Re: EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT FLATULENCE

[Guest guest]

You're right Joy, it was most fascinating...my virtuous hubby will be getting a forwarded copy....he's definitely a thunder-box boy & (VERY private about his 'F' capacity) while I'm an all-rounder, shameless & never blame the person next to me!

Own up everybody!

in Oz

>> Actually, this is very interesting!> > > EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT FLATULENCE > > > > Where does fart gas come from? > > > The gas in our intestines comes from several sources: air we swallow, gas seeping into our intestines from our blood, gas produced by chemical reactions in our guts, and gas produced by bacteria living in our guts. > > > > > > What is fart gas made of? > > > The composition of fart gas is highly variable. Most of the air we swallow, especially the oxygen component, is absorbed by the body before the gas gets into the intestines. By the time the air reaches the large intestine, most of what is left is nitrogen. Chemical reactions between stomach acid and intestinal fluids may produce carbon Dioxide, which is also a component of air and a product of bacterial action. Bacteria also produce hydrogen and methane. But the relative proportions of these gases that emerge from our anal opening depend on several factors: what we ate, how much air we swallowed, what kinds of bacteria we have in our intestines, and how long we hold in the fart. The longer a fart is held in, the larger the proportion of boring, inert nitrogen it contains, because the other gases tend to be absorbed into the bloodstream through the walls of the intestine. A nervous person who swallows a lot of air and who moves stuff through his digestive system> rapidly may have a lot of oxygen in his farts, because his body didn't have time to absorb the oxygen. Encyclopedia Britannica offers the intriguing statement that some people's farts contain no methane. The reason for this is apparently unknown. Some researchers suspect a genetic influence, whereas others think the anomaly is due to environmental factors. However, all methane in any farts comes from bacterial action and not from human cells. > > > > > > What makes farts stink? > > > The odor of farts comes from small amounts of hydrogen sulfide gas and skatole in the mixture. These compounds contain sulfur. The more sulfur-rich your diet, the more sulfides and skatole will be produced by the bacteria in your guts, and the more your farts will stink. Foods such as cauliflower, eggs and meat are notorious for producing smelly farts, whereas beans produce large amounts of not particularly stinky farts. > > > > > > Why do farts make noise? > > > The sounds are produced by vibrations of the anal opening. Sounds depend on the velocity of expulsion of the gas and the tightness of the sphincter muscles of the anus. > > > > > > How much gas does a normal person pass per day? > > > On average, a person produces about half a liter of fart gas per day, distributed over an average of about fourteen daily farts. > > > > > > How long does it take fart gas to travel to someone else's nose? > > > Fart travel time depends on atmospheric conditions such as humidity and wind speed, as well as the distance between the fart transmitter and the fart receiver. Farts also disperse (spread out) as they leave the source, and their potency diminishes with dilution. Generally, if the fart is not detected within a few seconds, it will be too dilute for perception and will be lost into the atmosphere forever. > > > > > > Is it true that some people never fart? > > > No, not if they're alive. People even fart shortly after death. > > > > > > Do men fart more than women? > > > No, women fart just as much as men. It's just that most men take more pride in it than most women. There is a large variation among individuals in the amount of fart gas produced per day, but the variation does not correlate with gender > > > > > > At what time of day is a gentleman most likely to fart? > > > A gentleman is mostly likely to fart first thing in the morning, while in the bathroom. This is known as "morning thunder," and if the gentleman gets good resonance, it can be heard throughout the household. > > > > > > Why are beans so notorious for making people fart? > > > Beans contain sugars that we humans cannot digest. When these sugars reach our intestines, the bacteria go wild, have a big feast, and make lots of gas! Other notorious fart-producing foods include corn, bell peppers, cabbage, milk, and raisins. > > > > > > What things other than diet can make a person fart more than usual? > > > People who swallow a lot of air fart more than people who don't. This can be cured somewhat by chewing with your mouth closed. Nervous people with fast moving bowels will fart more because less air is absorbed out of the intestines. Some disease conditions can cause excess flatulence. And going up in an airplane or other low-pressure environment can cause the gas inside you to expand and emerge as flatulence. > > > > > > Is a fart really just a burp that comes out the wrong end? > > > No, a burp emerges from the stomach and has a different chemical composition from a fart. Farts have less atmospheric gas content and more bacterial gas content than burps. > > > > > > Is it harmful to hold in farts? > > > There are differences in opinion on this one. Certainly, people have believed for centuries that retaining flatulence is bad for the health. Emperor Claudius even passed a law legalizing farting at banquets out of concern for peoples' health. There was a widespread belief that a person could be poisoned or catch a disease by retaining farts. Doctors I have spoken to recently have told me that there is no particular harm in holding in farts. Farts will not poison you; they are a natural component of your intestinal contents. The worst thing that can happen is that you may get a stomach ache from the gas pressure. But one doctor suggested that pathological distention of the bowel could result if a person holds in farts too much. > > > > > > How long would it be possible to not fart? > > > As I understand it, a captive fart can escape as soon as the person relaxes. This means that a lot of people who assiduously refrain from farting during the day do so at great length as soon as they fall asleep. > > > > > > Where do farts go when you hold them in? > > > How often have you held in a fart, intending to release it at the first appropriate opportunity, only to find that the fart has disappeared when you are ready for it? The doctors agree that the fart is neither released nor absorbed. It simply migrates back upward into the intestine and comes out later. It is reassuring to know that such farts aren't really lost, just delayed. > > > > > > Is it really possible to ignite farts? > > > The answer to that is yes! However, you should be aware that people get injured igniting flatulence. Not only can the flame back up into your colon, but your clothing or other surroundings may catch on fire. A survey done by Fartcloud (the site, alas! is not more) indicates that about a quarter of the people who ignited their farts got burned doing it. Ignition of flatulence is a hazardous practice. > > > > > > Why is possible to burn farts? > > > Farts burn because they contain methane (usually) and hydrogen, both of which are flammable gases. (Hydrogen was the same gas that was used in the ill fated Hindenburg dirigible.) Farts tend to burn with a blue or yellow flame. > > > > > > Are there any books about farting? > > > There are several! My favorite is the new book, Who Cut the Cheese: A Cultural History of the Fart by Jim Dawson. This book provides an entertaining and thought-provoking history of the fart in literature, language and society. It is very informative and very funny! Ben lin's classic Fart Proudly is still in print. > > > > > > Why do dog and cat farts smell so bad? > > > A carnivore's protein-rich diet produces relatively small amounts of intensely stinky gas because proteins contain lots of sulfur. A dog's Or cat's farts are rarely audible, but the odor is overwhelming. I have asked biologists why dogs and cats generally fart silently, and their theories include: > > > (1) the amount of gas produced is small, but potent, > (2) the horizontal orientation of their gastrointestinal system puts less pressure on the anal opening, so the gas is expelled more slowly, > (3) their anal sphincters don't close as tightly as humans' because it takes less force to hold in the contents of the colon -- again because of the horizontal orientation of the > > > gastrointestinal system -- and a loose anus makes less sound, and, my favorite (4) dogs and cats don't feel embarrassed about farting, so their sphincters are more relaxed, > > > leading to less noisy flatulence. Mike F. points out that many dog foods are soy-based, so on top of all the above factors, add beans and stand back! > > > > > > Do turtles fart? > > > Yes, turtles do fart, and their farts smell incredibly bad, as do the farts of snakes. > > > > > > What kind of animal has the highest worldwide output of flatulence? > > > Believe it or not, the animal that wins this honor is the humble termite. Because of their diet and digestive processes (with more than the usual microbial assistance), they produce as much methane as human industry. Termite farts are believed to be a major contributor towards global warming (heh). > > > > > > Is it possible to leave a brown spot on your pants because of a fart, and if so, what causes it? > > > Judging from what I see when I do the laundry, I'd say that the answer to the first question is definitely yes. > > > > > > How can we tell when it's only gas needing to come out, rather than something more serious? > > > Our ability to distinguish between the need to fart and the need to poop is something that we learn gradually in the process of toilet training and early childhood. With the tactile nerve endings in the rectal area, we can actually feel different sensations depending upon what is waiting by the exit. Of course, sometimes we are fooled, especially if the substance at hand is extremely fluid in nature, and that is when we have the unfortunate accident of venting a squirt of diarrhea rather than an innocent fart. > > > > > > Why do women always deny farting? > > > I suppose I should start by saying that only some chicks deny farting. The rest of us acknowledge our gaseous accomplishments with pride. However, a great many sisters do deny farting. The reason is that they have been misled into thinking that farts are not ladylike. It is a great mistake to say that farting is not ladylike. The reason is that all people fart, including ladies. Anything that ladies do is by definition ladylike, and that includes the emission of anal gases. > > > > > > Is it possible for a fart to kill you? > > > A great many of you have asked if farts can be fatal, or if you can die from smelling a particularly bad fart. My initial response to this question was "no," but I thought I'd better ask a doctor. So now it is official, the medical opinion I received is no, a fart can't kill you. > > > > > > What causes the burning sensation that sometimes accompanies a fart? > > > This is generally caused by a recent meal of hot peppers or related spices. The oils associated with these foods remain intact and active all the way through one's gastrointestinal system. > > > > > > > Is it possible to capture a fart in a jar and save it for later use? > > > It should be theoretically possible to do this, but there would be lots of logistical problems. > > > > > > What color is a fart? > > > Farts are, alas, colorless. > > > > > > Do other people smell a fart better than the farter? > > > The fart should smell just as much for the person who created it as it does for other people. > > > > > > Where does the word "fart" come from? > > > According to Partridge in his excellent book of word origins (Origins: A Short Etymological Dictionary of Modern English), our word fart comes from the Old English word feortan, presumably of echoic origin, meaning that the word was chosen to sound like the object named. > > > > > > > Now you know.....................................................> > > > > > > > > > > Joy (aka joynoel) IPF 3/06, HP 8/07> Seattle> www.stores.ebay.com/rhapsodydesignjewelry and> www.thehandcraftedjewelrymall.com/joykiefner/>

[Guest guest]

I like the idea that someone has actually measured farts

Thank you

Love Ze xx>> Actually, this is very interesting!> > > EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT FLATULENCE > > > > Where does fart gas come from? > > > The gas in our intestines comes from several sources: air we swallow, gas seeping into our intestines from our blood, gas produced by chemical reactions in our guts, and gas produced by bacteria living in our guts. > > > > > > What is fart gas made of? > > > The composition of fart gas is highly variable. Most of the air we swallow, especially the oxygen component, is absorbed by the body before the gas gets into the intestines. By the time the air reaches the large intestine, most of what is left is nitrogen. Chemical reactions between stomach acid and intestinal fluids may produce carbon Dioxide, which is also a component of air and a product of bacterial action. Bacteria also produce hydrogen and methane. But the relative proportions of these gases that emerge from our anal opening depend on several factors: what we ate, how much air we swallowed, what kinds of bacteria we have in our intestines, and how long we hold in the fart. The longer a fart is held in, the larger the proportion of boring, inert nitrogen it contains, because the other gases tend to be absorbed into the bloodstream through the walls of the intestine. A nervous person who swallows a lot of air and who moves stuff through his digestive system> rapidly may have a lot of oxygen in his farts, because his body didn't have time to absorb the oxygen. Encyclopedia Britannica offers the intriguing statement that some people's farts contain no methane. The reason for this is apparently unknown. Some researchers suspect a genetic influence, whereas others think the anomaly is due to environmental factors. However, all methane in any farts comes from bacterial action and not from human cells. > > > > > > What makes farts stink? > > > The odor of farts comes from small amounts of hydrogen sulfide gas and skatole in the mixture. These compounds contain sulfur. The more sulfur-rich your diet, the more sulfides and skatole will be produced by the bacteria in your guts, and the more your farts will stink. Foods such as cauliflower, eggs and meat are notorious for producing smelly farts, whereas beans produce large amounts of not particularly stinky farts. > > > > > > Why do farts make noise? > > > The sounds are produced by vibrations of the anal opening. Sounds depend on the velocity of expulsion of the gas and the tightness of the sphincter muscles of the anus. > > > > > > How much gas does a normal person pass per day? > > > On average, a person produces about half a liter of fart gas per day, distributed over an average of about fourteen daily farts. > > > > > > How long does it take fart gas to travel to someone else's nose? > > > Fart travel time depends on atmospheric conditions such as humidity and wind speed, as well as the distance between the fart transmitter and the fart receiver. Farts also disperse (spread out) as they leave the source, and their potency diminishes with dilution. Generally, if the fart is not detected within a few seconds, it will be too dilute for perception and will be lost into the atmosphere forever. > > > > > > Is it true that some people never fart? > > > No, not if they're alive. People even fart shortly after death. > > > > > > Do men fart more than women? > > > No, women fart just as much as men. It's just that most men take more pride in it than most women. There is a large variation among individuals in the amount of fart gas produced per day, but the variation does not correlate with gender > > > > > > At what time of day is a gentleman most likely to fart? > > > A gentleman is mostly likely to fart first thing in the morning, while in the bathroom. This is known as "morning thunder," and if the gentleman gets good resonance, it can be heard throughout the household. > > > > > > Why are beans so notorious for making people fart? > > > Beans contain sugars that we humans cannot digest. When these sugars reach our intestines, the bacteria go wild, have a big feast, and make lots of gas! Other notorious fart-producing foods include corn, bell peppers, cabbage, milk, and raisins. > > > > > > What things other than diet can make a person fart more than usual? > > > People who swallow a lot of air fart more than people who don't. This can be cured somewhat by chewing with your mouth closed. Nervous people with fast moving bowels will fart more because less air is absorbed out of the intestines. Some disease conditions can cause excess flatulence. And going up in an airplane or other low-pressure environment can cause the gas inside you to expand and emerge as flatulence. > > > > > > Is a fart really just a burp that comes out the wrong end? > > > No, a burp emerges from the stomach and has a different chemical composition from a fart. Farts have less atmospheric gas content and more bacterial gas content than burps. > > > > > > Is it harmful to hold in farts? > > > There are differences in opinion on this one. Certainly, people have believed for centuries that retaining flatulence is bad for the health. Emperor Claudius even passed a law legalizing farting at banquets out of concern for peoples' health. There was a widespread belief that a person could be poisoned or catch a disease by retaining farts. Doctors I have spoken to recently have told me that there is no particular harm in holding in farts. Farts will not poison you; they are a natural component of your intestinal contents. The worst thing that can happen is that you may get a stomach ache from the gas pressure. But one doctor suggested that pathological distention of the bowel could result if a person holds in farts too much. > > > > > > How long would it be possible to not fart? > > > As I understand it, a captive fart can escape as soon as the person relaxes. This means that a lot of people who assiduously refrain from farting during the day do so at great length as soon as they fall asleep. > > > > > > Where do farts go when you hold them in? > > > How often have you held in a fart, intending to release it at the first appropriate opportunity, only to find that the fart has disappeared when you are ready for it? The doctors agree that the fart is neither released nor absorbed. It simply migrates back upward into the intestine and comes out later. It is reassuring to know that such farts aren't really lost, just delayed. > > > > > > Is it really possible to ignite farts? > > > The answer to that is yes! However, you should be aware that people get injured igniting flatulence. Not only can the flame back up into your colon, but your clothing or other surroundings may catch on fire. A survey done by Fartcloud (the site, alas! is not more) indicates that about a quarter of the people who ignited their farts got burned doing it. Ignition of flatulence is a hazardous practice. > > > > > > Why is possible to burn farts? > > > Farts burn because they contain methane (usually) and hydrogen, both of which are flammable gases. (Hydrogen was the same gas that was used in the ill fated Hindenburg dirigible.) Farts tend to burn with a blue or yellow flame. > > > > > > Are there any books about farting? > > > There are several! My favorite is the new book, Who Cut the Cheese: A Cultural History of the Fart by Jim Dawson. This book provides an entertaining and thought-provoking history of the fart in literature, language and society. It is very informative and very funny! Ben lin's classic Fart Proudly is still in print. > > > > > > Why do dog and cat farts smell so bad? > > > A carnivore's protein-rich diet produces relatively small amounts of intensely stinky gas because proteins contain lots of sulfur. A dog's Or cat's farts are rarely audible, but the odor is overwhelming. I have asked biologists why dogs and cats generally fart silently, and their theories include: > > > (1) the amount of gas produced is small, but potent, > (2) the horizontal orientation of their gastrointestinal system puts less pressure on the anal opening, so the gas is expelled more slowly, > (3) their anal sphincters don't close as tightly as humans' because it takes less force to hold in the contents of the colon -- again because of the horizontal orientation of the > > > gastrointestinal system -- and a loose anus makes less sound, and, my favorite (4) dogs and cats don't feel embarrassed about farting, so their sphincters are more relaxed, > > > leading to less noisy flatulence. Mike F. points out that many dog foods are soy-based, so on top of all the above factors, add beans and stand back! > > > > > > Do turtles fart? > > > Yes, turtles do fart, and their farts smell incredibly bad, as do the farts of snakes. > > > > > > What kind of animal has the highest worldwide output of flatulence? > > > Believe it or not, the animal that wins this honor is the humble termite. Because of their diet and digestive processes (with more than the usual microbial assistance), they produce as much methane as human industry. Termite farts are believed to be a major contributor towards global warming (heh). > > > > > > Is it possible to leave a brown spot on your pants because of a fart, and if so, what causes it? > > > Judging from what I see when I do the laundry, I'd say that the answer to the first question is definitely yes. > > > > > > How can we tell when it's only gas needing to come out, rather than something more serious? > > > Our ability to distinguish between the need to fart and the need to poop is something that we learn gradually in the process of toilet training and early childhood. With the tactile nerve endings in the rectal area, we can actually feel different sensations depending upon what is waiting by the exit. Of course, sometimes we are fooled, especially if the substance at hand is extremely fluid in nature, and that is when we have the unfortunate accident of venting a squirt of diarrhea rather than an innocent fart. > > > > > > Why do women always deny farting? > > > I suppose I should start by saying that only some chicks deny farting. The rest of us acknowledge our gaseous accomplishments with pride. However, a great many sisters do deny farting. The reason is that they have been misled into thinking that farts are not ladylike. It is a great mistake to say that farting is not ladylike. The reason is that all people fart, including ladies. Anything that ladies do is by definition ladylike, and that includes the emission of anal gases. > > > > > > Is it possible for a fart to kill you? > > > A great many of you have asked if farts can be fatal, or if you can die from smelling a particularly bad fart. My initial response to this question was "no," but I thought I'd better ask a doctor. So now it is official, the medical opinion I received is no, a fart can't kill you. > > > > > > What causes the burning sensation that sometimes accompanies a fart? > > > This is generally caused by a recent meal of hot peppers or related spices. The oils associated with these foods remain intact and active all the way through one's gastrointestinal system. > > > > > > > Is it possible to capture a fart in a jar and save it for later use? > > > It should be theoretically possible to do this, but there would be lots of logistical problems. > > > > > > What color is a fart? > > > Farts are, alas, colorless. > > > > > > Do other people smell a fart better than the farter? > > > The fart should smell just as much for the person who created it as it does for other people. > > > > > > Where does the word "fart" come from? > > > According to Partridge in his excellent book of word origins (Origins: A Short Etymological Dictionary of Modern English), our word fart comes from the Old English word feortan, presumably of echoic origin, meaning that the word was chosen to sound like the object named. > > > > > > > Now you know.....................................................> > > > > > > > > > > Joy (aka joynoel) IPF 3/06, HP 8/07> Seattle> www.stores.ebay.com/rhapsodydesignjewelry and> www.thehandcraftedjewelrymall.com/joykiefner/>