13 Reasons Why You’re Farting So Much, Right Now
If one too many incidents of making your living room temporarily uninhabitable have left you wondering 'why do I fart so much?' then, we feel you. Straight up: passing wind a lot throughout a day is a pretty normal thing – though our social taboos around it can make you feel like you're the only one.
To understand why this might happen – and why it might be a cause for concern (aside from the associated embarrassment) – it’s important to understand why we fart in the first place.
Is it bad if you fart a lot?
Ultimately, releasing wind is a normal bodily function – one which the NHS describes as 'passing gas from the digestive system out of the back passage'.
Gases build up in the body when you both ingest food (air is often swallowed alongside food, water and saliva) and digest food (when gut bacteria digest nutrients, they produce hydrogen, methane and carbon dioxide), and these need to be got rid of – by farting or burping.
Is it normal to fart loads?
The average person farts 14-18 times per day but you may not even be aware that you’re doing it because wind is usually released in small quantities and it is typically odourless. But, if the gases in your body contain stinky components such as sulphur then you – and anyone within a close proximity – are sure going to know about it.
So, what causes this to happen? And what causes you to fart above that rather surprising average? WH called in registered dietitian Laura Tilt to lift the lid on this typically undiscussed matter.
What is excessive farting a sign of?
Unsurprisingly, there’s not too much research on passing wind. ‘But,’ says Tilt, ‘one study of healthy volunteers found that the average body relieves itself of around 700ml of gas a day on a high-fibre diet – primarily carbon dioxide and hydrogen, produced in the large intestine or colon.’
To put that into context, 700ml is more than half a litre and equates to around 14-25 farts a day.
‘There’s no consensus on what counts as an “excessive” amount of gas, which makes the question, "am I excessively gassy?” hard to answer,’ Tilt says.
It comes down, as so often, to what is normal – or unusual – for you. As mentioned, flatulence is typically odourless so, if you’re aware that you’re actually farting – because you can smell it – and you’re releasing more than 14-25 farts per day (or farting more than 14-18 times a day), it could be that you’re experiencing excessive wind.
So why am I farting so much?
Before you get yourself concerned with medical conditions that might be the cause of your excessive gas, it’s worth assessing your diet against the four pointers Tilt gives below. It could be that your wind is nothing sinister; just the result of your current eating habits – meaning it can be easily avoided:
1. You’ve switched to a high-fibre diet
2. You’re eating ‘gas-forming’ foods, which contain sugars and fibres that the body can’t digest, so they get consumed by our gut bacteria instead (think beans, onions, cauliflower and broccoli).
3. You’re using sweeteners (such as sorbitol) or having products that contain them (including sugar-free chewing gum and soft drinks)
4. You’re following a high-protein diet or consuming lots of protein shakes – gut bacteria ferment protein, so it escapes digestion with smelly results
However, if you can’t make any connection between your wind and the above diet patterns, it could be there is something more sinister going on inside your gut. These could include:
5. Coeliac disease
6. Lactose intolerance
7. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
8. Indigestion
9. Constipation
10. Gastroenteritis
11. Giardiasis
12. Malabsorption
13. Farting can also be a side-effect of certain medications
Should I see my GP about my farting?
Essentially, if you are concerned about the amount of – or smell of – your wind, then yes, always seek medical advice.
Tilt also recommends seeing your GP if you are experiencing other symptoms such as bloating, tummy pain, changes in your toilet habits (diarrhoea, constipation, blood in your stools), unexplained weight loss or signs of infections (such as muscle or joint pain, or sickness).
‘They can check that there’s no underlying conditions that could be causing your flatulence,’ she says.
How can I fart less?
First, remember that farting is normal and healthy – then follow Tilt’s 5-part flatulence-fighting action plan to keep excessive wind and embarrassing smells at bay:
Set aside time for your meals
Sit down and chew your food well.
Make sure you move
Exercise can help to move gas through the gut so try to do some movement daily.
Reduce certain types of fibre
Such as unrefined cereal fibre like bran. This can reduce gas production – but don’t be tempted to avoid high-fibre foods altogether, as you’ll end up starving your gut bacteria, which can be problematic in the long term.
If you’re looking to increase the amount of fibre in your diet, do so slowly – to give your gut time to adjust.
Keep a food diary
People with IBS are more sensitive to gas and can experience more discomfort from it. If this is you, try using a food diary or consult a dietitian to help identify trigger foods such as beans, onions and garlic.
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