Calculating your food scores
Dr Haya Al Khatib avatar
Written by Dr Haya Al Khatib
Updated over a week ago

A lot of factors go into calculating your food scores. We start from the nutritional content of the food and your dietary inflammation profile. With cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology, we are able to predict the impact of the food on your biology. That impact is represented with a score.

1. Your blood sugar control

Your blood sugar control tells you how prone your body is to blood sugar spikes and dips from carb-rich foods, and how well your body handles carb-rich foods. This measure is based on your blood sugar response to the muffins.

2. Your blood fat control

Your blood fat control tells you how well your body clears fats from your blood, and how well your body handles fat-rich foods. This measure is based on your blood fat response to the muffins.

3. Amount of carbs

Carbs are an essential source of energy. Your body turns the carbs you eat into glucose (sugar) which ends up in your blood. The quantity of carbs you eat will impact your blood sugar levels

4. Quality of carbs

Different carbs release sugar into your blood at different rates, and this is related to the glycemic index (GI) of the food. High-quality carbs tend to have a lower GI. They will release sugar slowly and are therefore less likely to spike your blood sugar levels, helping you to sustain your energy, fend off hunger and reduce inflammation.

5. Amount of fats

Fats are essential for health & have many vital roles in your body. Your body absorbs the fats you eat into your blood, and it can take about 6-8h to clear. The quantity of fat you eat will impact the build-up of fat in your blood and how quickly you clear it. Limiting the build-up of fat in your blood can help reduce dietary inflammation.

6. Quality of fats

Different types of fat may have different effects on long term health. Also, certain types of fats can be cleared from your blood more easily. High-quality fats can be easier for your body to clear and may reduce dietary inflammation. High-quality fats are also associated with better long term health.

7. Amount of fiber

Fiber is a type of carb that your body doesn’t digest. Fiber feeds your gut bacteria, helping to promote a healthier microbiome. Fiber can also regulate your body’s use of sugar, which helps to keep hunger and blood sugar levels in check.

8. Quality of fiber

Some foods may be high in fiber but are ultra-processed. These could have a negative impact on your gut health and blood sugar. We, therefore, take the quality of fiber in food into account.

9. Amount of protein

Protein is an essential macronutrient. It’s found in virtually every tissue in your body, and it’s available in an abundance of foods along with other nutrients. Protein itself does not impact your body’s blood sugar and blood fat level.

10. Level of processing

Processed foods are known to be poorer for health compared to unprocessed foods, and are generally associated with weight gain and risk of chronic diseases. We use the NOVA classification system to categorize foods into the degree to which they were processed.

11. Sugar content

Sugar in food impacts your blood sugar levels and can increase spikes and dips that make you feel tired and hungry. Too much sugar can also increase the risk of chronic diseases in the long term.

12. Sodium content

Sodium has important biological functions, but too much can increase the risk of hypertension, chronic conditions like stroke and other heart diseases over the long term.

13. Other epidemiological evidence

Strong scientific evidence links certain foods to health outcomes, and we have taken this into account.

Fruit and vegetables are essential for good health. Not only do they have a lot of vitamins and minerals, but they are rich in fiber and hundreds of compounds specific to plants that are beneficial for your gut and overall health. So if your meal contains some, it gets a little bonus.

Eating too much red meat and poultry is linked with a higher risk of a range of chronic diseases in the long term. So if your meal contains red meat or poultry we give it a penalty.

Fermented foods can help support gut health by giving your microbiome a dose of probiotics. Fermented foods get a small bonus.

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