Does breath test predict obesity?

• April 19, 2024

The levels of hydrogen and methane in the breathing of a person could determine if they are more likely to have weight gain, which is predicted thanks to a breath test, according to a study published in Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

A person who exhales large amounts of hydrogen and methane gases is more likely to suffer from weight gain, higher body mass index and body fat percentage, which could be caused by a microorganism that contributes to the obesity .
 

Ruchi Mathur , director of the study and the Diabetes Education and Outpatient Treatment Center of the Division of Endocrinology at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles , explains that the microorganism called Methanobrevibacter smithii (M. smithii) colonizes the stomach and generates an increase in methane levels.

"Normally, the collection of microorganisms who live in the digestive tract of human beings is balanced and beneficial, helping them to convert food into energy. " In addition, adds the specialist, these can also play a role in insulin signaling and regulation.

However, when there is a greater presence of M. Smithii there is an imbalance that leads to weight gain and a greater accumulation of fat in the body, which leads to the obesity .

M. Smithii seeks hydrogen from others microorganisms and it uses it to produce methane, which is finally exhaled. The interaction helps hydrogen by producing microorganisms to extract nutrients from food more efficiently, which triggers the increase in weight.