There may be many people who will have an embarrassing moment of farting in public, in order to avoid this embarrassment, many people will choose to try to be as light as possible, at least not to make a sound...
Image source: Weibo screenshot
There will also be some people, in order to avoid embarrassment, forcibly hold the fart back...
In fact, farting is a normal physiological phenomenon, under normal circumstances, people will fart 10-15 times a day, about 500 ml of gas is discharged.
Among them, there are about 1-2 sound farts, and more than 10 silent farts.
Image source: Network
Always holding on, it is indeed elegant, but it has no effect on our bodies? Today, let's put aside the preconceptions about farts for the time being, and carry out a flavorful science popularization for everyone.
How do farts come about?
Fart, also known as yaqi, refers to the exhaust gas excreted from the anus by humans or animals.
There are more than 1,000 kinds of gut microbes, and the number of bacteria gradually increases from the proximal to distal intestines.
Image source: Network
The food we eat is mixed with saliva, gastric juice, pancreatic juice bile and then slowly reaches the intestine, and the intestinal microbiome continues to decompose the food, producing gas in the process of decomposition, which is discharged through the anus, which is the fart.
Another source is the air swallowed while eating, so it makes sense to chew slowly and eat without talking.
What are the ingredients of farts?
Farts are mainly made up of 59% nitrogen, 21% hydrogen, 9% carbon dioxide, 7% methane, and 4% oxygen, but these gases are all odorless.
Less than 1% is made up of trace amounts of other chemicals – such as ammonia and hydrogen sulfide.
The composition of farts does vary from person to person, after all, everyone's gut biology is different.
But the fart odor is produced by these less than 1% ammonia and hydrogen sulfide substances.
Hydrogen sulfide emits the smell of rotten eggs, and a smell like rotten cabbage is likely to be produced by the accumulation of methanethiol, and those farts that smell a little fragrant are the credit of dimethyl sulfide.
What effects can hydrogen sulfide have on the human body?
Recent studies have suggested that farts may contain a compound that is beneficial to people.
This is because the human body contains a special enzyme called cystidhione lyase, which catalyzes the production of hydrogen sulfide for many benefits to the human body.
Image source: Network
1. Regulate blood pressure. The team at Leekheide University in Canada found that hydrogen sulfide in the blood lowered blood pressure in rats.
2. Regulate inflammation. Studies have found that giving animals with enteritis drugs that release low doses of hydrogen sulfide can reduce their inflammatory response.
Image source: Network
3. Hemostasis. Intravenous hydrogen sulfide can temporarily reduce a person's need for oxygen due to blood loss, thereby increasing the chances of waiting for blood transfusions and treatment.
4. Extend life. Hydrogen sulfide increases the lifespan of nematodes by 70%. This means that living in an air environment that contains the right amount of hydrogen sulfide may prolong life.
While hydrogen sulfide has many benefits, there is another hazard that cannot be ignored – neurotoxicity.
The main targets of hydrogen sulfide are the central nervous system and respiratory system. At low concentrations, eye tingling, lacrimation, vomiting, and sometimes pneumonia and pulmonary edema occur; At high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide, there is damage to the brain.
Hydrogen sulfide, which accounts for less than 1%, is still not equal to farts, and holding farts is still not good for the body.
Where did all the farts go?
If you often hold your fart, it will cause gas to slowly accumulate in our intestines, and there will also be bloating and abdominal pain.
But the gas can not disappear out of thin air, the fart that cannot be discharged will flow around in the body, some with the blood entering the system circulation, may enter the lungs and exhale out of the body, and some will be absorbed in the body.
Image source: Network
There are some toxic and harmful substances in the fart, if we often hold the fart, these toxic and harmful substances are likely to slowly affect our intestinal health.
So the fart can still be put away.
How to relieve the embarrassment of farts?
Drink plenty of water and eat more high-fiber foods, such as vegetables, fruits, grains, etc.
Do proper physical exercise regularly.
The consumption of dairy products and sugars should be moderate, especially lactose intolerant people should reduce the intake of lactose.
Use with caution medications that can cause bloating, and do not overdose as directed by your doctor.
in a word
Farts are the physiological phenomena of our bodies.
Just find a place that's not embarrassing to put out.
Expert of this article: Yang Chao, MD, Rocket Force Special medical center, attending physician
This article was reviewed by Dr. Haixu Chen, Associate Researcher, Second Medical Center of PLA General Hospital
(Popular Science China)