We are proud to announce that Bestiario has won the Foodity Open Call in partnership with Fundación Alícia. 

DIAITA is the result of a joint effort with industry leader Fundación Alícia. A renowned research centre dedicated to improving diets with a focus on food restrictions and health problems. With more than 20 years of impactful projects, Fundación Alícia's expertise in nutrition and healthcare, including the "Eating through Cancer Treatment" social project in collaboration with the Catalan Institute of Oncology, is invaluable.

Diet can have a positive impact on the wellbeing of the patient

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. Oncological therapies provide patients with essential treatments, however these treatments may lead to metabolic alterations and some studies show that around 80%* of patients suffer from malnutrition over the course of their treatment. Hence, a good diet can have a huge impact on the quality of life for patients and potentially affect treatment outcomes. 

There are meal plans and services on the market for patients and caregivers, however these programs can often be costly and unaffordable for many. With DIAITA we aim to remove some of that financial pressure and emotional load with a free digital service to assist and guide users towards better nutritionally balanced diets. 

Turning science, nutritional knowledge and technology as the key ingredients 

At the heart of our initiative is a commitment to empower patients and their caregivers. We understand the importance of providing access to scientific information that forms the basis of each dietary recommendation. This commitment to transparency not only informs but actively involves patients in the decision-making process regarding their nutritional care. By doing so, we aim to instil a sense of control and autonomy, contributing positively to their overall well-being.

We set out this project with 3 key objectives in mind:

• Patient Empowerment: Delivering personalised, scientifically-backed dietary recommendations to empower patients and caregivers in their treatment and recovery journey.
• Knowledge Sharing: Contributing to the open knowledge ecosystem by disseminating valuable insights and information that can benefit a broader community.
• Innovation in AI: Pushing the boundaries of personalised, explainable, and trustworthy AI, showcasing the potential of technology to positively impact healthcare outcomes.

A digital solution to support both patients and caregivers

DIAITA aims to improve patients' well-being by helping to improve nutritional deficiencies. Empowering them with an AI-driven digital assistant takes the user's input of symptoms and desired foods then transforming this information into personalised meals designed to provide a balanced diet. 

The AI tool continues to learn from user inputs to provide specialised dietary outcomes. DIAITA creates a relationship with the user via interactions and benefits from the engagement to gather feedback towards continuous improvement. 

Patients and caregivers are provided with control, autonomy and insight information as they can access a wide range of dietary compatible ingredients with beneficial options and recommended alternatives provided. The meals are designed to be both nutritious and simple to prepare.

Kicking off in Bulgaria 

We are on! Foodity invited all 5 selected projects to a kick-off session in Sofia, Bulgaria. The session that took place over 2 days started with an introductory presentation of the Foodity initiative, followed by a 10 minute pitch from each project. We took part in two workshops that covered the social engagement of the initiative and a review of the tech-stack. 

Meeting up with our partners at Fundación Alicia we began to collaborate together on a deeper level to map out our shared objectives and challenges. It was a productive 2 day session where we got to plan the product  roadmap and set out the first activities and milestones for DIAITA. 

Towards Better Health Outcomes through Data-Driven Innovation 

DIAITA aims to redefine nutritional care for cancer patients. Through cutting-edge AI, advanced scientific knowledge and transparent practices we aim to design a solution that will contribute to better health outcomes and an improved quality of life during the challenging treatment journey. We’re already super busy working on prototyping some incredible ideas and will be entering the testing phases over the coming weeks! 

Join us on this transformative path as we transform cancer care through personalised nutrition and technological innovation. Together, we can make a meaningful impact on the lives of those battling cancer.

References: 

1.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2021.603936/full#:~:text=Disease%2Drelated%20malnutrition%20is%20highly,the%20course%20of%20their%20disease