Does Lumen Really Work? Review on The Popular Metabolism Tracking Device
As technology and the understanding of metabolic function advances, we are seeing a surge of seemingly user-friendly options to reach your weight loss and fitness goals. Lumen is the newest device to hit the marketplace and peak consumer interest.
How does it work?
This at-home device analyzes your breath to provide insights into your body's metabolic state. It utilizes a process known as indirect calorimetry, which measures carbon dioxide output to determine whether you're primarily burning carbohydrates or fat for energy.
From there, it displays results through a scale of 1-5. If your goal is keep blood sugar down and potentially burn more body fat (more on that later) you want to primarily stay in a fat-burning state (closer to level 1). If the goal is to improve physical fitness or exercise performance, burning more carbs might be better for you (closer to level 5). Keep in mind you never burn JUST fat or carbs - it’s usually a mixture. Either way, it offers personal insight into the complex inner workings of your metabolism.
What about the research?
Several clinical studies find that this device may be useful for tweaking carbohydrate consumption to lower blood sugar, burn more body fat and understand your body’s unique response to macronutrient changes.
So what’s the downside about this revolutionary device?
The Price - the device itself is a one-time fee of $250-300 depending on where you purchase it, along with a mandatory monthly subscription of $19 per month to take advantage of the integrative app features. For some, this might still be a worthwhile investment, but for others that could be a deal breaker without a guarantee of it working for them.
The Commitment - in order for this to work well, you need to commit to daily breath tests and diligent food record keeping. Otherwise, you won’t have enough data to determine how to change up your eating habits to maximize results.
The Reality - although the technology is sound and sensible, this might not be the answer for everyone - keep in mind, breathing into a device on the daily won’t necessarily help you stop emotional/stress eating, find motivation/time to meal plan and manage hunger and craving cues. Further, if the device tells you you’re burning more fat that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re burning actual BODY FAT. It could just mean you’re burning more fat from food you eat. For true weight reduction, you need to eat less calories than you expend. Finally, many might also find the detailed data tracking to be triggering and stressful, contributing to additional food noise and complicating your relationship with food.
Overall, Lumen's approach offers an innovative option to optimize your eating habits, macro distribution and learn more about your body. The technology is clinically sound and we always believe in the power of knowledge and taking your health in your hands. That said, like most weight loss approaches, there is no one-size-fits-all and some people might find this approach too time-consuming, expensive and overall unsuccessful at helping them achieve their goals.
As an alternative, we offer a similar test through a device called the Korr Reevue machine. Like Lumen, it uses indirect calorimetry, or analysis of gas exchange through a breath test. Further, you can also meet with one of our expert dietitians to review results, work on behavioral changes and come up with a customized nutrition plan.
For more information, click the link below and we can answer all of your questions.