Development of a Korean Nutrition Model for In Silico GutMicrobiome Analyses Integrated With Nutrigenomics

Abstract
The gut microbiome plays a crucial role in human health and disease, with diet serving as a critical determinant of microbialcomposition and metabolic function. However, most existing nutrition databases are Western-centric, lacking comprehensivedietary information for non-Western populations, including Koreans. This limitation hinders the accuracy of in silico gutmicrobiome analyses and microbiome-disease associations. We developed the Korean Nutrition Model (KNM) to enhance insilico microbiome analyses by incorporating detailed macronutrient and micronutrient compositions reflective of Korean dietarypatterns. KNM was constructed using a decision algorithm that integrates data from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safetyand FooDB. Comparative analysis with the European Nutrition Model revealed significant differences in carbohydrate andvitamin compositions, which in turn influenced microbial growth rates and metabolic fluxes in in silico simulations. We furtherevaluated gut microbiota differences between Korean and European cohorts, including healthy individuals and inflammatorybowel disease patients. Our findings demonstrate that using an appropriate, population-specific nutrition model significantlyimproves microbiome analyses, reducing the risk of false associations. This study underscores the importance of regionallytailored dietary models and provides a framework for enhancing global dietary models to facilitate precision nutrition andmicrobiome-based disease interventions.