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.

Breath testing allows detection of Helicobacter pylori, an important bacterial cause of gastric and duodenal ulcers.

Dairy (lactose) intolerance and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) are analysed by measuring breath hydrogen.

Stomach, liver and pancreatic function are assessed by measuring breath carbon dioxide.

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 small breath capture bag
  4. The samples are then analysed

Breath testing is useful in the following scenarios:

  • Identification of the presence of Helicobacter pylori
  • Identification of dairy (lactose) intolerance
  • Identification of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
  • Assessment of stomach pumping
  • Assessment of liver function
  • Assessment of pancreatic function

For more information contact the MIGe Lab team today

Find out more