AI In Dietary Supplements - Thoughts?
Since openAI's ChatGPT was introduced in November 2022, we've seen artificial intelligence (AI) become mainstream in the writing, marketing, automobile, graphic designing, audio and video production, and voice acting space, with many people cheering on its evolution and the rest in fear of losing their jobs. But, what we haven't quite considered is the growing relevance of AI in the pharmaceutical/healthcare industry and how it might impact global health.
We decided to discuss it at a more personal level — AI in dietary supplements. What does it mean for you?
More Personalized Recommendations
Have you ever gone out to buy a supplement because you saw it on social media or a friend recommended it?
Did you do your due diligence in researching the product or rely solely on the feedback of others?
There are too many supplements in the market, with different ingredients, dosages, bioavailability, and designed for an inexhaustible list of concerns or goals. So, finding ones suited for your needs can be tricky—add, time-consuming. No two bodies are the same, and that’s why you might often see negative feedback on the same products your friends or social media influencers raved about.
Enter AI.
Imagine a digital library with a wealth of information about nutrients, ingredients, age groups, genetic data, health conditions, lifestyle factors, and more. AI would analyze this data, identifying patterns and insights at a work rate and precision impossible for the human brain to execute alone. This process allows AI-powered platforms to generate highly personalized supplement recommendations based on age, gender, activity level, dietary preferences, and even genetic predisposition.
Several health companies already use this model to recommend products to customers.
Jarrod Anderson, former senior director of artificial intelligence at ADM, wrote for Cio Applications, a technology print magazine for millennials: “In the past, nutrition scientists developed general dietary guidance that was meant to be followed by everyone. However, these on-size-fits-all recommendations often fail to consider the unique nutritional needs of people.”
With AI in the picture, you can be sure of finding dietary supplements tailored to deliver your unique needs rather than ones made to satisfy general guidelines.
Identification of new and powerful ingredients
The power of AI extends to the formulation and development of dietary supplements. Researchers can leverage AI to identify novel ingredients, optimize dosages, and enhance bioavailability. This innovation paves the way for creating next-generation supplements that deliver superior results tailored to the diverse needs of today's wellness enthusiasts like yourself.
But this is not a future projection. It has been happening way before the "AI bubble," and we expect to see more moving forward.
Biotechnology company Nuritas and chemical manufacturing company Baden Aniline and Soda Factory (BASF) entered a partnership in 2017 to create what is known as the world's first bioactive ingredient discovered by AI, PeptAIde. PeptAIde was extracted from brown rice and clinically validated to reduce inflammation.
Just last year, Nuritas partnered with Healthgevity to launch a new supplement powered by a patented peptide ingredient, PeptiStrong, identified and unlocked from fava beans by their unique AI platform to tackle the adverse effects of aging on muscle health. Nuritas gladly noted that the peptide made its commercial debut in a sports nutrition product the previous year.
They have now identified up to 6 million peptides, and there are other biotechnology companies building their library of AI-discovered ingredients from plants.
With AI, we're looking at a future where personalized nutrition through supplements changes the way we nourish our bodies and minds.
What do you think about the influence of AI in the dietary supplement industry? Are you keen on trying supplements enriched with ingredients discovered by AI?
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