A carbon breath test consists in the administration to a patient of a labeled substrate that is metabolized by a specific enzyme resulting in CO₂ as the end product. Measurement of carbon enrichment in breath allows monitoring the enzyme response.

The most popular breath test is the ¹³C-urea breath test that is a simple, non-invasive and accurate test to demonstrate Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection of the stomach in adults and children.  Over the years, a number ¹³C-substrates have been developed to investigate transport, digestion, absorption, oxidation processes or enzymatic activities.

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