Lets Talk about Farting
Firstly, farting is TOTALLY NORMAL. In fact, a healthy individual can produce between 0.2-1.5 litres of gas per day and may fart around 12-25 times per day.
Why do we fart?
Gases, including hydrogen, carbon dioxide and methane and others, are produced by our gut microbes when they ferment food components, mainly fibres, from vegetables, fruits, grains, and legumes, in our colon.
What happens to these gases?
The gases our microbes produce then have to go somewhere and they are dealt with in 3 main ways:
Other microbes break them down into non-gaseous products
Some are absorbed into the bloodstream and exhaled through our breath
The rest pass out through our butt as flatulence aka farts!
According to research, we get rid of about 23% of the gas produced by our microbes through farting.
What about farting and IBD?
Sometimes when we have more sensitive systems (like when we have IBD or IBS) or an intolerance to a food (like lactose) this gas may be increased, smelly and may cause pain and discomfort.
This is thought to be due to a number of factors like the quantites of different microbes we can have with these conditions (some can produce more gas than others and some can produce smellier gas than others), an increased sensitivity in our abdominal area (visceral hypersensitivity), or an inability to break down certain food components (e.g. lactose).
Often in IBD flares patients restrict fibre containing foods like fruit, vegetables, grains and legumes and then find it hard to go back to eating these as they cause gas and discomfort which can be mistaken for another flare.
But there is a way!
Research has shown that, although gas is increased when we first start eating fart-causing foods (fibre containing fruit, veg, grains and legumes), this decreases after 2 weeks of continued consumption.
So our microbes and bowels adjust over time!
How clever is that!?
If you are struggling with your diet with your Crohns Disease or Ulcerative Colitis we can help you.
We are a nutrition and dietetic clinic specialising in improving the quality of life of people living with IBD. We bring clarity around food and IBD and remove uncertainty and fear around food.
Our IBD specialist Nutritionist (Clemmie) and specialist gastroenterology and IBD Dietician (Jess) both have IBD too so ‘get it’ and are so passionate about helping others with IBD.
If you would like support with your IBD please book a call with Clemmie via the button below.
Disclaimer: All content found on the nalmclinic.com website, including: text, video, or other formats have been created for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor, consultant or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.
We are all wonderfully unique and what works for one person may not work for another so please seek help and advice before changing your diet to work out the right way forward for you.