Artificial Intelligence has captured the spotlight and is being used in more places than we can imagine. As a Registered Dietitian, I was especially interested to know how AI can advance nutritional care. Good nutrition is a priority but it may not be an easy journey for everyone. We all learn differently and need resources that suit our schedule and style. And with the myriad of food choices available, choosing the healthiest option can be an overwhelming task. So I took a deep dive into the world of AI and explored how it is helping us make better decisions to support our health.

Personalized Meal Plans

Today’s society is looking for new things to try but needs convenience at the same time. AI can offer help on your schedule.


“AI uses machine learning, a system that continuously learns from your data and provides personalized health recommendations.”


Two Muslim girls chatting while checking goods with smartphones in supermarket

As you keep using it, it learns even more about you and fine-tunes the plan based on progress. An interesting fact is that many of these databases include recipes and resources created by dietitians. It is providing the best of both worlds – new technology and the human experience.

Food Logging Made Simple

Logging daily intake is a critical step in assessing diet quality and its success depends on the accuracy of information. Clients often struggle to make sense of information on food packaging, some have a hard time reading small print, and others forget to note down specific details. As a result, they fall short of entries.


“AI can transform food logging into a fun learning experience with tools like real-time food scans, voice logging, and barcode scanning, making tracking dietary intake more accurate and engaging.”


Users can even add their own foods which are not already in the database.

A Virtual Assistant

AI has made that possible too. It can monitor eating habits and suggest behavior improvements. A 2017 article by Osborn et al. in the Journal of Medical Internet Research demonstrated the use of AI applications in diabetes management. One Drop is a mobile app that can store and share data about food and medication intake and exercise performance. It shows the user how this affects blood sugar readings throughout the day. Remarkable benefit was seen in both Type I and Type II diabetic patients in achieving HbA1c reductions. Continuous glucose monitors may also use AI predictive algorithms to notify the user of a possible low blood sugar up to two hours in advance. It sends a notification to their phone so they can take action and avoid an emergency.

Behavior change is a major component in the move toward a healthier lifestyle but requires a great deal of introspection and trial and error. A virtual assistant who “knows you well” and is offering advice throughout your day might be a step in the right direction. It also reduces judgmental or pressurizing feelings that can arise from some interactions in person.

Tracking Micronutrients and Preventing Deficiencies

Our bodies are very good at alerting us when something is not right inside. AI machine learning can take a simple scan of fingernails or lips and offer diet recommendations based on their appearance. If there are signs of change in nail shape, or pale, discolored lips, the algorithm will automatically suggest healthy foods to treat iron deficiency for example. This serves as a preventive measure and helps in early detection of conditions.

Dietary Restrictions and Allergies

LogMeal is a system that uses Deep Learning to populate nutrition information about a meal at home or while dining out. It labels each food on the plate with a name, provides an ingredient list, and lists out the quantity of each ingredient present. It minimizes the need to ask restaurant staff about ingredients of concern and maintains a level of privacy.

Person using smartphone to track nutrition facts and calories in her food

In the clinical setting, AI applications have been a tremendous help for treating patients with food allergies. Doctors use a blood sample to identify allergen proteins and then have the patient ingest small amounts of the allergen under supervision. They collect data about the body’s response and progressive tolerance. AI has the capability to obtain this data, analyze it, and put together a custom plan for the patient all in a matter of minutes.

Nutrigenomics and the Microbiome

Many clients feel frustrated seeing that a particular intervention worked for a family member, but they could not find any success doing the exact same thing themselves. This owes to the complexity of genetic polymorphisms which are responsible for differences in how bodies respond to nutritional inputs. A 2004 article by Kaput et al. in Physiological Genomics described that our individual lifestyle habits do not change our DNA sequence, rather they alter the way genes are expressed. In a healthy phenotype such as absence of disease, the way chemicals are interacting inside this body may be quite different from an unhealthy phenotype which carries risk factors for onset of a disease. AI tailors care plans which take into account our genetic makeup. If we have a predisposition to heart disease for example, it will suggest high fiber foods and easy ways to cut back on salt intake. Genetics and the microbiome are closely related but while we cannot change our DNA, we can change our bacterial composition. And it can easily be done in a matter of a few days. It all has to do with who’s home – the types of bacteria residing inside us determine everything from our food cravings to brain health. AI can identify microbial fingerprints which signal what bacterial species are present and if they are linked to good health or disease. And if it happens to be the latter, you’ll be offered tips on how to increase good bacteria and help them thrive.

Closing Thoughts

As AI trends continue to unfold, remember that this is just the beginning! AI is helping us learn things in fascinating ways and enhancing the speed at which we complete tasks. There is a lot more to experience, but I remind myself and others that we can use AI while still keeping our normal person to person interactions. It’s all about creating a comfortable balance. There is a certain satisfaction that comes from interacting with a person even for a short time. A smiling face is enough to calm the heart. Listening to someone offering sincere professional advice and sharing their own experiences provides a different kind of strength. So with that in mind, let’s embrace the world of AI with good excitement and see what it has to offer each of us.

References:

  1. Kaput, Jim, et al. “Nutritional genomics: the impact of dietary regulation of gene function on human disease.” Physiological Genomics 16, no. 2 (2004): 166-177. https://doi.org/10.1152/physiolgenomics.00129.2003.
  2. Osborn, Chandra Y., et al. “One Drop | Mobile: An Evaluation of Hemoglobin A1c Improvement Linked to App Engagement.” Journal of Medical Internet Research 19, no. 7 (2017): e241. https://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.8039.

Summaya Ali holds a master’s degree in nutrition from the University of Illinois and is a registered dietitian. She works with a variety of conditions, and two of her favorite areas of practice are chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular disease.