Combined Fermentation Score Explained

📊 Understanding Your Fermentation Score

Your fermentation score (or F-score) reflects the combined levels of hydrogen and methane gases in your breath. These gases are produced when microbes in your gut ferment food, and together they give us a picture of what’s happening in your digestive system.

Both hydrogen and methane contribute to fermentation. Their combined effect is stronger than either one alone — so even if each gas is low individually, the total score may place you in the medium range.

For example:

A total score of 6.0 with a 1:1 hydrogen to methane ratio means:

• Hydrogen = 3.0
• Methane = 3.0

Here, each gas is low on its own, but together they indicate a medium level of fermentation.

📈 Score Ranges in the App

To make scores easier to interpret, the FoodMarble app uses the following categories:

• Low: 0.0 – 3.4
• Medium: 3.5 – 6.7
• High: 6.8 – 10.0

These ranges help you spot trends over time and see which foods or other factors can lead to higher fermentation.

🧠 Important Insights

• Some people naturally have higher baseline methane levels. In these cases, hydrogen spikes may be more closely linked to symptoms like bloating or discomfort.
• On challenge days, it’s usually fine to continue even if your methane is elevated, as long as your hydrogen score is low. The challenge data will still be meaningful and not disrupted by ongoing fermentation.

💡 Putting It All Together

It’s normal for your scores to fluctuate — this doesn’t mean something is “wrong.” What matters most is the patterns you uncover over time. By combining your fermentation scores with your food and symptom tracking, you can build a clearer picture of what your body tolerates best.

Every breath, meal or symptom logged is a step toward greater understanding. Over time, these small pieces of the puzzle can add up to provide meaningful insights, helping you to make improvements to your day-to-day comfort and confidence.

Updated on: 01/09/2025