Automated nutrition app helps people follow healthier diets

People could benefit from fully automated personal nutrition advice, a new research paper shows that an app improved healthy eating in a clinical trial

A paper published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research shows how the eNutri app developed by researchers in human nutrition and biomedical engineering at the University of Reading can help people eat healthier

Dr Police Fallaize, dietitian and researcher at the University of Reading's Food and Nutritional Sciences said: "Research shows that eNutri technology is effective in helping users improve their healthy food intake, with significant improvements in diet quality groups that have had access to automation, personality Nutritional advice

“While having a registered dietitian or dietitian providing personalized dietary advice is ideal, this is often only effective for those with health concerns or the financial resources to pay

"Nutrition advice should always focus on a healthy, balanced diet and a positive relationship with food, and I'm delighted that our research is helping people eat better

Rodrigo Zenun Franco, PhD, University of Reading, lead author of the paper, said: "The eNutri app prioritizes healthy eating based on evidence and uniquely uses a diet score.

"We are continuing to develop eNutri to suit specific populations, including cardiac patients, and hope to make it available to the public in the future

These individuals received either individualized nutritional advice or general healthy eating advice

The Healthy Eating Score includes an assessment of intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, red meat, and processed meat, with users scoring higher when they reach recommended intakes