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Frequently Asked Questions
A collection of farty facts and other information:
Do men fart more than women?
Nope! Men and women fart the same number of times as each
other, but men are sometimes more public about it than women.
Both men and women fart about 10 to 20 times a day, but this can
vary depending on diet and other factors. Also, men are on
average bigger than women, and so tend to produce greater
quantities of gas with each fart.
Do I fart too much?
Both men and women fart about 10 to 20 times a day, but this
varies a great deal depending on your diet, certain medications
you may be taking, or if you’re constipated as well as some other
factors. Regularly farting much more than about 20 times a day is
considered abnormal, but can usually be easily remedied by
changes to lifestyle (such as stopping smoking - smokers tend to
swallow more air than non-smokers) or diet (avoiding foods that
are high in fibre or that you know tend to lead to excessive
farting). If you consider that your farting is excessive, especially if
accompanied by other factors such as stomach pain or bloating,
recurring diarrhoea or blood in your poop, then it would be a good
idea to see a doctor.
What are farts made of?
Farts contain a number of odorless (non-smelly) gases, such as
oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, methane and carbon dioxide. They
also contain small amounts of hydrogen sulphide, which is why they
smell so bad. The hydrogen sulphide is a by-product of the work of
microbes in your body that help you to digest food. It’s also the
same chemical that gives rotten eggs their awful smell. Some
foods, such as beans, bran and cabbage are more difficult for the
little microbes to break down and so they have to work harder. This
often causes more farting than usual, as well as especially smelly
farts.
Why is poop brown?
Poop is normally brown, and the color is caused by what you eat and
how much bile is required to digest it. Bile is a fluid produced by the
liver and used by the body to digest fats. It begins as a yellowish-
green color but as it travels through your system it gradually turns
brown due to chemical changes. It’s normal to produce poop of
different shades of brown depending on what you’ve recently eaten,
but if your poop is a different colour, such as green or yellow, then it
may be a good idea to seek professional medical advice.
Is holding a fart in bad for you?
You will fart many, many times in your life, but sometimes it’s just not
the right time or place. One thing is certain - it’s going to come out
sooner or later. Holding one in for a little while won’t do any harm, but
if it becomes painful to do so it’s time to let it out, whether it’s a little
windy pop or a loud and proud duck call. It’s often better to anticipate
this and find somewhere you can let it go privately beforehand. More
advice is available on farting etiquette here.
“I fart therefore
I am”
René Descartes
Frequently Asked Questions about Farting
A collection of farty facts and other information:
Nope! Men and women fart the same number of times as each
other, but men are sometimes more public about it than women.
Both men and women fart about 10 to 20 times a day, but this can
vary depending on diet and other factors. Also, men are on
average bigger than women, and so tend to produce greater
quantities of gas with each fart.
Do men fart more than women?
Do I fart too much?
Both men and women fart about 10 to 20 times a day, but this
varies a great deal depending on your diet, certain medications
you may be taking, or if you’re constipated as well as some other
factors. Regularly farting much more than about 20 times a day is
considered abnormal, but can usually be easily remedied by
changes to lifestyle (such as stopping smoking - smokers tend to
swallow more air than non-smokers) or diet (avoiding foods that
are high in fibre or that you know tend to lead to excessive
farting). If you consider that your farting is excessive, especially if
accompanied by other factors such as stomach pain or bloating,
recurring diarrhoea or blood in your poop, then it would be a good
idea to see a doctor.
What are farts made of?
Farts contain a number of odorless (non-smelly) gases, such as
oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, methane and carbon dioxide. They
also contain small amounts of hydrogen sulphide, which is why
they smell so bad. The hydrogen sulphide is a by-product of the
work of microbes in your body that help you to digest food. It’s
also the same chemical that gives rotten eggs their awful smell.
Some foods, such as beans, bran and cabbage are more difficult
for the little microbes to break down and so they have to work
harder. This often causes more farting than usual, as well as
especially smelly farts.
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Why is poop brown?
Poop is normally brown, and the color is caused by what you eat
and how much bile is required to digest it. Bile is a fluid produced
by the liver and used by the body to digest fats. It begins as a
yellowish-green color but as it travels through your system it
gradually turns brown due to chemical changes. It’s normal to
produce poop of different shades of brown depending on what
you’ve recently eaten, but if your poop is a different colour, such
as green or yellow, then it may be a good idea to seek
professional medical advice.
Is holding a fart in bad for you?
You will fart many, many times in your life, but sometimes it’s just
not the right time or place. One thing is certain - it’s going to
come out sooner or later. Holding one in for a little while won’t do
any harm, but if it becomes painful to do so it’s time to let it out,
whether it’s a little windy pop or a loud and proud duck call. It’s
often better to anticipate this and find somewhere you can let it
go privately beforehand. More advice is available on farting
etiquette here.
“I fart therefore
I am”
René Descartes
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