development of communities of practice, and project communication, dissemination and utilization activities. Through NUTRIMND, EUFIC aims to contribute to a better understanding of the complex relationships between diet, gut microbiota and mental health, and to support the development of evidence-based recommendations, tools and policy guidance.
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EUFIC – European Food Information Council
