November 03, 2003
Intestinal Bacteria Byproducts
Here's a fun article about flatulence. It reports some of the findings of fart doctor extraordinaire Michael Levitt.
Women and men break wind just as often - although the volume may be lower with each puff.
Loudness and odor are uncorrelated - silent isn't necessarily deadly (but it sure can be!).
Hydrogen Sulfide not only gives flatus (the technical name for fart) its pungent aroma, but is as deadly as cynanide in the blood stream - no wonder is smells so bad.
This article has not only the the facts about flatulence but also the wonderful phrase "high drama flatulence".
One of the other benefits to the early stages of the Atkins diet - less flatulence because of the reduction in carbohydrates that fuel the bacteria that make it.
One last thought to leave you with on this subject: you have roughly 10 times more bacteria living in your gut than you have cells in your body, and getting rid of them isn't an option.
Posted by Kevin Murphy at November 3, 2003 01:15 PM | Science
