Oura is making a significant move into metabolic health, unveiling two new AI-powered features: glucose tracking and meal logging. This development follows the company’s strategic partnership with Dexcom, which launched the Stelo continuous glucose monitor (CGM) in 2023. Alongside glucose tracking, the meal logging feature, which is part of Oura’s Oura Labs beta program, further elevates the platform’s focus on personalized health insights.
AI-Powered Glucose Tracking with Dexcom Stelo
The new glucose tracking feature requires Oura users to purchase the Dexcom Stelo CGM, priced at $99, directly through Oura’s website. Once connected, users with both the Oura Ring and Stelo CGM will be able to view their glucose data within the Oura app. This integration places glucose trends alongside other health metrics such as stress, movement, and sleep patterns, providing a comprehensive snapshot of a user’s metabolic health.
The glucose tracking feature offers AI-driven insights, including summaries of daily glucose trends, and introduces a new metric called “time above range.” This metric tracks how long a user’s glucose levels stay above the target range of 70-140 mg/dL, giving valuable insights into how specific activities or meals affect metabolic health. For now, this feature is only available in the United States, due to the regulatory requirements of the Dexcom Stelo CGM, though it is FSA/HSA eligible.
Meal Logging and AI Insights
The second major addition is the meal logging feature, which uses Oura Advisor, an AI-powered chatbot. This feature analyzes users’ long-term health data and trends to provide guidance and feedback on various health-related questions. The meal logging feature allows users to take pictures of their meals, which Oura Advisor then analyzes to estimate the macronutrient breakdown and nutritional value of the food.
Oura’s meal insights are designed to be non-judgmental, offering feedback on how to build more satisfying meals based on a user’s specific health goals. Additionally, users who opt to use both the meal logging and glucose tracking features will gain access to another helpful metric: “meal level time above range.” This metric shows how long glucose levels remain elevated after eating, providing deeper insights into how meals impact metabolic health.
Oura’s Metabolic Health Pivot
Oura’s expansion into metabolic health aligns with the growing trend of wearable devices focusing on this critical aspect of well-being. As more people become conscious of their metabolic health, features like glucose tracking and meal analysis are gaining traction in the wellness and health tech markets. While smartwatches have yet to fully focus on metabolic health, smart rings like the Oura Ring are becoming increasingly popular among athletes and wellness enthusiasts for monitoring key health metrics.
Rival companies, such as Ultrahuman, have already incorporated CGMs to track glucose levels and assess how they relate to other health data. Samsung also introduced the Galaxy Ring, which includes an experimental AGEs Index metric to measure metabolic aging. Oura’s foray into glucose tracking isn’t entirely new either; before partnering with Dexcom, the company acquired Veri, a CGM startup, furthering its goal of integrating glucose and meal tracking into its health ecosystem.
As Oura continues to evolve, the glucose tracking and meal logging features are expected to provide valuable tools for users looking to optimize their metabolic health. With AI-powered insights and real-time data, Oura is positioning itself at the forefront of the next wave of wearable health technology.
