Health · Medical Research · 4 hrs ago
Intestinal gases may offer clues about gut health
As food moves through the digestive system, gut microbes in the colon break down indigestible food left after digestion in the small intestine.
This process produces gases including hydrogen, methane and hydrogen sulphide, which is linked to the rotten-egg smell of gas.
Hydrogen may speed gut movement, while methane may slow it, though research on hydrogen sulphide’s effects has found mixed results.
A real-world study measured these three gases through breath tests in 3,004 people with gastrointestinal symptoms, especially excessive bloating and flatulence.
Gas levels may help researchers identify links between gut microbes and digestive symptoms, but the information given does not state what the study found.
Understanding these gases could help explain how gut microbes relate to digestion and the movement of food through the body.
Intestinal gases may provide clues about gastrointestinal health and can affect how food moves through the gut.
Hydrogen and methane are produced by gut microbes, while hydrogen sulphide is mainly responsible for the smell of gas.
Research suggests hydrogen may speed gut transit, while methane may slow it.
A study measured hydrogen, methane and hydrogen sulphide in breath tests from 3,004 people with gastrointestinal symptoms.
- Who
- Researchers studying intestinal gases and people with gastrointestinal symptoms.
- What
- Intestinal gases may act as markers of gut health and influence gut movement and transit time.
- When
- The article was published on 2026-10-13. It refers to recent studies.
- Where
- In the gastrointestinal tract, particularly the colon.
- Why
- Gut microbes produce gases as they ferment indigestible food, and research suggests gas levels may be linked to gut health.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
This story does not have a timeline yet.
- Breath-test study
- 3,004 participants with gastrointestinal symptoms
- Gases measured
- Hydrogen, methane and hydrogen sulphide
- Hydrogen
- May influence gut motility and shorten transit time in experimental models
- Methane
- Has been shown to slow gut motility and increase transit time
- Article publication
- 2026-10-13
Sources
Related news
Pope Leo has surgery scheduled to remove a lung nodule
Pope Leo XIV to have lung nodule removed after early-stage detection
Large study finds abrupt shifts in health markers at menopause
Study finds existing food preferences can hinder learning new associations
A transfer RNA may help restore drug sensitivity in prostate cancer
Small trials suggest semaglutide may reduce some measures of alcohol use
CT Classification May Help Identify TBI Patients for Early Discharge
Enzyme supplement may ease IBS symptoms, study suggests
US man nearly dies after eating large amounts of beetroot
Rudy Tanzi may be close to a pill to prevent Alzheimer’s
Maternal cells found in children’s brains may persist into old age
