Bodily fluid analysis system capable of assessing effect of gut health on weight loss or other health program
A breath analysis system includes a breath analysis device that measures acetone, and a gut biomarker such as methane and/or hydrogen, in breath of a participant in a weight loss or other health program. The system includes one or more processors that use the measurements to assess the progress of the participant. For example, the system may use the gut biomarker measurements to assess whether the measured acetone level accurately represents fat metabolism. As another example, the system may determine, based on changes in acetone and gut biomarker levels, whether a diet change is producing a gut health issue that adversely affects the body's ability to metabolize fat. The system may also generate diet/nutritional recommendations. Embodiments are also disclosed in which some or all of the analyzed analytes are measured in the participant's blood rather than in breath.
1 . A breath analysis system, comprising:
a breath analysis device including a sensor system comprising one or more sensors positioned along a flow path configured to measure, in a breath exhaled by a human subject, at least (1) acetone and (2) a gut biomarker; and
a processing system comprising one or more hardware processors, the processing system configured to:
receive measurements generated by the sensor system of at least acetone and the gut biomarker in the breath;
determine a user-specific gut biomarker threshold for the gut biomarker based on a plurality of measurements of the gut biomarker received over a time period;
use at least a measurement of the gut biomarker to make a determination of whether a measurement of acetone was generated at a point in time during which the human subject's breath acetone level corresponds to a level of fat metabolism in the human subject; and
responsive to a determination that the measurement of acetone was generated at the point in time during which the human subject's breath acetone level corresponds to the level of fat metabolism:
select a diet plan from a plurality of diet plans that would maintain the human subject's breath acetone level at a target acetone level and below a maximum acetone level while maintaining the gut biomarker below the user-specific gut biomarker threshold, wherein the selected diet plan does not maximize acetone levels of the human subject; and
output the selected diet plan.
2 . The breath analysis system of claim 1 , wherein the gut biomarker comprises at least one of methane or hydrogen.
3 . The breath analysis system of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is configured to determine whether the measurement of the gut biomarker indicates a digestive state that affects acetone levels.
4 . The breath analysis system of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is configured to determine whether the measurement of the gut biomarker indicates that an acetone level of the human subject has not yet peaked since the human subject last ate.
5 . The breath analysis system of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is configured to use the measurement of the gut biomarker to estimate a timing of a last meal consumed by the human subject.
6 . The breath analysis system of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is configured to use the measurement of the gut biomarker to generate an adjusted acetone measurement.
7 . The breath analysis system of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is configured to use the measurement of the gut biomarker, in combination with the measurement of acetone, to provide a feedback to the human subject regarding the level of fat metabolism.
8 . The breath analysis system of claim 1 , wherein the processing system comprises a hardware processor of a smartphone that communicates with the breath analysis device.
9 . The breath analysis system of claim 1 , wherein the processing system comprises a hardware processor of a server system.
10 . The breath analysis system of claim 1 , wherein the processing system comprises a hardware processor of the breath analysis device.
11 . The breath analysis system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors comprises a first analyte sensor that measures an acetone concentration, and a second analyte sensor that measures a concentration of at least one of methane or hydrogen.
12 . The breath analysis system of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is configured to determine whether the measurement of acetone was generated at the point in time during which the human subject's breath acetone level corresponds to the level of fat metabolism in the human subject based on a post-meal negative correlation between the gut biomarker and acetone levels.
13 . The breath analysis system of claim 1 , wherein the processing system, in making said determination of whether the measurement of acetone was generated at the point in time during which the human subject's breath acetone level corresponds to the level of fat metabolism in the human subject, is configured to compare the measurement of the gut biomarker to the user-specific gut biomarker threshold.
14 . The breath analysis system of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is further configured to, responsive to the determination that the measurement of acetone was generated at the point in time during which the human subject's breath acetone level corresponds to the level of fat metabolism, use the measurement of acetone to provide a feedback to the human subject regarding the level of fat metabolism.
15 . The breath analysis system of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is further configured to provide a recommendation for one or more of consumption of dietary fiber, consumption of probiotics, avoiding processed sugars, avoiding diary, transition to a FODMAP diet, or being placed on a course of antibiotics.