Breath-sniffing gadgets that give dietary advice

Technologists in the US are showcasing two portable gadgets, Lumen and FoodMarble, that analyze the gases in users breath and displays how they should improve their dietary.

A user blows into the pocket-sized devices that pair up with a smartphone app that reveals how well s/he is digesting food or burning calories.

Lumen has been designed with an inhaler shaped product that measures carbon dioxide levels in the user’s breath.

This provides a way of monitoring a person’s metabolism, a chemical process that converts food into energy.

Lumen’s app displays whether the user is burning carbohydrates or fat, with frequent use, the device learns what diet is most suitable for the user.

Studies that will account for the effectiveness of the device have not yet been peer-viewed, although hundreds of users are trying it.

READ: DETECTING CANCER THROUGH BREATHE

Relatively, FoodMarble device released in December measures the hydrogen levels in a user’s breath in an attempt to make conclusions about one’s digestive health.

FoodMarble founder, Lisa Rutledge has said that the presence of hydrogen in one’s breath can be a sign of trouble digestion from a recent meal.

“It happens because there’s fermentation going on in the gut and some hydrogen created in the process is exhaled,” said Rutledge.

The device has been created to aid people who experience abdominal pain, bloating and gastrointestinal symptoms to reveal foods that produce hydrogen which should be avoided.

This latest technology is yet to be validated by scientists despite the fact that about one million pre-ordered FoodMarble devices have been shipped.