Methane-Producing Gut Microbes Extract More Calories From Fiber, Study Finds

Within each human gut lives a microbial civilization shaped by evolution, and a new study from Arizona State University reminds us that this inner world is never quite the same twice. Researchers have found that people harboring methane-producing microbes extract more calories from high-fiber foods than those without them — a discovery that reframes the age-old frustration of why identical diets yield different results. What once helped our ancestors survive on scarce, fibrous landscapes may now quietly complicate the modern pursuit of health in a world drowning in calories.