When I was given the opportunity to review the FoodMarble AIRE Digestive Tracker with FODMAP Test Kit, I was pretty excited. For the past few years, I have suspected that I have issues digesting lactose, but I haven’t really been formally tested. With this device, I could finally find out if there is indeed something wrong.
What is the FoodMarble AIRE digestive tracker
So what is FoodMarble? It’s a tiny square device that fits in your purse or pocket and measures the hydrogen in your breath so you can see how well your food is being digested; certain foods can create a build-up of gases if they’re not well-tolerated. Knowing this can help you determine which foods are most compatible with your body in order to improve your gut health and make better food choices.
It connects with a mobile app to initiate and record a breath test as well as let you keep track of what you eat, any symptoms you might have and when, stress, sleep, and challenges relating to the FODMAP Test Kit or custom ones you set out to do.
The kit comes with four FODMAP tests you can use to analyze how well you digest lactose, fructose, sorbitol, and inulin. Each packet has a powdered substance to mix with water and drink during the test period, then take continuous breath tests to see how your body digests the substance.
Set up of the FoodMarble AIRE
Naturally, I had my eye on the lactose test. But first, it was time to set up.
It’s super easy: just plug the device into its USB charger and charge it up, then download the app, create an account, and pair. It was ready to go pretty quickly and the battery of the unit lasts quite long—after about three weeks, it was at about 50%.
To take a breath test, select the option in the app, turn the unit on using the side power button, and wait until they pair and the unit warms up. After about 15-20 seconds, you will be advised to breathe in for three seconds, then place your mouth fully over the mouthpiece and breathe out for five seconds; a progress ring counts up as you do this and advises when complete.
I love the little carrying case for the device so you can throw it into your purse or briefcase when going out to eat. I did get a message a few times that condensation was detected on the sensor so it is pretty sensitive and you’ll want to keep it protected at all times.
The app is pretty easy to navigate, similar to your typical fitness tracker app, with sections to record your meals, stress, and sleep, though you have to do all of this manually (it would be amazing if this tracker could integrate data with another app, like Fitbit!).
I took a quick breath test to check how my levels were and they were “OK” and rated “6.0” which meant that what I had eaten hadn’t yet been fully absorbed in my gut and was fermenting. It noted to add my meal log to help provide some insight on what might be causing the fermentation. A second time, I got a 1.5 “low” score, which said the food I’ve eaten has been already fully absorbed before my colon, where fermentation takes place, has not yet reached my colon, or has reached my colon but the bacteria I have hasn’t yet fermented it. It’s tough to tell what this means by just the reading so to get the most out of the device, it’s advisable to log everything you eat as well as any time you have a symptom. The three main symptoms listed in the app are bloating, abdominal pain, and flatulence, but you can also add your own custom symptoms, like diarrhea, dizziness, or even constipation. For each symptom, rank its severity on a 10-point scale and log roughly the exact time you experienced it.
I continued to do random tests to get the hang of how it works as well as log my meals which is done by ingredient, not necessarily food. When I had homemade pizza for lunch, for example, I added bread, bacon, mozzarella cheese, tomato puree (sauce wasn’t an option), red bell peppers, red onions, and tomatoes. Pepperoni wasn’t on the list. There were a few other times when I couldn’t find the right food match and had to sub in something else or leave it out of my log altogether, like chicken wings, pecans, and chia seeds. In these cases, you can add the food and portion manually, but it doesn’t seem to 
count for much since the app does not recognize the food’s FODMAP content anyway. It might help the company, however, with further additions and updates.
What’s really neat about the food log is that it also reports the FODMAP content in each meal, so for the pizza noted above, the app showed that it was high in inulin and FOS and low in lactose and fructose. It also provides the basic nutrition information of what you eat, though this can vary dramatically depending on how accurately you log every single ingredient in what you eat.
For the most part, my levels were low or OK. But now it was time to put things to the test.
The FoodMarble AIRE test
Note that you need to really invest some time to do a test right, so don’t think you can grab this device off the shelf, down a drink and get a magical answer in an hour. There are a number of pretty strict rules to follow for completing a test if you want accurate results, and you should wait 3-4 days in between tests. Naturally, as mentioned, I was anxious to learn about how my body responds to lactose so opted to do that test first (I later tried the Inulin test as well).
Fast for 12 hours before doing a test so your stomach is as empty as possible. Overnight is the best option—I fasted from 10:30 p.m. and started my test at 10:30 a.m. the next morning. First, take a baseline breath test. Then mix the powder, which, in the case of the lactose one is equivalent to one large glass of milk, into a cup of boiling water then down it as quickly as you can. The instructions say to try and do it in two minutes but it took me at least five.
Keep the FoodMarble AIRE close by and do a breath test every 15 minutes for the next three hours. Yes, you read that correctly. (So effectively, you’ll be fasting for 15 hours total). I kept it with me in my home office as I worked away, and the app conveniently shows a countdown timer. If you leave notifications on, one will pop up to tell you when it’s time to take another breath test.
It didn’t take long—under an hour—for my figures to shoot up to High levels. Not to mention the intense symptoms started. It was an uncomfortable morning, to say the least. But after the three-hour period, I got my result: an 8.7! It noted that there was a “significant rise in hydrogen levels during the food challenge,” which confirms that lactose did not absorb well into my gut. A few weeks later, I tried the Inulin test and the results were markedly different: no digestive issues detected.
Throughout the testing, the app provides useful tidbits of information after each breath test, like what foods typically contain a lot of lactose and how you digest lactose relates to how much of the enzyme lactase you have. The result also showed a summary of the readings along with the start and completion time. And it provides more details to help me make better food choices, including advising which foods are high in lactose, like whole milk, ice cream, and cream cheese and alternatives that would be easier on my stomach, like almond milk, sorbet, and hard cheeses.
While the kit comes with the four tests, you can also buy FODMAP tests separately if another family member wants to try the process. It’s advisable that only one person uses the device, or at least only one person at a time.
You can also do custom tests without the packets by following the same set of rules: fast for 12 hours, consume the one questionable type of food, like a piece of wheat bread or an apple, then take breath tests every 15 minutes for three hours.
If you simply want to check in every day to see if you notice anything amiss or can determine patterns based on symptoms, high levels of fermentation, and what you eat, set the app to send reminders every few hours for you to take a breath test—it’s recommended to aim for about 10 tests per day, so one every hour or two.
A few additional things to keep in mind: you need to keep the device away from products that contain silicone, like hair conditioner or some cosmetics as they can damage the device’s sensors. Try to steer clear of alcohol during testing periods, or at least take it into account when doing breath tests as alcohol will result in exaggerated fermentation scores. If you smoke, make sure not to do so shortly before using the device as this can impact the reading as well. Finally, while you can wash the mouthpiece, make sure to remove it from the main housing before doing so. And always keep it stored in the protective pouch.
Bottom Line
While the FoodMarble AIRE is ideal for those who think they have issues digesting certain foods and want to learn more, it’s a handy device for anyone who wants to monitor the foods they eat and discover if there’s an issue they might not have realized. Maybe, for example, you notice you get bloated every so often but never made the connection that it could be inulin or fructose causing the problem. This can prompt you to eat foods with less of that substance and potentially make a huge improvement in your digestion.
For me, the FODMAP test proved something I had already suspected—that I don’t digest lactose well. I will now be making changes to my diet and testing specific dairy foods to see if some are worse then others.
Check out the FoodMarble AIRE at Best Buy.
I like that you can monitor the foods you eat and I would like to find out if there’s an issue I might not have realized.
The instant results is great feature.
I like the feature where someone can check in every day to determine patterns based on symptoms.
It is fantastic that I can use to analyze how well I digest lactose, fructose, sorbitol, and inulin.
Portability is a good feature.
Would love this. Would like to test myself for lactose.
I would love to be able to find out where all this flatulence is coming from…..funny, but not funny!!
The instant results is great feature.
I like that I can monitor this stuff at home instead of heading into a dr office. maybe find out why i am so gassy?
Easy to use and just getting results within 3 hours after fast. Also being able to test other food substances-dies it work for corn, soy, legumes like peas & peanuts?
Wow, what a neat product! I would love to test this product as I have some digestive issues, and I cannot find the answer why… I love the fact that you can finally learn more about yourself in such a quick and easy way!
Years ago I did a FODMAP test and got results about what foods to eat, but found it wasn’t very helpful. This seems to be a better choice as I can test often when I am eating during the day.
love the instant results
I would love to win this for my wife. She suffers from slow digestion and this may help to identify what exactly is going on and what foods to avoid. Thanks for the opportunity.
love the instant results
I like that it is easily transportable. I often feel tired when eat certain foods and would like to learn more about that.
imagine that Smile please and thanks
FODMAP Test Kit
Love the idea of instant results.
I would be so interested to find out what my results would be specifically for lactose too. I find that my tolerance for certain foods have DEFINITELY changed after I graduated college.
Seems pretty user-friendly with quick results- very cool
This is a great little gadget would make finding out if im not digesting stuff to well
I like that the FODMAP test kit comes with 4 packets of lactose, fructose, sorbitol, and inulin so you can measure how well your body digests these foods.
I like that the tracker syncs to the companion app to measure the hydrogen on your breath and tell you the foods most suited to your digestive system.
Love that you can test for lactose, fructose, sorbitol, and inulin tolerances!
Instant results
I love that you can do this at home and see the results on your phone.
I like the feature where someone can check in every day to determine patterns based on symptoms. M has an unknown food issue but can’t pin it down. This sounds like it may help figure that out.
Wow! this could really help give someone the answers to questions they’ve been wondering for a LONG time! very good article Christine – thanks for all the information and for sharing your personal details. Tricia
This could help me make the most of my diet Great review!
getting results asap
The portability and ease of use, sounds like something I could actually figure out!
It’s hard because there seem to be multiple great features it being compact, how it tracks over a period of time and the access to the food library. I have followed a Fodmap diet for a few years and I think this would be amazing!
I would like to test for lactose
Such a great review. I really appreciate knowing that a time commitment is needed to get an accurate result. I find with today’s technology many of us are used to getting answers to our questions quickly. I think the fact that this is so portable is one of the best features of it.
I so need to find out why my stomach is getting upset. Hope the FODMAP test kit and tracking will help. Fingers crossed I win this one.
I love that this device is portable and can help me learn about my digestive system.
What an amazing new technology and so helpful – I love that it could help me make better choices for my body and help me feel or sleep better.
i would love to have this new technology to use at home what a great invention i wonder if they have it in the doctors offices even ,thanks for the great prize a game changer for sure
The best feature is it’s portability!
Ok this product is verrrrry intruiging! My favourite feature is that I can use the app to record my hydrogen levels, log foods, and track symptoms, stress, and sleep so I can get personalised feedback. WOW!
I am fascinated by this technology. I like that his test kit comes with 4 packets – lactose, fructose, sorbitol, and inulin so I can measure how well my body digests these foods.
I like the portability, so I can make this part of my daily life.
This is really interesting. I’m having more dietary concerns as I’m getting older. The FODMAP test kit would be a huge help in determining problem foods.
It fantastic that I can use to analyze how well you digest lactose, fructose, sorbitol, and inulin.
This is so cool! I love that it identifies which food are an issue for my body. Thank you!
I would love to improve my gut health and identify my food triggers. It’s nice to have an option to identify food triggers without doing an elimination diet. Thanks for the review.
The ability to record my hydrogen levels is the best feature
The most helpful feature of this Digestive Tracker is that it is portable and incognito.
That’s a good point! You can easily throw it into a purse or even shirt or pants pocket, use the public restroom to do a quick test, or even do a quick test while sitting on a patio in between courses.
That is a good point! It’s easy to pop into your purse, backpack, or even shirt or pants pocket. Take it out in the public restroom to check your reading, or even do a quick reading in between courses while sitting out on a patio. Thanks for the feedback.
This is such an interesting device! I really appreciate your thorough review–nice to know in advance the commitment required to do the tests correctly.
Thanks for the kind words, Sandi. And yes, it absolutely is a commitment if you are serious about doing one of the FODMAP tests. But keep in mind that if you just want to track how you respond to different types of foods more casually, you can still use it without the test. But I find you’ll get the most value out of it if you take the time to do a controlled test relating to whatever type of foods you think you might have an issue with.
I like that it tracks hydrogen levels show you how well your food is being digested and that it helps with stress and sleep. As new parents this would be helpful as we are not eating as well as we had before the birth.
Jason, I can totally relate. It’s tough to get back into the swing of things with cooking meals and focusing on healthy foods when you have a precious little one to care for. Congrats on the new addition to your family and thank you for the comment!
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