AIRE Breathalyzer IDs Digestive Problems

Gas, bloating, and long stretches spent on the toilet are familiar to anyone suffering a food intolerance.

But where expert consultations and food diaries fail, Dublin-based startup FoodMarble hopes to succeed.

The pocket-sized AIRE breath test device functions as a personal digestive tracker.

Based on clinical-grade technology used in hospitals, the handheld gadget can detect gases on your breath, released by bacteria in the gut. After taking an initial baseline breath reading, AIRE users drink a concoction of carbohydrates (fructose, lactose, sorbitol) which often ferment into gas in the large intestine, then repeat the evaluation every 15 minutes for three hours.

An accompanying mobile app rates current digestive comfort on a scale from one to 100; significant changes in that number over the test period suggests malabsorption.

AIRE knows how much of those poorly absorbed carbs are in each food, and can translate your digestive capabilities and its food data into a personal digestive profile.

The application, compatible with iOS and Android, translates those results into estimations of how you will respond to a library of real foods, helping users identify which ingredients to avoid.

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It also allows you to track sleep, stress, and symptoms, then combines data from other health and fitness wearables to build "a more complete picture of the factors that contribute to your digestive wellbeing," FoodMarble said.

AIRE is available today for a special pre-order price of $99 (plus $10 shipping)—a $50 savings on the retail price. Still in the crowdfunding phase, FoodMarble promised monthly email updates; the Bluetooth-based devices are expected to go into production next spring and begin shipping in August.