Dan Wilbur
Let it out. That’s what I say. Farting is a privilege and a biological necessity. No, I’m not a doctor, but I do read and eat a lot. Frankly, that makes me an expert on farting. I put in my time. I’ve researched. I’ve left the room unexpectedly. I’ve proudly ruined nice evenings on the couch with my fiancée. It was all worth it so that I could tell you this: farting is healthy.
Not only is flatulence natural, according to scientists, it’s good for you to rip one every once in awhile. If you’re doing it incessantly, something might be very wrong with your body. Also, if they smell really bad. Basically, everything that makes a fart a fart is a sign that you’re either eating right or about to die.
I took some time out of my busy schedule eating foods that make me gassy to let you know some exciting facts about excrement and gas. I hope you enjoy it.
Here’s why scientists say you should not hold in farts:
1. Holding one back can lead to indigestion:
Holding a fart too long can be painful. The gas has to go somewhere. Sending it back up through your system causes gurgling in the stomach and pain in the colon. But what is the gas doing there in the first place?
The National Library of Medicine study set out to prove whether or not human methane was inert or actually affected human digestion and gut function. The answer was yes. It’s not an inert gas sitting in your bowels for the sake of itself. Additionally, the study claims that using methane therapeutically might be helpful for people with digestion problems. That’s right, more gas might help your digestion. More gas means more farts, and you might as well let it out.
2. Farts reabsorb in the body and can be expelled through breath:
According to Healthline, not only is tightening the old caboose painful, redirecting your gas makes it goes from your colon to your bloodstream. It can eventually end up the other way and come out through your mouth. You won’t spontaneously combust, as characters did on South Park, but you might need more mouthwash.
3. They can make you feel bloated:
You should do what makes you feel good. Generally, in your life. But, also when it comes to farting. Holding farts back can lead to sigmoid diverticular disease, which is as painful as it sounds. According to doctors, regular flatulence is a science of a good diet and a healthy gut. Once you start causing your intestinal tract to bleed from holding back the farts, it will already be too late. Tell your colon to speak now or forever hold its peace.
4. Not smelling what’s going on in your bowels might be ignoring a serious issue:
There are some interesting components that go into a fart. According to the National Library of Medicine, an average human fart is thought to contain the following: Carbon dioxide, hydrogen, hydrogen sulfide, and methane. Methane should be a red flag if you’re paying attention. That’s the same gas cows produce en masse that is leading to the planet getting hotter every year.
We already know the gas actively affects your body. But, is it bad for the environment to constantly rip em?
According to scientists at Duke, the answer is: not really. Yes, humans produce the same methane produced by cattle, but the amount humans produce is dwarfed by that of grazing animals. We should focus more on how much carbon dioxide we send out into the world.
5. Failure to fart can cause irritation in the colon and possibly hemorrhoids:
According to the Cleveland Clinic, normal healthy people fart 14-23 times a day. Failure to hit this number could lead to all sorts of problems. Then again, excessive farting could be a sign of something bad too. If you think your body is making terrible smells, it could be a food allergy or something more sinister. If, however, you’re squeezing to keep it all in for the sake of itself, then you can cause severe irritation to the colon. Then you wind up with hemorrhoids.
