Methanobrevibacter_A smithii | Archaea

Taxonomic level
Archaea
Euryarchaeota
Methanobacteria
Methanobacteriales
Methanobacteriaceae
Methanobrevibacter_A
Methanobrevibacter_A smithii
Methanobrevibacter smithii, despite it's genus name, is not a bacterium. Instead it is a very common archaeon with the ability to produce methane from two major end-products of fermentation in your gut: hydrogen and carbon dioxide. By doing so, they increase the efficiency of bacterial digestion. Methane has also been shown to decrease gut muscle activity which can lead to constipation. M. smithii has been found to be abundant in lean people and may be protective against weight gain.
Assessment
Beneficial
 
62%
of Healthy Europeans have it.
 
8.63%
is the highest relative amount we have seen.
Detected in
7/7
reference groups.
Median amount detected:
Overweight
0.03%
Users, high diversity
0.02%
Non-industrial lifestyle
0.01%
Healthy Europeans
<0.01%
Obese
<0.01%
Users, all
0%
Users, low diversity
0%