Today, FoodMarble launches their pre-order campaign for AIRE, the world’s first personal, portable digestive tracker. AIRE uses breath analysis technology to identify the foods most compatible with the user’s digestive system. A limited number of AIRE devices are now available on the company’s websitefor the early bird price of $99.
“We have developed a device to help people learn which foods are causing them problems,” says Aonghus Shortt, PhD, FoodMarble’s CEO and co-founder. Nearly everyone has experienced some degree of digestive discomfort with certain foods, and 1 in 8 people worldwide are faced with digestive symptoms severe enough to have a profound impact on their quality of life.
“Everyone’s digestive system is unique,” says Dr. James Brief, M.D., gastroenterologist, co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of FoodMarble. “Breath testing has been used by gastroenterologists for decades as a simple and painless way to find out which food are compatible or incompatible with someone’s digestive system.”
(Credit: FoodMarble)
When food is not properly broken down in the small intestine, it passes undigested into the large intestine (also called the colon), where the bacteria that reside there break it down in a process called fermentation. This releases gases into the colon that can cause pain, bloating and diarrhea.
“When the bacteria lining of our gastrointestinal tract ferments the food we eat, the gases created pass into the bloodstream and are later exhaled from the lungs in our breath,” says Dr. Brief. “When these gases are detected in a user’s breath, it can be a sign of digestive incompatibility. Breath testing is used in top digestive health clinics and hospitals worldwide. As well as making the tech smaller and more affordable for everyday use, AIRE helps translate the user’s breath readings into personalized food suggestions.
AIRE and the low FODMAP diet:
The low FODMAP diet has garnered significant interest in recent years. FODMAPs (Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides And Polyols) are a class of carbohydrates which are often poorly absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract and fermented by gut bacteria into gases. The gases can cause abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea or constipation. The research has shown that reducing consumption of foods that have this effect can greatly reduce symptoms. Until now, it has been difficult to affordably measure a person’s unique response to individual FODMAP food components.
“The guesswork of figuring out which foods trigger your symptoms through trial and error is incredibly frustrating. With AIRE, people can now objectively measure and quantify their body’s unique response to the food they eat,” said Dr Shortt.
AIRE’s key features include:
- FODMAP Tests: AIRE quantifies how your digestive system responds to FODMAPs in everyday foods such as fructose and lactose.
- Food Compatibility: AIRE translates the results of your FODMAP test into estimations of how you will respond to real foods.
- Meal Maker: AIRE constructs nutritionally balanced meals based on your food compatibility results.
- Complete Digestive Tracking: With the accompanying app, users can log their food, sleep, stress and symptoms and combine data from other wearables to build a more complete picture of the factors that contribute to your digestive well-being.
- Data Sharing: AIRE enhances interactions with your dietician or doctor by sharing your digestive tracking data.
“Our goal was to create a portable, discreet device that could help users learn about their digestive capabilities. We’ve dedicated a lot of time developing the design and engineering and are proud to bring AIRE to the consumer market,” said co-founder Lisa Ruttledge, PhD. “With AIRE, we have taken this technology out of the hospital and into people’s hands.”
