Technology
DNA test "tailored to your genome": what is known about nutrition based on genes
The promise sounds convincing: a saliva sample, two weeks of waiting, and a diet tailored to your heredity.
Blog
Every article takes a claim you have already heard about food and follows the mechanism behind it — what actually happens in the body, what the research supports, and where the claim stops being true.
Technology
Glucose monitoring without diabetes: what the sensor on your arm shows
A coin-sized sensor on the shoulder and a blood sugar graph on a phone are no longer exclusive to diabetes: people without a diagnosis are using them to "understand their reaction to food.
Technology
Smart scales: what bioimpedance actually measures
Smart scales display body fat percentage, water percentage, muscle mass, bone mass, and "metabolic age.
Technology
Fitness trackers and calorie expenditure: why they measure heart rate but estimate calories
On a tracker screen, three numbers look equally reliable: heart rate, steps, and "calories burned.
Technology
Calorie counting apps: how they work and where they go wrong
A calorie counter looks like a calculator, and people expect calculator-like precision from it.
Technology
Where do apps get calorie and macronutrient data and why do the numbers differ
The same cottage cheese gets different calorie counts in two apps, and people usually assume one of them is wrong.
Technology
Chestny Znak and the square code on the packaging: what it shows
Next to the familiar stripes on packaging, there is increasingly a small square made of dots.
Technology
Barcode on packaging: what is encrypted in it and what is not
There is a persistent belief about barcodes: that you can supposedly tell the country where a product was made from the first digits, and verify its authenticity from the rest.
Technology
Why AI confidently states incorrect figures
The unpleasant feature of machine responses is not that they can be incorrect—reference books and labels can be wrong too.
This article is for general information. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a prescription for treatment or a diet, and it does not replace a consultation with your doctor. If you have a health condition, are pregnant, take medication, or follow a diet prescribed to you, decisions about food belong with your doctor.
Figures from regulations, guidelines and studies are given as they stood when this article was prepared and may since have changed; check them against the primary sources. This article is not advertising, an offer, or individual advice, and neither the author nor the site owner is responsible for decisions taken on the basis of it.