Fart is either because of food intolerance, high-fiber, high-sulfur foods, certain medications, and antibiotics, or could be more serious i.e. a bacterial infection in the digestive tract. Something as common as constipation can also cause super-smelly farts.
Where do farts come from?
Flatus and flatulence are the official medical words for farts and farting. Farts are made up of common gasses like hydrogen, methane, and carbon dioxide. These gasses aren’t toxic — they’re found in the air you breathe.
Gasses enter the gastrointestinal (GI) tract in three different ways:
- Swallowing air: Air is sucked into the lungs when you inhale, but some also enters the stomach. Eating or drinking too quickly, chewing gum or tobacco, and drinking fizzy beverages can increase the amount of air that enters the stomach.
- Creation of gas by bacteria in the colon: Healthybacteria (normal gut flora) live in the colon and help digest food. The digestion process produces gasses. Certain foods are harder to digest than others, and some foods create foul-smelling gasses when broken down.
- Movement of air from the bloodstream to the bowel: A very tiny amount of air moves from the blood into the bowels. The amount is so small that it almost doesn’t count.
What Gas is actually telling you?
Passing gas is a natural part of a healthy digestive system. But if gas is accompanied by other symptoms like diarrhea, pain, fever, or extensive bloating, it could mean that something isn’t quite right in your gastrointestinal tract. Here’s what your gas is trying to tell you:
1. You’re unable to digest gluten.
An allergy to foods that contain gluten, including those made with wheat, barley, and rye, can cause increased intestinal gas because the body is unable to digest them properly.
2. Dairy may not be your friend.
A lot of people have difficulty digesting dairy products. This can cause consistent gastrointestinal issues, like excess gas.
3. Pass up on the fiber.
Fiber is an important part of a healthy diet, but some kinds, like the types found in certain beans and vegetables, aren’t easy on the system. They tend to arrive in the lower part of your intestines undigested where they’re attacked by bacteria causing fermentation and excess gas.
4. Savor each bite.
Eating too quickly means we often don’t chew our food thoroughly. When larger pieces of food are passed to the colon it creates gas. Another thing that happens as a result of eating too quickly is that we swallow air with our food.
There is no reason to be ashamed of having gas! However, too much gas can be embarrassing and can also be an indicator of significant health issues.