Scientists in our metabolic physiology unit have contributed to new findings showing that methane-producing microbes may determine how efficiently people extract calories from high-fiber foods. The research suggests that methanogenic microbes help stabilize gut fermentation processes, allowing more energy to be generated from otherwise indigestible carbohydrates. Participants with higher methane production also showed increased short-chain fatty acid levels, suggesting enhanced metabolic energy capture.

These discoveries may help explain why identical diets can produce different weight or metabolic outcomes between individuals. The team is now exploring whether microbial methane output could serve as a biomarker for metabolic efficiency and guide individualized dietary planning. Long term, this could influence clinical nutrition approaches for metabolic disorders including obesity and insulin resistance.