![]() If, however, large numbers of hydrogen-producing bacteria move into the small intestine from the colon, a condition called bacterial overgrowth of the small bowel, the bacteria may digest the sugars and carbohydrates before the small bowel has had a chance to digest and absorb them and produce large amounts of hydrogen.įinally, if individuals have abnormally rapid passage of food through the small intestine, there may not be enough time for the small intestine to digest and absorb sugars and carbohydrates. Unlike in the colon, the number of hydrogen-producing, anaerobic bacteria in the small intestine is small. There are ways other than abnormal digestion of dietary sugars by which the bacteria can cause problems. Other sugars for which poor digestion can be diagnosed by breath testing include sucrose and fructose (found in corn syrup), and sorbitol (a sugar that is used as a low-calorie sweetener). An increase in hydrogen in the breath then is seen. On the other hand, if the individual does not digest and absorb the lactose completely, that is, he or she is lactose intolerant, the lactose travels through the small intestine and enters the colon where the bacteria digest it and produce hydrogen. When larger amounts of sugar or carbohydrate reach the colon because they are not digested and absorbed in the small intestine, larger amounts of gas and substances are formed in the colon.įor example, if an individual digests and absorbs the sugar in milk (lactose) normally, then none of the lactose that is given for the lactose hydrogen breath test reaches the colon, and no increase in the concentration of hydrogen in the breath is seen during the breath test. As long as little sugar or carbohydrate reaches the colon, the small amounts of gas and other substances that are produced do not cause a problem. They also may produce and release into the colon other substances, for example, chemicals that cause the colon to secrete water and cause diarrhea.Īs previously discussed, some of the hydrogen gas is absorbed by the colon into the blood and is eliminated in the breath where it can be measured. When the anaerobic bacteria digest sugars and carbohydrates, they convert some of the sugars and carbohydrates into gases, most commonly hydrogen. The bacteria in the colon, including the anaerobic bacteria, are able to digest and use sugars and carbohydrates as food. The hydrogen-containing blood travels to the lungs where the hydrogen is released and exhaled in the breath where it can be measured. Some of the hydrogen produced by the bacteria, whether in the small intestine or the colon, is absorbed into the blood flowing through the wall of the small intestine and colon. In this latter instance, the bacteria are exposed to unabsorbed food that has not yet had a chance to completely traverse the small intestine to be fully digested and absorbed. ![]() Large amounts of hydrogen also may be produced when the colon bacteria move back into the small intestine, a condition called bacterial overgrowth of the small bowel. ![]() Although limited hydrogen is produced from the small amounts of unabsorbed food that normally reach the colon, large amounts of hydrogen may be produced when there is a problem with the digestion or absorption of food in the small intestine, that allows more unabsorbed food to reach the colon. The bacteria produce hydrogen when they are exposed to unabsorbed food, particularly sugars and carbohydrates, but not proteins or fats. In humans, only bacteria - specifically, anaerobic bacteria in the colon - are capable of producing hydrogen. The hydrogen breath test is a test that uses the measurement of hydrogen in the breath to diagnose several conditions that cause gastrointestinal symptoms.
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