Samsung’s Antioxidant Index on Galaxy Watch8 transforms what once seemed like science fiction into everyday technology. In five seconds, a thumb scan returns precise carotenoid levels – the industry’s first measurable nutrition index. By miniaturizing lab-grade sensor technology with exceptional accuracy, it turns your diet into an actionable metric for healthier aging. Establishing this new benchmark in wearable health tracking required years of intensive R&D, countless prototypes and unwavering grit. Back in 2018, Samsung saw a critical gap in wearables: we could count every step and calorie, yet there was no simple way to measure how our diet impacted our health. “In this context, antioxidation naturally gains attention as a method to slow down aging,” explains Dr. Hyojee Joung, a Seoul National University public health nutrition expert who guided parts of the tech’s development. Engineers and scientists focused on carotenoids – key antioxidants and proven indicators of fruit and vegetable intake – to create a device small enough to sit on your wrist, yet powerful enough to turn complex antioxidant data into simple, actionable health insights for everyone.
After seven years of rigorous testing and optimizing since the first prototype, the team developed the miniaturized sensor, a groundbreaking tech that combines multi-wavelength LEDs with a custom photo detector array to provide accurate carotenoid readings in a compact design. “Our breakthrough was integrating reflectance spectroscopy with LEDs, which allowed us to miniaturize the technology while maintaining a high level of accuracy,” explains Jinyoung Park, a developer from Digital Health team at Samsung Electronics. Creating a coin-sized carotenoid sensor was a major milestone, but the next challenge was ensuring it could work accurately and reliably across diverse skin types, making it truly accessible to everyone. Extensive trials conducted at Samsung Medical Center included hundreds of participants, validating the sensor’s performance. “Skin carotenoids metabolize and accumulate in tissues gradually, so short-term changes in fruit and vegetable intake won’t immediately appear in the score,” explains Dr. Hyojee Joung. “New wearable sensors can play a role in helping people build healthy eating habits by tracking and encouraging sufficient daily intake of fruits and vegetables,” says Professor Yoonho Choi from Samsung Medical Center. Galaxy Watch8’s Antioxidant Index goes beyond current industry developments and delivers meaningful innovation.
