That was it. It was only a matter of time before wellness trackers designed to optimize heart rate, sleep, stress, activity, blood sugar, and menstrual cycles began measuring perhaps the most private biosignal of all: our poop.
The global gut health market is expected to reach approximately $106 billion by 2029. As demand for personalized health technology grows, several companies are betting that stool data can provide detailed insights into gut health. Their devices aim to encourage healthier diets and lifestyles while alerting users when unusual bathroom habits may warrant medical attention. However, gastroenterologists question whether AI-powered toilet cameras justify their cost, and data privacy advocates warn that consumers could become locked into long-term subscriptions simply to access their own health information.
Companies developing smart toilets and toilet-mounted health trackers include Kohler Health, an offshoot of the plumbing giant that sells its device for $449, plus $130 per year for additional family members, and startup Sloan, which raised $10 million in July. Sloan’s device costs $399, with an additional $70 annual membership fee.
Both stool-monitoring products are sleek white devices that attach to the toilet and use a downward-facing camera positioned inside the bowl. The companies insist that the camera cannot be pointed upward. After a user sits down, a light sensor records images or video of the stool and urine. An algorithm then analyzes characteristics such as color, consistency, and other health-related metrics. Within minutes, users receive a bathroom report through an AI-powered app that tracks gut health, hydration, and bathroom patterns.
The companies say their smart toilet systems take a different approach from at-home gut microbiome test kits. Those kits claim to analyze stool samples to identify food sensitivities and offer personalized diet recommendations, but there is weak or non-existent evidence supporting their effectiveness. Instead of making a simple healthy-or-unhealthy assessment, new stool-tracking devices are designed to establish what is normal for each individual.
“This is all very personal and very individual. Digestion patterns are very different,” says Nora Tophoff, managing director of Kohler Health.
Even so, smart stool trackers may offer limited new information for healthy people who already have regular bowel movements, says Daniel Friedberg, a New York gastroenterologist and spokesperson for the American College of Gastroenterology.
“That seems like a bit of a stretch,” he says. “If you want to see your own stool, just look at it yourself. I don’t know if AI is bringing a lot of new science to this.”
Tophoff says the potential value for healthy users lies in long-term monitoring and identifying actionable patterns. For example, tracking could reveal that a person is consistently dehydrated on weekends or that specific foods or medications regularly trigger digestive problems.
Scott Hickle, co-founder and chief executive officer of Sloan, says people with inflammatory bowel disease and other gastrointestinal conditions may benefit from automated stool monitoring. “Doctors ask them to track or keep stool records, but compliance is essentially zero,” he says. “No one wants to write a diary about their poop.”
Throne plans to use its technology for more than routine gut health tracking. Colorectal cancer rates have risen among younger adults over the past decade, and colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death among young people. Adults under 50 are increasingly affected. Doctors are not sure why, although exposure to ultra-processed foods, microplastics, and antibiotics are among the suspected factors. Current colorectal cancer screening typically involves a colonoscopy or a stool-based test designed to detect hidden blood in the stool.
Source: www.wired.com