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What does my fermentation score mean?

A single Fermentation Score on its own may not tell you much. Your FoodMarble device is meant to be used overtime so that users can see trends and patterns in their fermentation based on their hydrogen and methane readings. By taking regular breath tests throughout the day, you will gain a deeper insight about your digestion and digestive system over time. We also strongly encourage users to log their symptoms, meals, sleep, and stress.

It's important to consider that foods you ate earlier in the day or yesterday can affect your current fermentation levels. This is why we recommend logging all your foods and symptoms. Through regular logging, you can get an overall picture of your response to different foods over the course of the day.

Your levels of fermentation are unique to you and can be affected by: 

The type of food you eat

Any medications you may be taking

Any recent use of alcohol or smoking

Stress

Poor sleep

Intensive exercise


High fermentation isn't necessarily a bad thing. For this reason, symptom logging is very important. By using the FoodMarble app to record your fermentation scores and your symptoms, you will soon learn to distinguish the good fermentation from the bad fermentation (i.e. the fermentation that causes symptoms). Your device helps you find out which food components are most compatible with your digestive system and which ones trigger symptoms. Though, symptoms may also be exasperated by stress and even physical exercise.

FoodMarble devices are designed to help people who struggle with digestive problems such as bloating, abdominal pain, constipation and diarrhoea. Sometimes these symptoms are triggered by the body's response to particular foods. By logging the food that you eat, and the level of fermentation occurring afterwards (which is what the breath test scores indicate) you can eventually discover a food / food type which leads to higher levels of fermentation. Combining this with logs of your symptoms will show you what foods are leading to uncomfortable or painful symptoms. 

If you are unsure about the underlying cause of your digestive problems, you should contact your doctor in the first instance.

Experiment with the foods you eat. For example, see how your fermentation levels change on different days with different foods. Compare your fermentation and symptoms after eating a different breakfast, or after a meal with different amounts of garlic, swap out cheeses or prepare your food with or without onions. 

If you want to get answers quickly, make sure to consider completing all four food intolerance tests for lactose, fructose, sorbitol and inulin.

Updated on: 20/09/2023

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