Why Am I Farting So Much?
Farting or passing gas is a completely normal part of your life and also a sign of a healthy digestive system. Farting is essential for your body to function normally. If the gas is not passed, it can build up within your abdomen and cause discomfort. Most healthy people pass gas 13-21 times per day (1). While this may sound like a lot, most farts are almost undetectable and odorless. Farting every day is considered normal, but farting all the time is not. Most of the gas that you pass is due to swallowing air. We swallow air unknowingly while eating or drinking throughout the day. Other gases are produced by the intestines while digesting food. If you swallow a lot of air throughout the day, it will result in excessive farting. If your fart smells, it is due to the breakdown of food into hydrogen sulfide. This may result in your fart smelling like rotten eggs. Increased intake of certain sulfur-rich foods like cabbage, alcohol, asparagus, coffee, chicken, dairy, and cucumber can also produce smelly farts. The following are factors that could be contributing to increased production of gas in your intestines.
What Is Causing You To Fart?
As mentioned earlier, swallowing air throughout the day is one of the main causes of excessive farting. Other causes of gas production are:
Breakdown of consumed food by the gut bacteria Certain medications like aspirin Food allergies or intolerance Medical conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, celiac disease, and indigestion
A study conducted on 1,584 participants with celiac disease found that 81% of respondents experienced some symptom or the other. It was noted that the most common symptoms were flatulence or farting (50.4%), bloating (70.4%), chronic fatigue (59.3%), anemia (49%), and diarrhea (60.6%). Your diet may also have a role to play if you have been farting excessively.
What Foods To Avoid To Stop Farting?
Certain foods can cause you to produce more gas. Carbohydrate-rich foods that contain lactose, fructose, starch, and insoluble fiber tend to ferment in the large intestine and release gas. Foods that are known to cause excessive gas are (2):
Beans and green leafy veggies like cabbage, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, and broccoli Onions and garlic Fruit juices and fruits like pears and artichokes Soft drinks and carbonated beverages Dairy products Potatoes, corn, wheat, and other starchy foods
Even though these foods can cause you to fart more, they should not be eliminated from your diet as they are very important for your health and well-being. However, you may choose to limit their intake. You can also eat smaller and frequent meals instead of three large ones to prevent flatulence. In addition to modifying your diet, here are some tips you can follow to stop farting.
8 Ways To Stop Farting Quickly
1. Eat Slowly
Swallowing air while eating, drinking, and talking can cause gas and farting. This is especially the case when a person eats too quickly. Instead, eat slowly and mindfully to reduce the amount of air you swallow (2).
2. Quit Smoking
Every time you take a puff from a cigarette, you also swallow a lot of air along with it. E-cigarettes are no exception. In general, those who smoke or use any tobacco products are more likely to experience flatulence and farting as compared to those who don’t (3).
3. Exercise Regularly
Inactivity can lead to the build-up of gas in your stomach. Doing mild to moderate exercises regularly can enhance gas clearance, reduce incidences of farting, and improve overall digestive health (4). Physical activity also helps relieve gas during pregnancy. However, always consult an OB-GYN before exercising.
4. Treat Constipation
Gas and bloating are symptoms associated with constipation (5). Hence, if your flatulence is a result of constipation, it is advised that you treat the condition to solve the problem.
5. Avoid Chewing Gum
The key ingredient in many sugar-free gums is hexitol. Ingestion of this ingredient, even in small amounts, has been associated with gas and bloating (6). Therefore, if you are among those who chew too much gum, you may want to cut down on them to stop flatulence.
6. Identify Food Intolerances And Allergies
Certain food allergies and intolerances may also be responsible for excessive gas. However, this may vary from one person to another. Make a note of foods that you are allergic or intolerant to. You can also determine which food is causing gas in your system. For this, you need to first eliminate all gas-producing foods from your diet. Introduce these foods back in, one at a time, to identify the culprit. You can either avoid or limit your intake of the food that has been causing flatulence.
7. Take Probiotics And Enzyme Supplements
While probiotics can modify the composition of the gut flora and reduce intestinal gas, digestive enzyme supplements can help in relieving gastrointestinal symptoms by enhancing digestion (7), (8). Hence, you can try any of these to manage flatulence.
8. Drink Peppermint Tea
The peppermint oil extract the tea is made of may effectively reduce abdominal pain, flatulence, and diarrhea in people with irritable bowel syndrome (9). Drinking peppermint tea daily may possibly help relieve indigestion and prevent farting. You can consume 2 to 3 cups of peppermint tea per day. How To Prepare Peppermint Tea: What You Need
½ cup of dry peppermint leaf 4 cups of hot water 2 tablespoons of honey
How To Prepare You can try peppermint oil instead to relieve gas, bloating, and farting. Apart from these, several other home remedies for gas may also offer relief. Karen Christian, a lifestyle blogger, recounted her experience of going on a silent retreat which helped her stop farting. She experienced a massive drop in stress and anxiety levels that also helped stem her flatulence issues. She recounts, “Several of my medical issues have stress and anxiety at their root. The difference removing that stress made was incredible (i).” Can you fart in your sleep? Hope you found this post helpful. What do you do to deal with flatulence? Let us know in the comments section below. Yes, it is normal to pass gas in your sleep. Do you fart more with age? Yes, there may be an increase in flatulence and farting with age. A slower metabolism, reduced strength of stomach muscles leading to the slower passage of food matter through the intestines, and a lack of digestive enzymes may lead to more flatulence in older people. Does ginger help with farting? Yes, home remedies like ginger may help reduce farting as it can help relieve bloating and constipation (10). However, excess consumption of ginger may have the opposite effect and increase digestive issues. Do bananas make you fart? Bananas are a source of soluble fibers and hence may cause gas and bloating in individuals with existing digestive issues. Stop flatulence with one simple trick that really works! Learn how to stop farting and avoid embarrassment in public. Check the following video to learn more!
