ChatGPT Provides Accurate Nutritional Information
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 27, 2023 -- ChatGPT can be a useful and convenient tool for people who want to know nutritional information of specific food items, according to a research letter published online Dec. 27 in JAMA Network Open.
Yen Nhi Hoang, from Taipei Medical University in Taiwan, and colleagues investigated the reliability of artificial intelligence (AI) in providing the energy and macronutrient content of 222 food items in both English and Chinese. The reliability of ChatGPT-3.5 (chatbot 1) and ChatGPT-4 (chatbot 2) were compared for providing information on the calorie and macronutrient content (carbohydrates, fats, and proteins).
The researchers observed no significant differences between nutritionist and AI estimations of energy, carbohydrate, and fat contents, but there was a significant difference in protein estimation. Both versions of ChatGPT provided accurate energy contents for approximately 35 to 48 percent of the 222 food items within 10 percent, with a coefficient variation <10 percent. Chatbot 2 performed better than chatbot 1, but overestimated protein.
"Although AI chatbots are designed to be probabilistic, the results of this cross-sectional study suggest that AI can be a useful and convenient tool for people who want to know the energy and macronutrient information of their foods," the authors write. "Currently, the capability of AI-chatbots to provide personalized dietary advice, such as specific nutrition guidelines and exact portion sizes, is limited."
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted December 2023
Read this next
BMI Cutoff of 30 for Obesity May Be Too High for Middle-Aged, Older Adults
FRIDAY, May 31, 2024 -- The optimal body mass index (BMI) cutoff point appears to be 27 kg/m2 for detecting obesity in middle-aged and older adults, according to a study presented...
Emergency Inguinal Hernia Surgery Rates Increased With Lower Country Income
FRIDAY, May 31, 2024 -- For patients undergoing inguinal hernia surgery, emergency surgery rates increase from high- to low-income countries, according to a study published online...
Maternal Serum Alpha-Fetoprotein Levels Higher in Black Than White Women
FRIDAY, May 31, 2024 -- Maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels are higher in Black than White pregnant women, supporting the use of accounting for these differences in...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.