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On this episode of Longevity by Design, Dr. Gil Blander hosts Dr. Dmitriy Richard Starson, Founder and CEO of Passio, an AI-powered nutrition coaching platform. Dmitriy discusses his career path from astrophysics to the world of nutrition tracking. He explains how his company seeks to make healthy eating more accessible. Passio aims to achieve this through user-friendly technology like food scanning, voice logging, and personalized AI coaching.
Dmitriy believes this technology will revolutionize how people approach nutrition. He envisions a future where food tracking is as commonplace as step tracking. This shift, combined with insights from companies like InsideTracker, could lead to personalized nutrition and supplementation plans. Such advances have the potential to slow or even reverse aging and age-related diseases.
While acknowledging the influence of the food industry, Dmitriy remains optimistic. He sees a future where individuals have the knowledge and tools to make informed decisions about their health. Through personalized nutrition and data-driven insights, people can optimize their health and work toward increased longevity.
Guest-at-a-Glance
💡 Name: Dr. Dmitriy Richard Starson
💡What they do: Founder and CEO
💡Company: Passio
💡Noteworthy: Astrophysicist turned entrepreneur revolutionizing nutrition tracking.
💡 Where to find them: LinkedIn
Episode highlights:
The Future of Nutrition Tracking
Just as the Fitbit made step tracking effortless, AI has the potential to make nutrition tracking similarly simple. Through technologies like food scanning and voice logging, accurately monitoring food intake will require minimal effort. This accessibility allows for personalized nutrition plans, helping people make healthier choices and achieve their wellness goals.
Beyond Tracking: AI as a Nutrition Coach
Imagine receiving personalized advice and encouragement from a nutritionist 24/7. AI coaching can make this a reality. This technology goes beyond passive tracking by providing tailored recommendations, answering questions, and even motivating users to stick to their goals. By understanding individual needs and preferences, AI can help users make sustainable changes for long-term health.
Data-Driven Health Optimization
Our understanding of nutrition's impact on longevity is rapidly evolving. Combining comprehensive data about dietary intake with insights from biomarkers like blood glucose offers a powerful tool for optimizing health. This personalized approach allows individuals to fine-tune their nutrition and supplementation, potentially slowing aging and disease. This data-driven approach empowers people to make proactive decisions for a longer, healthier life.
From Astrophysics to Nutrition: An Unlikely Journey
Dmitriy discusses his transition from a career in astrophysics to founding an AI nutrition company. He emphasizes the importance of AI integration in various sectors, especially healthcare and nutrition. He highlights his passion for using technology to create a positive impact on people's lives and his personal experience with the complexities of nutrition tracking.
"After my space company, after Escape Dynamics, I joined SRI, Stanford Research Institute as an Entrepreneur in Residence. It was already obvious that I would be starting many more companies."
The Power of AI in Food Logging
Dmitriy explains how the technology behind Passio goes beyond simple food databases. Passio uses AI for food and volume recognition from images, real-time scanning, and even voice logging. The platform aims to offer a comprehensive and user-friendly experience for tracking dietary intake.
"We invented several key components back in 2018, 2019, 2020, including volume estimation for food. You can point your phone at the food, and it tells you how many grams of food. Finally, after many, many years of really hard work, this year, it started to work like magic. "
The "Human" Factor: Addressing Challenges with Data Accuracy
Dmitriy tackles a crucial aspect of nutrition tracking: accuracy. They acknowledge the tendency for people to underreport or omit certain foods. Dmitriy posits that AI, being non-judgmental, may encourage honesty. He also points out specific scenarios like managing diabetes or professional athletes where precise tracking is essential.
"This is where things start becoming interesting with AI and nutritionists. So with the scanner, with computer vision, with voice — the easier you make it, the more streamlined the logging process you make, usage grows."
AI and the Healthcare System: A Balancing Act?
Dmitriy and Gil discuss the potential impact of AI on healthcare systems. They touch upon the possibility of health insurance companies incentivizing the use of AI nutrition tools. While acknowledging potential benefits like reduced healthcare costs, they also raise concerns about privacy and data security, emphasizing the need for a balanced approach.
"If they are paying for your obesity drugs, for example, they will be very substantially incentivized to actually ask you to use an AI nutritionist in conjunction. I still have my big reservations about big brother watching over me, but it becomes part of your life."
For science-backed ways to live a healthier longer life, download InsideTracker's Top 5 biomarkers for longevity eBook at insidetracker.com/podcast
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