Many chemical reactions, like boiling water or cooking a meal, cause “steam” to rise. During digestion the enzyme reactions, preparing protein, carbohydrates and fat in food for absorption, cause the release of hydrogen and carbon dioxide (metabolic “steam”). These gases are absorbed from the bowel into the blood stream and delivered to the lungs, where they are breathed out as digestive “waste” products.

New technology allows easy measurement of these gases in exhaled breath.

  • For SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth):
    You drink a special liquid that contains sugar. If there is an overgrowth of bacteria in your small intestine, these bacteria break down the sugar and release extra gases (like hydrogen) that you breathe out. Measuring these gases helps your doctor know if SIBO might be causing your symptoms.
  • For FODMAP Maldigestion:
    Some people have trouble digesting certain sugars (called FODMAPs). When these sugars are not properly digested, bacteria ferment them, producing gas. A breath test can reveal if this gas production is higher than normal, which may indicate a problem with digesting FODMAPs.

For more information contact the MIGe Lab team today

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Watch the video about how Breath Testing works

Benefits of Breath Testing Include: 

  • Simple preparation
  • No exposure to radiation
  • Easy for patients to perform

 

How the process works: 

  1. The patient ingests the appropriate non-radioactive nutrient
  2. Wait a short time for nature’s chemical reaction to occur
  3. Blow breath samples into a measuring device
  4. The samples are then analysed

Breath testing is useful in the following scenarios:

  • Identification of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
  • Identification of FODMAP (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols) intolerance

For more information contact the MIGe Lab team today

Find out more