How to control farting

Have you ever found yourself in an elevator, completely embarrassed and trying to hide the fact that you just farted? People around you wrinkle their noses, look around to try and find the culprit who just “let one rip”, and quickly dash out of the elevator when they reach the next floor.

​Farting can be unpleasant, but it’s something that you have a lot of control over. If you want to know how to stop farting, the good news is that there are a few easy ways to take control of your wind-breaking.

Why Do We Fart?

Farting is something that’s natural, though it can be avoided. There are a few reasons that you fart:

You’ve eaten certain foods that have interacted negatively with your intestinal bacteria. The result is a buildup of gas, which can only escape via your digestive system.

You’re intolerant to lactose, which causes the lactose to ferment in your gut and cause the gas to build up.

You have too much bacteria in your colon. The bacteria breaks down your food, but the breakdown of the food you eat causes intestinal gas to build up.

You’ve swallowed a lot of air, such as when chewing gum or drinking soda with carbonation.

You smoke. Smoking causes you to take more air into your body than normal, and the gas can get trapped in your esophagus or stomach. If there is too much gas building up in your intestines, there’s only one path the gas can take.

Why Farts Smell Bad

Did you know that not all farts smell bad? Farts are made up primarily of odorless gases like carbon dioxide, nitrogen, hydrogen and methane. Many times your farts won’t smell at all, and this is because your body is expelling these odorless gases.

On the other hand, when your farts smell very bad it’s the result of small amounts of highly potent gases like hydrogen sulfide and mercaptans. These noxious compounds are produced in your intestines when your food is broken down, primarily from foods that contain a lot of sulfur like meat, eggs, cheese and cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage.​

Read also: Think you know how to poo? You’ve been doing it wrong all your life

Controlling Your Farts

The good news is that you can control your farts, but the bad news is that you’ll never be able to stop farting altogether. It’s just a natural element of your body’s digestion, and it won’t go away. However, you can control it:

Avoid Sugars

Sugar will be broken down by the bacteria in your gut more quickly, which means that there’s a greater gas release when the food is digested. If you want to reduce the gas produced by your body, cut back on the amount of sugar you eat. This includes fructose, lactose, and sorbitol.

Reduce Carbonation

A soda now and again won’t make you fart uncontrollably, but it will cause your intestines to be filled with more air than they should be. Beer is the worst for your farts, as it’s the most carbonated of the alcoholic beverages, is full of high glycemic carbohydrates and has a strong effect on your digestive system. If you can cut back on carbonated beverages, you’ll notice your farting problem is greatly reduced.

Be Careful With Starches

Starch can cause the release of intestinal gas when it is digested in the intestines. Rice is one of the better starches to eat if you have gas problems, as it’s very easy for your body to digest. Wheat in particular will be harder on your intestines.

Take Probiotics

Probiotics, such as Bowtrol, are dietary supplements containing live healthy bacteria and yeasts. They have numerous health benefits and help restore the natural balance of gut bacteria. This helps better eliminate gas, bloating and indigestion.

Quit Chewing Gum

Quit Smoking

Use an Anti-Bloating Remedy

Activated Charcoal capsules come in very handy if you want to prevent bloating and gas buildup in your stomach and intestines, and you should consider taking them if you know that a food is going to cause gas problems.

Conclusion

Excessive farting, particularly when the gas has an offensive smell, is usually the result of impaired digestion. Improving your digestion will improve many different areas of your overall health and is one of the first things worth focusing on when you are ready to make positive changes in your life.

– healthambition.com

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