10 facts about farting
In this article we will describe 10 facts about farting.
No matter your gender, age, or nationality, we all have one thing in common. We fart. And burp [“and why not?!” MyHSN Ed]. Let it out!
1. Frequency and volume of farts
The average person farts between 5 and 15 times a day. This is a normal part of digestion and indicates a healthy functioning gut. It’s fine. Let them out. Better out than in.
In a 1991 paper, ‘Investigation of normal flatus production in healthy volunteers’ by Tomlin, researchers (from Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield), determined that the volume of the average fart – regardless of gender, body size, or time of day – was 33-125 ml, with a median of 90 ml.
Total daily volume ranged from 476 to 1491 ml (median 705 ml). Women and men expelled equivalent amounts.
Why do we fart?
Farting is completely normal. There are two causes: the air we take in and the gas we create in our gastrointestinal tract. When we eat, drink or swallow saliva, we also ingest air, which travels into the gastrointestinal tract. The body expels the excess air through burps and farts.
You cannot hold a fart in. It will find its way out eventually, whether quietly or not-so-quietly.
2. Composition of farts
Farts are composed of several gases, primarily consists of nitrogen and CO2. They also contain oxygen, hydrogen, and methane. Only about 1% of a fart contains hydrogen sulphide and other sulphur compounds, which are responsible for the odour.
3. Sound of farts
The sound of a fart is caused by the vibration of the anal opening. The pitch and volume depend on the speed of the gas and the tightness of the sphincter muscles.
4. Smell of farts
The smell of farts is mainly due to sulphur-containing compounds like hydrogen sulphide. Foods like beans, cabbage, and eggs are known to increase the production of these compounds.
5. Dietary impact of farting
Foods high in fibre, such as beans and vegetables, can increase the frequency and volume of farts. Fibre is not fully digested in the stomach and small intestine, so it ferments in the colon, producing gas.
6. Health implications of farting
While farting is normal, excessive farting can sometimes indicate gastrointestinal disease such as lactose intolerance, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or coeliac disease.
What about not farting?
If you are not farting at all, go to your doctor. It can be a sign of bowel obstruction.
7. Farting in sleep
People fart in their sleep. The body relaxes during sleep, which can lead to the release of gas without the person being aware.
In the Tomlin study above, flatus was produced during the sleeping period, but the rate was significantly lower than the daytime rate (median 16 and 34 ml/h respectively).
8. Farts, global warming and climate change – animal farts
Many animals fart, some alot more than us. Cows, for example, have four stomachs and emit 160 to 320 litres of methane every day. Methane is one of the gases responsible for climate change. Livestock produce nearly 15% of the planet’s greenhouse gases; so the more meat we eat, the more we warm the planet.
Termites are another notable example. Termites fart alot, as they produce a significant amount of methane due to their digestion of wood.
They may be small in size, but termites live in colonies of millions. So when each termite lets a half microgram of methane loose per day, it adds up to a lot; about 20 million tons of methane per year, or 1 to 3 percent of global methane emissions.
Not all animals fart. Octopuses don’t fart, nor do other sea creatures like soft-shell clams or sea anemones. Birds don’t, either. Meanwhile, sloths may be the only mammal that does not fart.
9. History of farting
The oldest recorded joke is an ancient Sumerian fart joke.
Cuneiform tablet
It was a Sumerian proverb warning new husbands about their flatulent brides:
“Something which has never occurred since time immemorial; a young woman did not fart in her husband’s lap”
The joke, which follows a structure, was found on a Cuneiform tablet from the Old Babylonian period and may date from 1900 BC.
In ancient times, farting was sometimes thought to have medicinal properties. For example, Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, believed that holding in farts could cause illness.
The proper term for a fart is ‘flatus’ (farting = flatulence). It comes from the Latin word meaning ‘the act of blowing’. The first known use of the word occurred in 1651 and was defined as “gas generated in the stomach or bowels.”
William Shakespeare was a master of the fart joke, as shown in A Comedy of Errors, where the character Dromio of Ephesus said:
“A man may break a word with you, sir; and words are but wind; Ay, and break it in your face, so he break it not behind”
10. Cultural differences about farting
Attitudes towards farting vary widely across cultures. In some cultures, farting in public is seen as highly offensive, while in others, it may be a source of humor or even considered a natural bodily function with no social stigma.
Other facts about farting
- Farts can travel at about approximately 6.8 miles per hour
- The temperature of farts is the same as your body temperature, i.e. 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit)
- Farting and age. There is no difference between younger and older people. We are all farters
- Farting and pregnancy. Flatulence is more common in pregnant women. Increased hormone levels caused by pregnancy slow down the gastrointestinal tract, turning it into the perfect place for farts to develop. What’s more, pregnant women have less control over their muscles, making it more difficult for them to hold in their farts
- Farting and flying. Farting is more a problem when flying due to something called the ‘ideal gas law’ =
“PV=nRT”
Where P = pressure, V = volume, n = amount of substance, R = ideal gas constant and T = temperature
- This was explained by Pommergaard, 2013 in the New Zealand Medical Journal
- A scientist who studies flatulence is called a flatologist.
Summary
We have described 10 facts about farting. We hope it has been helpful.
Other resources
World’s best (ever) research study on farting
Benjamin Franklin’s essay about farting (1781)
Certain planets smell of farts (BBC website)
Farting (NHS England)
Farting (NHS Scotland)
