Good to know: these foods make you fart
Everyone farts 15 to 20 times a day; some people release more than 2 liters of gas into the atmosphere every day. All perfectly natural and healthy, of course, but when you’re more or less cooped up together, it could be a little less. Keep your face mask on when salmon, chicken or Brussels sprouts are on the menu.
Gas in your intestines is sometimes caused by air you’ve unconsciously swallowed, for example when you eat or drink hurriedly, or chew gum. You burp out most accidentally swallowed air, but sometimes it still finds its way to the exit. These are usually odorless farts that drift away almost unnoticed.
And the stinky ones? They’re usually related to food. Eating chicken, meat and other animal proteins releases sulfur gases that smell like rotten eggs. Some people are extra sensitive to fruit, wheat and sweeteners. These foods contain so-called short-chain sugars, which aren’t properly absorbed in the small intestine and can therefore cause trouble in the large intestine: a rumbling stomach, bloating and, well, that notorious trouser cough.
Harvard University investigated which foods cause the most farting. Here’s their list: foods with high-fructose corn syrup, sulfur-rich foods, carbonated foods and legumes cause the most gas problems. What exactly should you avoid?
1. Cut out the sugary stuff
High-fructose corn syrup is a sweet syrup made from corn. It’s used to sweeten particularly cheap foods, so it can be found in soft drinks, sports drinks, jam and ketchup, as well as sweet dairy products such as pudding and custard. It has a strong effect on the intestines, so as little as possible, thank you very much.
2. Get rid of the Brussels sprouts
Cabbage, spinach and Brussels sprouts, as well as onions, cauliflower and onions, contain a lot of sulfur. It smells like rotten eggs and yes, if you eat a lot of sulfur-rich vegetables, you’ll encounter that smell once again. Also watch out for salmon, steak, Parmesan cheese and cod.
3. Beer? Not here
Carbonated drinks, such as beer and cola, cause extra air in your stomach. The notorious beer puffs are the result: sour farts that turn the whole room blue. Beer contains yeast, which gets to work industriously in the large intestine with whatever it finds there. Result: gas, lots of gas. A certain carbohydrate in beer is also converted into butyric acid by bacteria in the large intestine, and that really smells horrible…
4. Stinky beans
Peas, lentils, peanuts and beans—all legumes have the same effect: trouble down below. They also contain carbohydrates that aren’t completely broken down and absorbed in the small intestine. So they ferment in the large intestine, which causes gas. The solution: cooking. The better the legumes are cooked, the easier they are to digest. But even a good pea soup that has been simmering for a day can still have a strong effect on your intestines if you’re sensitive to it.
Let them rip
Ben Witteman is a gastroenterologist, specializing in nutrition and gut health. His advice: let the farts fly. ‘It’s a great relief,’ he says in an interview with de Volkskrant. ‘Air in the intestines is unpleasant, but not dangerous. It doesn’t damage the intestines.’ So get rid of the shame and let ’em rip. But step out onto the balcony if you want to keep things pleasant indoors.
Also read:
- This is why your wine sometimes smells like farts
- Warning: these are our grossest dishes ever
- Tried and tested: tips to combat refrigerator odors
