Oura brings AI-powered meals and glucose tracking to the US

What you need to know

• Oura launched two new metabolic features in the U.S. to help users keep track of their overall eating habits.
• The ring maker has partnered with Dexcom, an American healthcare company that manufactures continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems.
• Users need to purchase the Stelo, a glucose biosensor by Dexcom, that will send glucose readings directly into Oura's app once integrated.
• Oura is also launching its "Meals" feature, which will help users know whether their meals are balanced throughout the day.

Oura announced on Tuesday (May 6) that it is launching two new features to its existing AI-powered lineup designed to help users in the U.S. track their overall metabolic health. Oura has developed a way to track users' blood glucose levels by integrating data from a secondary device directly into the Oura app.

The ring maker has partnered with Dexcom, an American healthcare company that manufactures glucose biosensors to help users gain insights into their blood-glucose levels during the day.

This feature can be accessed when users purchase or already own Stelo, a small FDA-approved biosensor worn on the back of the upper arm, which leverages Dexcom’s most accurate glucose technology and reveals how lifestyle factors can affect glucose.

Members who integrate Stelo with Oura will see their daily glucose readings throughout the day, and also gain insights as to how nutrition, stress, movement, and sleep also have a role to play when it comes to balancing their blood-glucose levels.

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Much like other health parameters, this feature will show users contextual graphs on a new "Glucose screen" and insights from Oura Advisor to help them understand glucose levels throughout the day. This way, they can tailor their lifestyle habits to help them maintain or "achieve optimal glucose balance"

When tracking blood glucose levels, users need to understand a key metric, called “Time Above Range,” which is the time spent above their target glucose range. The Oura app uses AI to analyze this metric and showcases glucose trends for that particular day, based on the user's lifestyle.

"Meal-induced glucose spikes can vary significantly due to factors like sleep, stress, exercise, and meal timing," said Shyamal Patel, senior vice president of science at Oura.

And with this feature, the company aims to help users experiment and discover lifestyle habits that impact their glucose levels rather than solely relying on foods that spike it.

"With this approach, members can maintain a healthy relationship with food while building long-term habits that support metabolic health," Patel added.

Track your 'Meals' with Oura

Furthermore, the company is launching a seamless method for users to log their meals. Unlike other apps that require manually inputting each food item to track calorie consumption, with the "Meals" feature, Oura's App will analyze an entire plate simply by using a picture. "After several months of testing in Oura Labs, Meals will now be a permanent feature in the Oura App," the company stated.

Steering away from traditional calorific intake insights, Meals focuses on macronutrients. As seen below, once users click a picture of their plates, the feature breaks things down for them. Showing each "Meal Item" and the nutrients their plate contains.

Showcasing elements like protein, fiber, processing level, added sugars, total fats, and total carbs to give users an at-a-glance summary. Oura's AI-powered Advisor also comes into play, which helps users understand their plate better, personalized "non-judgmental" tips about their meals.

That said, these features will be available on iOS and Android for Oura members based in the United States. As for the Glucose biosensor Stelo, interested individuals will be able to purchase it directly from Oura's website for $99 in the U.S.

Lastly, Oura says that the Meals feature, though restricted to the U.S. for now, will be rolled out internationally "later this year."

“With the launch of Meals, Glucose, and Oura Advisor—and the strategic integration of AI across all three—we’re taking a pivotal step forward in connecting the dots to deliver the most personal and holistic health platform available,” said Holly Shelton, chief product officer at Oura.