This paper argues for the sociological relevance of contemporary research from ‘relational’ or ‘systems’ biology on the microbiome-gut-brain (MGB) axis. I review research on the MGB from microbial neuroendocrinology, nutritional psychiatry and other fields with a specific focus on nutrition as a critical element of the social environment influencing gene-environment interactions and a range of social behaviors. I discuss two plausible causal pathways from nutritional factors such as dietary inflammatory potential and hypocholesterolemia to social bonding, violence, and political extremism, and conclude with a discussion of the theoretical, methodological, and epistemological implications of these pathways, and of MGB research and relational biology generally, for social science.

中文翻译：

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微生物组-肠-脑和社会行为

本文从微生物组-肠-脑 (MGB) 轴上的“关系”或“系统”生物学论证当代研究的社会学相关性。我回顾了微生物神经内分泌学、营养精神病学和其他领域对 MGB 的研究，特别关注营养作为影响基因-环境相互作用和一系列社会行为的社会环境的关键因素。我讨论了从饮食炎症潜力和低胆固醇血症等营养因素到社会联系、暴力和政治极端主义的两条似是而非的因果途径，最后讨论了这些途径的理论、方法和认识论影响，以及 MGB 研究和相关性生物学一般，社会科学。