Scientists at the University of Maryland in the United States have created a small device that clips onto underwear to measure farts, helping researchers study digestion more closely. The tiny gadget uses special sensors to detect gases made in the gut, and it can record results all day and night.
Farting, also called flatulence, is a normal part of how our bodies break down food. Inside the gut live helpful bacteria called microbes, which release nutrients from what we eat. While doing that job, they also create gases such as hydrogen, methane and hydrogen sulphide. Some gas is absorbed by the body, but the rest has to leave—usually as a fart.
Professor Brantley Hall said scientists do not yet have a clear picture of what “normal” farting looks like. Without that baseline, it is harder to tell when someone’s gas production might be unusually high.
Using the new device, the team found that healthy adults fart about 32 times a day on average. That is roughly twice what earlier estimates suggested. However, people varied a lot, with some passing wind only four times a day and others as many as 59 times.
Researchers hope these measurements will help them understand how different foods and microbes affect gas production. They also believe the information could support studies into digestion problems, including some food intolerances.
