Nutritional optimization system and method

Abstract

A method and system for proposing nutritional supplementation for a person comprising the steps of receiving personal information, e.g., relating to health and diet, about the person, determining a health model for the person, determining an effect on the health model for at least two nutritional supplements, optimizing a proposed nutritional supplementation for the person based on the personal information about the person and effect for the at least two nutritional supplements, health model, and outputting a proposed nutritional supplementation including amounts of the at least two nutritional supplements. The system may also receive economic considerations, e.g., a budget, for the nutritional supplementation, and further optimize the nutritional supplementation based on the economic considerations.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates to the field of nutritional optimization systems and methods, as well as to apparatus for the analysis, storage and retrieval of nutritional optimization data and a system for delivering a nutritionally optimized product. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] It is well known in the art to analyze a diet of a mammal for typical macronutrients, such as carbohydrates, fiber, fat, protein, major vitamins and minerals. In fact, there is a well developed field of nutrition which seeks to employ medical and public health principles to determine an “optimal” diet. Further, total parenteral nutrition is known, wherein foods are determined and administered to a patient, often in a controlled environment. Infant formulas are also a known area of economic and dietary optimization based on public health and medical considerations. [0003] Multivitamins are known, wherein a mixture of vitamins, minerals and cofactors are provided in a conve...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0011] Further, the present optimization may be cognizant of medical, surgical or pharmaceutical treatments of a patient, and determines or predicts any potential interactions between such prescribed care and proposed supplementation in order to avoid adverse interactions or detrimental effect on the treatment regimen. Beneficial interactions are also cognized, and thus may be used to increase efficacy or efficiency.

[0019] A preferred embodiment includes an economic optimization because without this factor playing an explicit role, the “more is better” theory may produce a proposal which is untenable. Known systems which attempt to optimize nutrition perform economic optimization in one of two ways. First, the public health model selects cost levels designed to do the most good for the most people. Some persons will receive a suboptimal dose, while others will receive little incremental benefit or even suffer toxic effects. Further, some persons will be asked to spend more than reasonable, while others will have excess disposable funds without guidance as to how these funds should best be employed. Thus, the public health model does not account for an individual and his own specific factors, including budget. Second, an incomplete or limited economic analysis may be performed without the benefit of a linked health model. For example, an individual who visits a health food store and selects supplements performs a limited economic model, e.g., “that costs too much”, in the selection of items for purchase. By linking the economic model with an individual health model, the benefits of a personalized proposal at acceptable cost is obtained. Further, by allowing a statistical error in the actual diet as compared to the proposed diet, the optimization may produce a better “real-world” result.

[0037] Thus, a number of models operate simultaneously to achieve a result, i.e., a proposal. First, the health model defines the status and proposed status of the consumer. Second, the efficacy models define a change in state with respect to amount of nutritional supplements. The efficacy models are separated from the health model to the extent desired so that each may be modified separately to include new information. Third, the optional economic model limits the optimization to affordable levels, and serves higher purpose as well. The implementation of an economic model facilitates economic efficiency by allowing providers to seek cost effective nutritional supplements, even if this effect is somewhat delayed. The optional optimization of health model seeks to compensate for statistical risk and benefit, which may be independent from the health model or efficacy models themselves.

[0051] The interface to the system is preferably an interactive graphic user interface, allowing the consumer to make incremental selections and make modifications to selections during a session. The use of screen buttons, hot links, menus, dialogue boxes and other typical graphic user interface elements is therefore preferred. Through use of the system, the preferences of the user may be determined, and present further data and selections based on the determined preferences. Such a learning interface may allow efficient interaction between the machine and user. The system may be, for example, a Pentium® personal computer, Apple Power PC®, UNIX system, or other known type of computer system. The operating system is, for example, Windows for Workgroups 3.11, Windows 95, Windows NT, Macintosh Operating System, SunOS, Netscape / Java, or other known type.

Problems solved by technology

In general, claims of medical benefit are not made for nutritional supplements, with the exception of known vitamins, minerals and bioavailable cofactors, and there is little standardization for dosage and regimens.

As such, the database as to each of the factors in the optimization, with the exception of cost, may be undetermined.

Images