Benefit of air. Background burp. Gases Butt trumpet. Whatever you call it, farting is an integral part of being human.
After all, gas is a natural by-product of digestion. When you eat, microorganisms in the large intestine (also known as the colon) help break down the fiber, sugars, and starches in foods by fermenting them.
As bacteria feed on these substances, they create gaseous by-products, including methane, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and sulfur. These gases accumulate in our large intestines and then move down through the intestines and rectum to the anus. Once there, our internal sphincter opens to release air.
So passing gas is part of life. But how many farts is it normal to fart? A person farts eight to 20 times a day , producing about 1½ to 2 liters of gas.
We all have our own fart set point, but if yours is much higher than average or you notice a sudden spike, it's worth exploring the cause.
Frequent gas is usually a good sign
A plant-based diet full of high-fiber foods, such as legumes, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, is good for the body. Fiber reduces the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and gastrointestinal disorders.
Most foods are processed into simple sugars by enzymes in the small intestine and then absorbed into the bloodstream through the intestinal lining. But fibrous foods are harder to digest. Your body can't absorb fiber, so it passes into the large intestine, where gut bacteria live.
These microorganisms like to eat fiber, and the more they feed, the more gas they produce. Fortunately, the gas associated with a high-fiber diet generally doesn't smell bad.
While it's generally healthy to increase your fiber intake (most people don't get enough), make the increase gradual to avoid excess flatulence. This gives your system time to get used to it. As your body adjusts to higher amounts of fiber, your farts will decrease.
Women should consume 25 grams of fiber a day, while men should aim for 38.
7 reasons why you have excess gas
Farting more than usual could indicate that something is wrong with your system, especially when associated with other symptoms such as diarrhea, bloating or stomach pain. Call your doctor if you notice warning signs like blood in your stools, weight loss, or a significant change in bowel movements.
Are you lactose intolerant
About 65 percent of people have trouble digesting lactose because they don't have enough lactase enzyme in the small intestine. As a result, the dairy products pass into the colon, where they are fermented by intestinal bacteria and release gas along the way.
If you suspect that lactose may be a problem for you, cut back on dairy for a couple of weeks and see if you notice an improvement. A February 2018 study in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition found that taking a probiotic can help, too.
You're swallowing too much air
We all naturally gulp down a little oxygen while we eat, but you may be ingesting more than you need, especially if you breathe in your food.
Eating quickly leads to ingestion of air, called aerophagia. The best solution is to take your time while eating and chewing well. Other causes of excessive air intake include smoking, chewing gum, drinking carbonated beverages, using a straw, and vigorous exercise that causes heavy breathing.
Interestingly, stress and depression can also cause aerophagia. People with anxiety may hyperventilate and unconsciously swallow more air. Generally, the air remains in the esophagus, from where you expel it. But some reach the stomach and leave the body when the air is broken.
You have an excess of bacteria in your small intestine
Gut bacteria are predominantly found in the colon. If they spread into the small intestine, you may have a condition called small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, or SIBO.
Besides flatulence, other symptoms of SIBO include bloating, abdominal discomfort, diarrhea, and constipation.
See your doctor if you suspect you have SIBO. They may recommend that you cut back on medications that stimulate bacteria growth, such as probiotics or acid suppressants.
You don't digest food properly
Certain health conditions, such as celiac disease or pancreatic insufficiency (PID), inhibit your body's ability to absorb nutrients.
When people with celiac disease eat gluten, their body has an inflammatory response that damages part of the small intestine, making it difficult to process food. And if you have EPI, your pancreas won't make enough enzymes to digest food.
As a result, all that undigested food travels to the colon. So how do you know if celiac disease or PID is to blame for gas? Common signs are foul-smelling flatus ; greasy, pale stools that float; and weight loss .
You are eating artificial sweeteners
A July 2017 review published in Advances in Nutrition suggests that sugar substitutes, including sorbitol and xylitol, can cause flatulence along with diarrhea and cramps.
Because the small intestine poorly absorbs these sweeteners, bacteria in the colon metabolize them and create gas in the process. Give these substances a kick and see if your farts subside.
You are constipated
The longer the poop stays in the colon, the more it will ferment and the more gas it will release. Also, air can leak around hardened stool. If the farts are caused by constipation, it will smell like poop.
To keep things moving, drink plenty of fluids, exercise, and make fiber your friend.
You have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
If excess gas is accompanied by other forms of stomach problems (bloating, abdominal discomfort, diarrhea, constipation), IBS could be the culprit. This syndrome is a chronic condition that affects the large intestine and can be controlled through diet changes and stress management strategies.
Your doctor might suggest a low-FODMAP diet, in which the major gas aggravators are eliminated or reduced.
FODMAPs are foods that are difficult for the small intestine to absorb. In a January 2017 article published in Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 76 percent of people with IBS found that their symptoms, including flatulence, improved on a low-FODMAP diet.
What happens if you fart less than usual?
If you haven't made any dietary changes, chances are you're breaking the wind in dreamland.
Once the gas in your colon reaches a certain pressure point, the sphincter muscle is released to let it out. If you don't fart during the day, it will come out when you're asleep and your body is relaxed.
Another reason he might not be popping balloons? You naturally pass gas when you're having a bowel movement. Part of your daily fart quotient may be emerging when you're sitting on the toilet.
Although it is possible that a decrease in tinnitus could be a side effect of a serious intestinal problem, in that case you would also feel quite uncomfortable.
If you have appendicitis or diverticulitis, where your intestines become irritated, infected, and inflamed, your intestines will stop moving and you won't fart. But you probably won't even notice your lack of gas because you will have very severe pain.
