Your body releases the gas that builds up in the digestive system after consuming food as a fart or burp. Farting regularly is sign of a healthy gut, but excessive farting may be a sign of another condition.
Even if it’s often considered embarrassing, farting is a normal and natural occurrence. It’s the by-product of a digestive system at work. In fact, farting is healthy and good for your body.
Your body produces gas as part of breaking down and processing food. You also swallow air when eating, chewing, or swallowing.
All of this gas and air builds up in your digestive system. Some of it is absorbed naturally, but the remaining gas needs to be released in some way — either as a fart or a burp.
If you didn’t pass gas, you could experience uncomfortable, even painful, issues like bloating.
Learn why farting is good for you — and when it might signal a problem that’s worth discussing with a doctor.
Farting is a sign your body — specifically your digestive tract — is working as it should. Indeed, farting is a benefit of a healthy body. It:
Tells you if your diet is balanced
A diet that includes lean proteins, vegetables, fruits, and grains is considered balanced and healthy. But it will produce gas.
Certain types of carbohydrates can’t always be broken down in your digestive tract. Instead, they’ll ferment for a bit in the large intestine before being removed during a bowel movement. That fermentation produces gas.
If you ate only a diet of simple carbohydrates, you might not produce as much gas. However, that would be unhealthy for other reasons. A balanced diet is healthier for your body, and specifically for your gut, even if it does produce flatulence.
Reduces abdominal pain
As you eat, chew, swallow, and process food, gas will collect in your digestive tract. If you produce a lot of gas, it can eventually cause pain and discomfort. But farting eliminates that gas and any pain or pressure with it.
Improves colon health
From time to time, you may want to hold in gas to suppress flatulence when you’re in a room with others. But holding in gas too frequently can actually irritate the colon. It may also irritate hemorrhoids.
Releasing gas is always healthier than holding it in. Don’t be afraid to let those farts fly.
Reduces bloating
Too much gas in your digestive tract can cause bloating, or a feeling of swelling and fullness. It can be uncomfortable, but it’s rarely dangerous.
Relieving gas as the urge arises can help reduce bloating and any symptoms along with it.
Identifies food allergies or intolerances
When you eat a food to which you have an allergy or intolerance, your body will produce symptoms to let you know the digestive tract is upset. These symptoms may include diarrhea, nausea, bloating, and gas.
If you routinely experience excess gas after eating certain foods, your body may be trying to tell you the food is upsetting.
Talk with a doctor about your symptoms. They may order tests or help you develop an elimination diet to find out which food or foods is causing the excess gas and other symptoms.
Signifies a healthy gut
Extra toots could be the price of a healthier gut microbiome. Good gut health and a thriving colony of bacteria produce more gas. That’s because these bacteria can eat and break down food in your stomach and intestines more easily.
While that may produce excess gas, it’s a good sign — one that tells you all is well in your digestive tract.
Sounds a health alarm
Excess gas or extreme flatulence odors may be signs of a potential medical condition or issue. These symptoms could be your body’s way of letting you know something isn’t right. It might be a food intolerance. Rarely, it’s a sign of a more serious issue, such as colon cancer.
The average person produces 14 to 23 farts every day. You may experience slightly fewer or even more, depending on what you eat and your lifestyle.
Most times you break wind, they’ll be odorless, even undetectable. Sometimes, however, farts may be smellier or louder than usual.
Excessive farting is farting more than 25 times per day. While you may not keep tabs of the number of toots, you can often get a sense of when gas is passing more frequently by how often you notice the excess pressure in your rectum.
Regularly farting is normal, even healthy. Farting a lot isn’t necessarily bad, but it could be a sign of a digestive issue or improper diet.
One of the easiest adjustments for gas issues is making sure you’re getting a good balance of protein and plants, like fruits, vegetables, and grains, in your daily diet.
If you think you’re breaking wind frequently, try to balance out the proportion of food groups on your plate first. Eat more fiber-rich foods like fruits and vegetables. Yes, these foods produce gas, but they help balance your stomach’s bacteria, which can make your gas expulsion more regular.
Also, cut out gas-filled beverages like soda or sparkling water, and pop mints for fresh breath instead of chewing gum, which introduces more air.
While eating a diet that’s low in fiber and high in simple carbohydrates might produce less gas, it’s not healthy for a variety of reasons. Your body needs the balance of good foods to regulate digestion, prevent constipation, and keep your farts regular.
Passing extra toots is rarely cause for concern. However, if you feel you’re breaking wind more than usual — or you experience pain or discomfort when you do — make an appointment with a doctor.
They may want to review your symptoms and conduct tests to try to understand what’s causing your increased flatulence.
If you think the number of farts you pass in a day is increasing, and you also experience pain, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, make an appointment to see a doctor. These may be signs and symptoms of a digestive issue that needs to be addressed.
Regularly passing gas is a sign that your body and your digestive tract are working as they should. Minor changes to your diet and lifestyle may increase or decrease the number of times you break wind in any day.
Overall, farting is healthy. Everyone farts many times every day, even if you don’t always smell or hear it.