Washington: The content of a person`s breath may indicate how susceptible they are to weight gain, a new study led by an Indian researcher has revealed.
People whose breath has high concentrations of both hydrogen and methane gases are more likely to have a higher body mass index and percentage of body fat, according to the findings.
The combination of the two gases signals the presence of a microorganism that may contribute to obesity.
A person exhales larger amounts of hydrogen and methane gases when a microorganism called Methanobrevibacter smithii (M. smithii) colonizes the digestive tract.
Previous research has shown that M. smithii is the predominant organism in the human gastrointestinal tract responsible for methane production.
"Normally, the collection of microorganisms living in the digestive tract is balanced and benefits humans by helping them convert food into energy," lead author Ruchi Mathur, M.D., director of the Outpatient Diabetes Treatment and Education Center in the Division of Endocrinology at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles said.
"When M. smithii becomes overabundant, however, it may alter the balance in a way that makes the human host more likely to gain weight and accumulate fat," she said.
M. smithii scavenges hydrogen from other microorganisms and uses it to produce methane, which is eventually exhaled.
Researchers theorize that the interaction helps hydrogen-producing microorganisms extract nutrients from food more efficiently, which encourages weight gain and obesity in the human host.
These microorganisms also may play a role in insulin signaling and regulation.
"This is the first large-scale human study to connect the dots and show an association between gas production and body weight," Mathur said.
The study is set to be published in The Endocrine Society`s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (JCEM).
ANI
