Five-Minute Stress Relief.com

Fart Fact

Many people won’t dare discuss it. You know… gas, belching, bloating, and farting. However, it’s here to stay and unavoidable. Everybody’s got intestinal gas.

Actually, the human body produces between one and four pints of gas every day, which exits from the mouth or rectum around 14 times daily.

Where Do Farts Come From?

Eating or Drinking

Whenever you’re eating or drinking, you swallow small amounts of air. The more rapidly you eat or drink, the more air you swallow. If you don’t chew your food completely, you produce more gas.

Sucking, Chewing, Smoking, Drinking

Then there’s the folks who suck on hard candies, chew gum, smoke cigarettes, drink carbon- ated sodas or sparkling water, or wear loose dentures – yep, even more air.

Allergies

People who have allergies, sinus infections or simply post-nasal drip wind up swallowing more – increasing air intake. Others who have heartburn frequently swallow to push down the acidity.  

Carbohydrates

Undigested carbohydrates are another source of gas because the body is not able to completely digest sugars, starches and fiber in the small intestine (where food is usually metabolized and absorbed). Instead of being absorbed, the “carbos” pass into the large intestine, where they are broken down by bacteria that, in turn, produce both odorless gases (such as hydrogen, carbon dioxide and methane), and also nasty gases like sulfur (skunk stench time). The rumbling, growling sound of gas in the intestines is technically called Borborygmi. And when you hear these sounds, beware that farts will eventually follow.

Where Does the Air Exit?

Most of the Swallowed Air

Exits the stomach through the mouth, when you burp or belch
(a burp is a moderate noise, while a belch is a loud blast).

The Remaining Swallowed Air

Moves into the large intestine and is released through farts as:

• Quick puffs of light odor.

• Silent, but deadly stinkers.

• Loud, multi-ripple butt bombs that clear the room.

Medical Experts Recommend

That you consult a physician if you experience more than 23 farts per day!

Fart Composition

• The average fart is 59% nitrogen, 21% hydrogen, 9% carbon dioxide, 7% methane and 4% oxygen. Farts can travel as fast as 10 feet per second!

• Each person produces one to four pints of farts each day. The gas of a stinky fart is hydrogen sulphide (containing sulphur).

• Foods notorious for killer farts are beans, fruits (apples, pears, peaches), vegetables (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, onions), fermented cheeses, eggs and carbonated drinks.

• If you’re lactose intolerant, use Lactaid®; if beans are a problem, try Beano®.

Final Thoughts

Most of all, keep in mind that farting means you’re part of the human race. And the next time you accidentally pop off a big one in some social situation, try not to scold yourself for being human.

Repressing farts only turns you into an anal-retentive tight ass that we all hate. Everybody needs to fart and doing so liberates you from feeling uncomfortably bloated. Always remember, farts are your little friends.

© 2009 Five-Minute Stress Relief - All Rights Reserved

© 2009 Five-Minute Stress Relief - All Rights Reserved

Print PDF Page for: Fart Facts