Gone are the days of following generic diet plans and consuming one-size-fits-all exercise plans that promise a healthier lifestyle. The rise of personalised health and nutrition is taking over the market as people are increasingly aware of the importance of individualised health recommendations. Thanks to technology, personalised health and nutrition has become easier than ever before.
What is Personalised Health?
Personalised health refers to the idea that everyone’s health needs are unique and should be treated accordingly. It focuses on tailoring health recommendations based on a person’s lifestyle, genetics, and environment. The main goal of personalised health is to provide people with health and wellness recommendations that are customised to their specific needs, resulting in a more effective approach to achieving overall wellness.
Nutrition is at the Forefront of Personalised Health
One area of health that has become more personalised over the years is nutrition. With the rise of health and fitness apps, people can now easily monitor their daily food intake and receive personalised recommendations on how to improve their diet. Furthermore, the improvement in the accuracy and accessibility of home testing kits has enabled companies to offer personalised dietary recommendations based on physiological diagnostics.
The Role of Technology in Personalised Health
The data and insights generated from technologies such as home testing kits and smart devices can offer highly personalised recommendations that improve an individual’s health, diet, and lifestyle. By collecting data on an individual’s unique biological and behavioural patterns, these technologies can provide highly targeted and personalised recommendations that are tailored to the individual’s specific needs and goals.
Home Testing Kits
For example, a home testing kit that measures an individual’s gut microbiome can provide insights into the types of foods that are beneficial or harmful to that person’s digestive system. With this data, the individual can receive highly personalised recommendations for foods to avoid or consume more of, based on their unique gut microbiome composition.
SMART Devices
Similarly, smart devices that monitor an individual’s physical activity, sleep patterns, and stress levels can provide insights and recommendations that are tailored to the individual’s needs and goals. For example, an individual who is not getting enough sleep may receive recommendations on how to improve their sleep hygiene, such as reducing screen time before bed, avoiding caffeine in the evening, and establishing a regular sleep schedule.
Smart devices can also provide personalised recommendations for nutrition and exercise. For example, a smart scale that measures an individual’s body composition can provide recommendations for the types of foods and exercises that are best suited to that person’s body type and fitness goals. Similarly, a fitness tracker that monitors an individual’s heart rate and physical activity levels can provide recommendations for exercise routines that are tailored to the individual’s fitness level and goals.
Apps and Technology Increasingly Becoming Integrated
The data and insights generated from these technologies can also be integrated with other health and wellness apps and services, creating a comprehensive and highly personalised approach to health and nutrition. For example, an individual’s data from a fitness tracker can be integrated with a meal planning app to provide personalised nutrition recommendations that are tailored to the individual’s physical activity levels and fitness goals.
Overall, the data and insights generated from technologies such as home testing kits and smart devices can offer highly personalised recommendations that improve an individual’s health, diet, and lifestyle. As these technologies continue to advance, we can expect to see even more sophisticated and personalised approaches to health and nutrition that are tailored to each individual’s unique needs and goals.
Emergence of Companies Offering Personalised Health Innovations
The rise of technology has also spurred the emergence of new players in the market that focus on health and nutrition personalisation. Companies like Zoe offer personalised diets for gut health, while Lumen measures metabolism and offers personalised recommendations to lose weight. Bioniq provides personalised supplements based on a blood test and questionnaire.
Zoe
Zoe is a health science company that offers a personalised diet program for gut health. The company uses a combination of advanced technology, data science, and machine learning to analyse an individual’s unique gut microbiome and provide recommendations for foods that are tailored to that person’s digestive system. Zoe’s program includes a home testing kit that analyses an individual’s gut microbiome composition, as well as a personalised nutrition plan that is designed to support gut health and overall well-being. The company’s approach is based on cutting-edge research in the field of microbiome science and is at the forefront of personalised nutrition.
Lumen
Lumen is a company that offers a device and app that measures an individual’s metabolism in real-time. The device uses a small breath sensor that measures the levels of carbon dioxide and oxygen in an individual’s breath to determine their metabolic rate. Based on this data, Lumen provides personalised recommendations for nutrition and exercise that are designed to optimise metabolic function and promote weight loss. The company’s approach is based on the science of metabolic flexibility, which suggests that individuals can improve their metabolic health by consuming a diet that is tailored to their unique metabolic profile.
Bioniq
Bioniq is a company that offers personalised supplements based on a blood test and questionnaire. The company’s approach is based on the idea that each individual has unique nutritional needs that cannot be met through a one-size-fits-all approach. To create personalised supplements, Bioniq first analyses an individual’s blood to determine their nutrient levels and identify any deficiencies. The company then uses this information, along with data from a detailed questionnaire about the individual’s health and lifestyle, to create a customised supplement plan that is designed to support optimal health and wellness.
These innovative companies have embraced technology to develop bespoke health solutions that are targeted to individual needs and are more effective than generic approaches.
Emergence of Innovative Start-ups
In addition to established companies, the health and nutrition industry has also witnessed the emergence of innovative start-ups such as Biospan, The Good Mood Co, Flok Health, Personalised Co, and Nadclinic. These companies are at the forefront of the personalised health and nutrition movement, using technology to provide users with customised solutions to improve their overall well-being. With such a growing market and a range of options, people are now able to easily access personalised health solutions.
What The Future Holds for Personalised Health and Nutrition
The future of personalised health and nutrition is incredibly exciting, with new technologies and solutions emerging all the time that promise to revolutionise the way we approach wellness. Here are some of the trends we can expect to see in the coming years:
- Greater use of AI and machine learning: As more data is collected and analysed, the use of AI and machine learning will become even more important for identifying patterns and making personalised recommendations. AI-powered tools will be able to analyse vast amounts of data and provide highly tailored insights and recommendations for nutrition, exercise, and overall wellness.
- More advanced home testing kits: We can expect to see more advanced home testing kits that allow individuals to measure a wide range of biomarkers and health metrics from the comfort of their own homes. These tests will enable individuals to track their health and wellness more closely and make more informed decisions about their diet and lifestyle.
- Wearable technology will become even more integrated: Wearable technology will become even more sophisticated, collecting more accurate data and providing more detailed insights into an individual’s health and wellness. In addition, wearables will become increasingly integrated with other health-related services and technologies, such as telemedicine and remote monitoring. For example, wearable devices could be used to monitor the health of elderly or chronically ill patients, providing real-time data to doctors and caregivers and allowing for more timely interventions. Moreover, smart devices and wearables will be integrated with other types of technology, such as voice assistants and smart home devices. An individual could use their voice assistant to access personalised recommendations for meals and snacks based on their fitness and health data, or use their smart home device to adjust lighting and temperature settings based on their sleep pattern.
- Personalised nutrition on-the-go: With the rise of mobile technology, we can expect to see more personalised nutrition solutions that can be accessed on-the-go. Mobile apps will become even more innovative, providing tailored recommendations for meals and snacks based on an individual’s unique needs and preferences.
- Personalised medicine: Personalised health and nutrition will increasingly be integrated with personalised medicine, allowing doctors and other healthcare professionals to provide highly tailored treatments and therapies based on an individual’s unique genetic makeup, lifestyle, and health history.
These trends will help individuals to take greater control of their health and wellness, making it easier than ever to make informed decisions about diet, nutrition, and lifestyle.
Personalised Health and Nutrition is No Longer a Buzzword
It is fast becoming the norm for anyone who seeks optimal wellness. Thanks to technology, people can now easily customise their health and diet plans according to their bodies’ specific needs. The personalisation of health is enabling people to have better control over their well-being. As this trend continues to grow, we can expect to see even more innovative solutions to achieve personalised health and nutrition in the future.
