Is AI going to end up telling us to eat our peas?

Not exactly, but according to a recent commentary at Forbes, as nutritional concerns become more prominent across the general population, AI will increasingly constitute a valuable tool for providers and nutrition counselors.

Currently, notes the author, Prem Thudia, co-Founder and CTO at Persona, a nutrition supplements provider, three-quarters of Americans take some form of dietary supplements.  The problem, he notes, is that even as ever more Americans are taking nutrition into their own hands by using vitamins and supplements, nearly 40 percent don’t feel they need to speak with their doctor before adding a supplement to their daily routine, a not-surprising source of concern given that physicians are becoming increasingly knowledgeable in nutrition and are shifting their focus from treating disease to preventing disease in the first place.

But, he says, “thanks to AI, more doctors can now have intentional conversations with their patients about their nutrition and their use of daily vitamin supplements. . . AI puts big data at doctors’ fingertips so they can easily access, cross-reference and provide intelligent recommendations on how to balance the ingredients found in the prescription medication with the ingredients that make up daily vitamins and supplements.”

As Thudia sees it, the typical path to wellness is going to include patients and providers having regular, in-depth discussions about the patient’s nutritional regimen.

So how can docs tap AI to enhance those conversations?

First, he says, let AI make the recommendation. “Utilize big data and the growing number of personalized nutrition programs that leverage AI to identify one of the trillions of combinations of vitamins and nutrients best suited for the patient, or input specific recommendations directly into the technology platform.”

Next, as increasingly happens with drug prescriptions, providers can use AI-driven databases to ensure nutritional suggestions aren’t going to result in adverse drug-nutrient interactions.

Finally, providers can share their results cross-platform to to promote full, comprehensive healthcare.

And added element Thudia points to involves “convenient access to high-quality vitamins and supplements through a subscription model where the personalized vitamins are delivered directly to a patient’s door, patients will be motivated to care for their bodies each and every day.”

As it is increasingly demonstrating in other specialties, AI has the potential to prove mutually beneficial for the patient and practitioner when it comes to nutritional habits, and, on a broader level, is increasingly likely to change the way doctors are able to provide holistic care.