Samsung just launched the world's first smartwatch that can measure your body's antioxidant levels in seconds. The Galaxy Watch8's new Antioxidant Index feature uses reflection spectroscopy to assess carotenoid levels in your skin, giving users instant feedback on whether they're eating enough fruits and vegetables. Backed by seven years of research with Seoul National University, this breakthrough could revolutionize how we track and improve our daily nutrition habits.
Samsung just rewrote the playbook for health tracking. The Galaxy Watch8 series introduces Antioxidant Index, the first smartwatch feature that can measure your body's antioxidant status in real-time by analyzing your skin. It's a breakthrough that took seven years of collaboration with Seoul National University to perfect, and it's landing at exactly the right moment as consumers become obsessed with quantified health. The feature works by shining specific wavelengths of light onto your skin and measuring how carotenoids - those colorful pigments in fruits and vegetables - absorb and reflect it back. Professor Hyojee Joung, who leads the Korean Nutrition Society and spearheaded the research at SNU, calls it a game-changer. 'Previously, measuring antioxidant levels required blood samples and complex laboratory procedures,' Joung told Samsung Newsroom. 'Now, users can simply place a thumb on the back sensor for five seconds to see instant results.' The science is surprisingly sophisticated. Free radicals are natural byproducts of energy production, but modern lifestyles accelerate their buildup. 'Tobacco use, alcohol consumption, poor diet, UV exposure and stress drive overproduction - triggering oxidative stress and accelerating aging,' Joung explained. That persistent exhaustion you feel might actually be your body crying out for more antioxidants. The Galaxy Watch8's reflection spectroscopy sensor detects carotenoid concentrations by analyzing how different wavelengths bounce off your skin. Since humans can't produce carotenoids naturally, these levels directly reflect dietary intake. The results get categorized against WHO recommendations: Very Low (under 50% of daily fruit/vegetable intake), Low (50-100%), or Adequate (100%+ of the recommended 400 grams daily). But here's where Samsung gets really clever - the Samsung Health app doesn't just give you a score. It provides actionable feedback like 'Have one more tomato today' or 'Try 50 grams of pumpkin.' These suggestions come from algorithms trained on data from Joung's research team. 'We created the foundational data that trained an algorithm to adapt suggestions to individual preferences,' she noted. The validation process was rigorous. A six-week dietary intervention study with 80 participants at SNU's Graduate School of Public Health confirmed that skin carotenoid levels reliably track fruit and vegetable consumption. 'We provided meals with varying carotenoid content and observed their skin carotenoid levels increased within one to two weeks,' Joung said. This puts ahead of and in the health tracking arms race, offering something no other wearable can measure. The timing couldn't be better - consumers are increasingly focused on preventive health as chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and certain cancers continue rising globally. What makes this feature particularly smart is how it integrates with Samsung's existing health ecosystem. Antioxidant levels connect to sleep quality and stress data, giving users a more complete picture of their wellness. The app also accounts for temporary fluctuations - alcohol, excessive exercise, and stress can cause short-term dips, but levels typically recover. Joung emphasized that consistency matters more than perfection. 'Even small steps, like adding one serving of fruits or vegetables to your meal, can create meaningful change over time,' she said. For Samsung, this represents a major differentiator in the crowded wearables market, where most devices track similar metrics like heart rate and steps. The feature launches as part of Samsung's broader push into preventive healthcare, positioning the Galaxy Watch as more than just a fitness tracker. Industry analysts expect other manufacturers to scramble to develop similar capabilities, but Samsung's seven-year head start and academic partnerships give them a significant moat. The research continues too - Joung's team plans to keep refining the algorithms for more accurate insights and better antioxidant management recommendations.
