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What IS That Smell?

© Mary M. Alward

The definition of flatulence is:

1. The state of excessive gas in the alimentary canal.

2. The presence of a large amount of gas in the stomach or intestines.

All of us have and do experience flatulence every day of our lives. Yes, some people call it farting. Kids giggle about it. It smells bad and sounds funny. But sometimes it can be downright embarrassing.

Why flatulence?

When food doesn't get absorbed into the bloodstream, it moves to our bowels as waste. It is there that the gases form. The large colon has digestive enzymes that feed off unabsorbed nutrients. When gas enzymes consume undigested nutrients, flatulence occurs. This is when we blame the dog or someone else for filling the room with noxious gas. After all, we wouldn't want anyone to think that smell came from our body.

Everyone has flatulence, because it is caused by undigested food. Our bodies never break down all the food we eat. If someone tells you that they never have flatulence, look them straight in the eye and lift your eyebrow. It's simple. They're lying. On average, every person passes gas between nine and fourteen times a day. If they're alive, they have flatulence. In fact, when we die, our body releases flatulence to get rid of all excess gas.

Flatulence is not a burp that's gone south. A burp comes from the stomach. Flatulence comes from the colon and has more bacterial gas.

Why does flatulence smell?

Because it contains hydrogen sulfide. It also contains methane, carbon dioxide, nitrogen and oxygen. The cause of the stench is the hydrogen sulfide. Vegetarians normally have less flatulence than those who eat red meat.

Causes of flatulence?

There are many different reasons why our bodies produce excess gas. Diet is one. Carbohydrates produce a lot of gas because they contain a lot of sugar and starch, which easily ferment. Lactose is another contributing factor. Our bodies have a hard time digesting lactose. Yes, milk and milk products cause flatulence.

Everyone's body is different. Each one of us have a different amount of bacteria in our intestines. This means a banana or other food might cause gas in one person while another can eat it without experiencing any problems whatsoever.

All joking aside, excessive flatulence is not nice to experience. It can cause pain and embarrassment. Here are a few things you can do to prevent excessive flatulence.

1. Eat less red meat.

2. Avoid milk products.

3. Chew all food very thoroughly. When you think you have chewed enough, chew some more.

The copyright of the article What IS That Smell? in Canadian Health Care is owned by Mary M. Alward. Permission to republish What IS That Smell? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.