NutraCast: Metabolism tracking with Lumen

12-Apr-2024 - Last updated on 12-Apr-2024 at 16:09 GMT

We track our steps, our sleep, our cycles and so much more—so why not track our metabolism? While research shows that a healthy metabolism is crucial for a healthier and longer life, it’s not always easy to track. Healthtech company Lumen is hoping to change that by offering precise and personalized metabolic insights previously only available in clinical and lab settings.

By breathing into the Lumen for six seconds, the device accurately measures CO2 levels which offer health insights into the metabolism. This measurement helps provide personalized suggestions on how to optimize nutrition, manage weight, adjust fitness routines, improve sleep and more.

“The essence of what we do is it starts with that measurement and the ability to see how your body shifts and how your body is changing based on things you do," said Daniel Tal Mor, founder and CEO of Lumen. "And so the app displays your metabolism flex score, which shows your body's flexibility at shifting between utilizing fats and carbs for energy."

While Lumen is positioned as a metabolic tool for consumers as well as nutritionists, Tal Mor said it can double as femtech, offering insights into menstrual cycle, fertility support and menopause.

"The ability to see—based on breath CO2—the exact phases of the cycle is actually a superpower…using this tool as a birth control or as a means to conceive," he said.

"There is another way to predict ovulation, which is temperature, but the temperature drop happens post-ovulation. So in a way, every [other] device that will inform you that is trying to predict the timeframe of the cycle and is basically doing that post-ovulation, and ovulation is the point in time you want to capture. [Whereas] Lumen tells you when this thing is happening because that's the top CO2 level in that phase. And so definitely on our road map is to build into that application as well and help women, and also support couples in these decisions and have a natural birth control tool."

Looking ahead, Tal Mor said he plans to educate consumers on metabolism, scale the company and explore other opportunities in breath measuring.

To hear more on where the company is headed and why doctors have started using Lumen in tandem with GLP-1 users, listen to the NutraCast.

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