AI-driven personalized nutrition shows promise in improving gut health
Dr. Priyom Bose, Ph.D. - A recent Nutrients study examines the impact of AI-based personalized nutrition programs on the gut microbiome of healthy individuals.
The health benefits of personalized nutrition
A healthy diet and lifestyle is crucial for reducing the risk of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cancer, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases. Despite these guidelines, the rates of diet-related diseases continue to rise, which could be attributed to significant variability in how each individual responds to food. Thus, there remains an urgent need for new personalized strategies as an alternative to the ineffective ‘one-diet-fits-all’ approach.
Over the past several years, researchers have become increasingly interested in the potential of personalized nutrition plans to alleviate health conditions like cardiometabolic diseases and promote healthy aging.
AI technology in nutrition
Food scientists and nutrition experts have recently implemented AI technologies to promote sustainable, environmentally friendly, and personalized diets. For example, AI-driven chatbots have been developed to create optimal diet plans for weight loss and manage diabetes, whereas an evidence-based AI virtual dietitian has recently been generated to address diet-related questions for cancer patients.
For personalized nutrition, robust machine learning models can support digital health systems, wearable sensors, and mobile applications, which are now being monitored to assess the effectiveness of generated dietary recommendations customized for an individual’s needs and characteristics.
However, modern personalized nutrition programs appear to underestimate the importance of biological factors that influence the variability of an individual’s responses to food with regard to their health.
About the study
The researchers of the current study assessed the effects of a six-week intervention of an AI-based personalized nutrition program on the gut microbiota composition of healthy individuals. Diet-driven changes in macronutrient levels, anthropometric and biochemical traits, as well as other gut microbial modifications were also evaluated.
A pilot study of twenty-nine healthy participants recruited from the Center for Research and Technology (CERTH) in Greece was conducted. Within the framework of the PROTEIN project, selected candidates were instructed on how to use a digital smartphone health application that provides guidance for maintaining a healthy, nutritionally sound, and active lifestyle.
The PROTEIN mobile app provided daily and weekly meal recommendations based on a novel AI personalized nutritional advisor. This AI-based application considers the user’s dietary preferences, health conditions, and physical characteristics to suggest personalized appropriate dietary plans.
At baseline (pre-PROTEIN), the nutritionist and study participants set dietary and physical activity (PA) goals, which could be attained through an active lifestyle and adherence to a Mediterranean diet designed to the individual’s specific needs. Personalized nutrition and PA plans were automatically generated by the AI advisor and delivered to participants through the PROTEIN app on smartphones.
After this period (post-PROTEIN), the nutritionist evaluated the participants’ progress at the follow-up visit.
Conclusions
AI-supported personalized dietary interventions have the potential to promote overall health by facilitating healthy proliferation of the gut microbiome. In the current study, these alterations in the gut microbial ecosystem led to reduced constipation, bloating, and inflammatory bowel syndrome symptoms, while also supporting immune function.
To validate these findings and provide a holistic evaluation of the impact of AI-based personalized nutrition approaches, future studies with longer follow-up periods and larger sample sizes are needed. - Source: news-medical.net/news
Did you know?
Vitamines
Studies show that vitamin D plays a crucial role in maintaining a healthy gut microbiome.
The health benefits of personalized nutrition
A healthy diet and lifestyle is crucial for reducing the risk of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cancer, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases. Despite these guidelines, the rates of diet-related diseases continue to rise, which could be attributed to significant variability in how each individual responds to food. Thus, there remains an urgent need for new personalized strategies as an alternative to the ineffective ‘one-diet-fits-all’ approach.
Over the past several years, researchers have become increasingly interested in the potential of personalized nutrition plans to alleviate health conditions like cardiometabolic diseases and promote healthy aging.
AI technology in nutrition
Food scientists and nutrition experts have recently implemented AI technologies to promote sustainable, environmentally friendly, and personalized diets. For example, AI-driven chatbots have been developed to create optimal diet plans for weight loss and manage diabetes, whereas an evidence-based AI virtual dietitian has recently been generated to address diet-related questions for cancer patients.
For personalized nutrition, robust machine learning models can support digital health systems, wearable sensors, and mobile applications, which are now being monitored to assess the effectiveness of generated dietary recommendations customized for an individual’s needs and characteristics.
However, modern personalized nutrition programs appear to underestimate the importance of biological factors that influence the variability of an individual’s responses to food with regard to their health.
About the study
The researchers of the current study assessed the effects of a six-week intervention of an AI-based personalized nutrition program on the gut microbiota composition of healthy individuals. Diet-driven changes in macronutrient levels, anthropometric and biochemical traits, as well as other gut microbial modifications were also evaluated.
A pilot study of twenty-nine healthy participants recruited from the Center for Research and Technology (CERTH) in Greece was conducted. Within the framework of the PROTEIN project, selected candidates were instructed on how to use a digital smartphone health application that provides guidance for maintaining a healthy, nutritionally sound, and active lifestyle.
The PROTEIN mobile app provided daily and weekly meal recommendations based on a novel AI personalized nutritional advisor. This AI-based application considers the user’s dietary preferences, health conditions, and physical characteristics to suggest personalized appropriate dietary plans.
At baseline (pre-PROTEIN), the nutritionist and study participants set dietary and physical activity (PA) goals, which could be attained through an active lifestyle and adherence to a Mediterranean diet designed to the individual’s specific needs. Personalized nutrition and PA plans were automatically generated by the AI advisor and delivered to participants through the PROTEIN app on smartphones.
After this period (post-PROTEIN), the nutritionist evaluated the participants’ progress at the follow-up visit.
Conclusions
AI-supported personalized dietary interventions have the potential to promote overall health by facilitating healthy proliferation of the gut microbiome. In the current study, these alterations in the gut microbial ecosystem led to reduced constipation, bloating, and inflammatory bowel syndrome symptoms, while also supporting immune function.
To validate these findings and provide a holistic evaluation of the impact of AI-based personalized nutrition approaches, future studies with longer follow-up periods and larger sample sizes are needed. - Source: news-medical.net/news
Did you know?
Vitamines
Studies show that vitamin D plays a crucial role in maintaining a healthy gut microbiome.
