Farting is a natural and (sometimes) funny occurrence in our daily lives. Some people even fart over ten times a day. A fart is a buildup of pressure from inside the stomach that is released and with enough force, either audible or quiet. Everybody feels the quiver and pull from the intestines while prepping a fart, and at times that release of air is one of the best feelings in the immediate moment. It’s the after life of the fart that can be a bit troubling, when the air turns on the odor and is left to linger with the surrounding environment. Farts can tend to be a bit on the stinkier side, but never fear, smelly farts can actually be telling you that your body is in fact, healthy. And you might be surprised to learn that smelling farts makes us healthier too!
What Fart Smells Mean
Farts are a sign that your body has contracted a necessary and healthy amount of fiber, which is a great way for your body to inform you. A fart means that there is good bacteria in the intestines and that the body is working correctly. A fart that is odorless (being of mainly carbon-dioxide) happens more often than people realize, and is perfectly normal. The scent that comes along with farts is usually from hydrogen sulfide, broken down from the various foods that get put in the body. These compounds, when being digested, are part of the process in creating the odor that will accompany the gas that leaves your behind. Now, there are various levels of fart smells, ranging from a mild nuisance to a pungent stank.
Smelling People’s Farts Might Actually Help People Live Longer
A mild smelling fart is nothing to worry about. There has even been research showing that smelling people’s farts might actually help people live longer. Yes, that’s right, the methane smell of people’s farts can actually help reduce life altering diseases. One particular one is Dementia, a mind altering disease wherein people watch their loved ones forget everything. Hydrogen sulfide changes the way enzymes function in the disease.
Also, new studies by Exeter University in England explain that they help prevent mitochondrial damage. These health benefits, plus the natural flatulence saying your body is healthy, are just a few of the ways that farts are being beneficial in your life.
How About Extremely Smelly Farts?
Extremely smell toots might cause people to think they are more unhealthy, but in fact, it is generally fine and dandy! The wretched stench of a fart usually means that your diet has consisted of mainly heavy hydrogen sulfide producing foods. These are usually indicative to a person maintaining a diet high in fiber. These foods include eggs, beans and broccoli. Red meat is one of the most profound foods for having farts that really stink.
The only problem that might come along with very smelly farts is that it happens immediately after the consumption of dairy products. An orchestra of smelly farts right after a glass of milk or anything with cheese might be a symptom of lactose intolerance. Chronically smelly farts might also be a sign of a gastrointestinal problem, like irritable bowel syndrome. But these are a bit more rare cases, as smelly farts are generally a healthy sign of intestinal goodness.
Conclusion
Go ahead, let your farts squeak out as often as you would like. It’s always a fun game to guess what kind of fart you will produce, maybe you can even start predicting based on your diet. That bean and steak burrito you had for lunch? Yea, let’s see how rank you can make your next series of farts be. And of course, never be scared of your own stench, in fact, it might even be helping you combat disease. Farts are fun, farts are life.
Featured photo credit: Bradley Gordon via flickr.com
