For the longest time, farting was thought to be a bad thing. The product of overindulging in Mexican food, or drinking too much beer, or having a digestive tract that’s rotted from the inside out due to a diet of beef jerky and takeout Thai.
But now, science says busting ass is a sign your stomach is working just fine. From NPR:
“Eating foods that cause gas is the only way for the microbes in the gut to get nutrients,” he says. “If we didn’t feed them carbohydrates, it would be harder for them to live in our gut.”
And we need to keep these colon-dwelling critters content, Kashyap says. When they gobble up food — and create gas — they also make molecules that boost the immune system, protect the lining of the intestine and prevent infections.
“A healthy individual can have up to 18 flatulences per day and be perfectly normal,” he adds.
Holy shit! Eighteen. That’s a good over/under. Couldn’t say if I am above or below it. But even better? The worse they smell, the better farts are for you. Well, except for the drinking ones.
…here’s the hitch: Many of the smelly sulfur compounds in vegetables have healthful properties.
Take for instance, the broccoli, mustard and cabbage family. These Brassica vegetables are packed with a sulfur compound, called sulforaphane, that is strongly associated with a reduced risk of cancer.
So you know what to do, Bros. End fart-shaming today.
[Farting via Shutterstock]