In 2023, on a whim, Matthew Williams, a thirtysomething software engineer, entered his medical history into ChatGPT. “I have lost most of my ileum and my cecal valve, why might the following foods cause gastrointestinal distress,” he typed, and then listed some of the worst offenders.
Within seconds, the A.I. pointed to three potential triggers for his symptoms: fatty foods, fermentable fibres, and foods high in oxalate. Oxalate, a compound found in leafy greens and a variety of other foods, is normally broken down by parts of the G.I. tract that Williams had lost; he’d never heard of it, not even from his doctors.
He asked the A.I. for a list of high-oxalate foods and was stunned. “It listed every single food that made me the sickest,” he said—spinach, almonds, chocolate, soy, and more than a dozen others. “It’s like it had been following me around, taking notes.”
Williams brought the information to a nutritionist, who crafted a diet based on the oxalate content of foods. His symptoms improved, and his meals grew more varied. Williams no longer needs to know the location of the nearest bathroom at all times. “I have my life back,” he said.
Read more | NEW YORKER