We’ve all been there. You’re in a crowded, enclosed space- maybe an elevator, the back of a taxi, or standing in line at the coffee shop. You suddenly feel a small amount of pressure building up in your lower abdomen. You’re about to fart. You desperately try to hold it in, waiting until you’re alone before you let it out. Perhaps you succeed- you finally reach a safe space only to have it disappear. Or maybe you don’t, and you have to deal with the embarrassment.
While flatulence is often seen (or rather, smelled) in a negative light, it is a very natural, healthy function of the human body. There are actually many health benefits of farting, and your farts can give you a lot of information about what’s happening in your body.
Why We Fart
Niket Sonpal, MD, an internist and gastroenterologist in New York City, says that flatulence is a byproduct that occurs when your body digests food.
“Gas and air build up in your gastrointestinal tract when you eat, chew, and swallow—some of which is absorbed naturally by the body—and then gets released as a fart or burp.”
While it may be a social taboo, farting throughout the day is actually good for you. Without it, gas can build up inside your body and make you feel uncomfortable and bloated. Your farts, if you pay attention to them, can also give you information about your health.
5 Health Benefits of Farting
There are a number of surprising health benefits of farting, they are as follows:
1. It Tells You if Your Diet is Balanced
A balanced, healthy diet produces gas. Why? Because foods that provide a lot of nutrients, such as lean proteins, vegetables, fruits, and grains, also cause gas.
This is particularly true for certain types of carbohydrates that cannot be broken down in your digestive tract. These carbohydrates sit in your large intestine for a bit and ferment, until you have a bowel movement.
If you took many of these foods out of your diet, and ate just simple carbohydrates, you would pass a lot less gas. Farting, then, could serve as a sign that you are consuming a healthy diet. If you are not passing much gas, it may be time to look at your diet and make some healthy changes.
2. Farting Reduces Pain and Bloating
You collect gas in your digestive tract as you eat, chew, swallow, and digest food. Too much gas in the digestive tract can cause pain and bloating. Although it is not dangerous, it is uncomfortable, and, alas, farting can help. Expelling that gas can release pressure and reduce the bloating that goes along with it.
3. Farting Improves Colon Health
Holding onto gas irritates the colon, and will irritate hemorrhoids if you have them. For this reason, releasing gas is healthier than holding it in.
4. Farting Acts as a Warning
Farting is healthy, but excessive gas or extreme odor could be a sign that something is amiss. The average person farts fourteen to 23 times every day. This number may fluctuate depending on what you eat and your lifestyle.
If you are passing gas more than 25 times per day, or it is smelling particularly noxious, this could be a signal that you have a food allergy, or a more serious health condition.
5. It’s a Sign of a Healthy Gut
If you have a thriving colony of bacteria in your gut, it is naturally going to produce more gas. A healthy gut is extremely important for the health of your entire body because it ensures that food is broken down in such a way so that your body can use it. Gas means that your digestive system is working well.
In conclusion, while farting may be embarrassing, it actually has many health benefits. Paying attention to your farts can provide valuable information about your diet and overall health. So the next time you feel the urge, don’t hold it in – let it out and embrace the benefits of farting!
