smelly farts?

Whether you try to hide it or not, you fart. Everybody does.

But even though it's such a routine activity — the average person farts between 10 and 20 times per day — there's a lot about farting that you might not know.

As part of research into the microbiome — the rich community of bacteria that live throughout your body — scientists have learned all sorts of interesting things about the bacteria that produce gas inside your intestines.

6 smelly fart causes

There are a number of reasons why your farts smell bad. In most cases, foul-smelling flatulence (farts) is associated with the foods you eat and an unbalanced diet. However, there can be more serious causes of rotten-smelling gas.

1. High-fiber foods

Many high-fiber foods can make you pass more gas. It takes longer for these foods to break down in your digestive system, so they ferment over time.

High-fiber foods also sometimes smell, which means your farts may smell too. This is especially true with strong-smelling vegetables such as:

broccoli

asparagus

cabbage

Your gas may smell like rotten eggs because of the sulfur in fiber-rich foods. Sulfur is a natural compound that smells like spoiled eggs. Many vegetables are sulfur-based.

If this is causing your flatulence, a simple change in diet will be sufficient treatment.

The next one is a very common one we see at our Centre very often.

2. Food intolerance

If you have a sensitivity or reaction to certain foods, your gas could have a foul odor. For example, people with lactose intolerance can’t break down the carbohydrate lactose. As a result, it is fermented by bacteria in your gut.

Gluten intolerance, or in its more severe form as Celiac disease, can also cause smelly farts. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease where there is an immune response to the protein gluten. This leads to inflammation and injury in the intestine, leading to malabsorption. Flatulence can be a result of this.

Other than bad-smelling flatulence, Celiac disease can cause other symptoms:

fatigue

bloating

diarrhea

weight loss

Talk to us to get tests and determine if you have any food allergies or sensitivities that may be making your farts smell and your stomach uncomfortable and bloated.

3. Medication

Although uncommon, certain medications can cause smelly flatulence. Antibiotics kill off harmful pathogens in the body. They also destroy some of the good bacteria in your stomach, which aids digestion. Without this good bacteria, your gas may smell. You could also experience bloating and constipation.

Treatment for this cause involves changing medication, which you should not do without talking to your doctor who prescribed the meds first. If you are not on any chronic medication but have been on copious amounts of antibiotics we can definitely help you. Remember sometimes probiotics will make things worse if you have SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overload).

4. Constipation

Constipation indicates that you have a buildup of stool, or poop, in your colon. If you can’t poop regularly, it can cause bacteria and odor to develop. The end result is foul-smelling and sometimes painful gas.

Taking over-the-counter laxatives can be a simple home remedy for constipation but it is not going to solve your issue. You need to test your body first. Constipation has many causes - the Pancreas, the Liver, the Gallbladder, allergies, sensitivities etc.

5. Bacteria buildup and digestive tract infections

When your body digests food, it extracts nutrients and sends them to the bloodstream. The waste products are sent to the colon. Disrupting the digestion process can cause an overgrowth of bacteria (SIBO).

Some bacteria can cause infection in the intestines and digestive tract. This may cause a higher volume of gas than normal and a strong-smelling odor. People with digestive tract infections also often have abdominal pain and diarrhea.

6. Poor Digestive Enzymes

When the pancreas doesn't naturally secrete digestive enzymes, it affects your body's ability to break down the foods you eat and absorb nutrients. This can lead to malnutrition as well symptoms such as bloating, cramping, gassiness, and diarrhea.

Other causes are anxiety and dental problems, through increased air swallowing.

Foul-smelling gas can be caused by a range of reasons, from normal to potentially severe.

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Visit us at Essential Health to determine if you have a bacterial infection. If you do, we will inform you of what would best suit you to get your body back into balance. Whatever it is we can definitely help you.

So what will we do to help you? We will run a full body scan on the entire body. Once we know what the CAUSE is we can then help you with foods, medications and lifestyle changes.

Contact us now on bookingsatessentialhealth@gmail.com or 083 654 9943 or 031 171 0187 or 082 992 0367