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Flatulence, or passing gas, is a normal daily phenomenon.
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Most individuals, yes, that includes you, will make anywhere from 500-1500 milliliters of gas,
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and can pass gas ten to twenty times a day.
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But where does this bodily gas come from?
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A small proportion may come from ingesting air during sleep, or at other times,
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but the majority of gas is produced by bacteria in our intestines as they digest parts of food which we cannot.
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Our intestine is home to trillions of bacteria living in a symbiotic relationship with us.
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We provide them with a safe place to stay and food to eat.
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In exchange, they help us extract energy from our food,
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make vitamins for us, like vitamin B and K, boost our immune system,
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and play an important role in gastrointestinal barrier function, motility and the development of various organ systems.
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Clearly, it's in our best interest to keep these bacteria happy.
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Gut bacteria get their nutrition primarily from undigested food,
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such as carbohydrates and proteins, which come to the large intestines.
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They ferment this undigested food to produce a wide range of compounds,
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such as short-chain fatty acids and, of course, gases.
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Hydrogen and carbon dioxide are the most common gaseous products of bacterial fermentation, and are odorless.
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Some people also produce methane due to specific microbes present in their gut,
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but methane is actually odorless, too.
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Well then, what stinks?
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The foul smell is usually due to volatile sulfur compounds,
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such as hydrogen sulfide and methanethiol, or methyl mercaptan.
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These gases, however, constitute less than 1 % of volume,
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and are often seen with ingestion of amino acids containing sulfur,
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which may explain the foul smell of gas from certain high protein diets.
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Increased passage of gas is commonly noticed after eating foods with high amounts of indigestible carbohydrates,
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like beans, lentils, dairy products, onions, garlic, leeks, radishes,
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potatoes, oats, wheat, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, and brussel sprouts.
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Humans lack the enzymes,
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so the bacteria able to ferment complex carbohydrates take over,
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and this naturally leads to more gas than usual.
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But if you feel uncomfortable, bloated or visibly distended,
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this mean indicate impaired movement of gas along the gastrointestinal track.
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It's important not to just blame certain foods for gas and bloating and then avoid them.
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You don't want to starve the bacteria that digest these complex carbohydrates,
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or they'll have to start eating the sugars in the mucus lining of your intestines.
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Your personal gas will vary based on what you eat, and what bacteria are in your gut.
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For example, from the same starting sugar,
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the bacteria clostridium produces carbon dioxide, butyrate and hydrogen,
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while propionibacterium can produce carbon dioxide, propionate and acetate.
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At the same time, methanogens can use hydrogen and carbon dioxide produced by other bacteria to generate methane,
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which can reduce the total volume of gas by using up hydrogen and carbon dioxide.
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So there's a complex web among intestinal bacteria
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allowing them to flourish by either directly consuming undigested food, or using what other bacteria produce.
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This interaction largely determines the amount and type of gas produced,
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so gas production is a sign that your gut bacteria are at work.
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But in some instances, people may develop abnormal increased flatulence.
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A common example is lactose intolerance.
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Most individuals have the enzyme for breaking down lactose, a sugar present in milk and milk-derived products.
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But some people either lack it entirely, or have a reduced amount,
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such as after a gastrointestinal infection,
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so they're unable to digest lactose products and may experience cramping,
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along with increased flatulence due to bacterial fermentation.
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But remember, most gas is produced as a natural result of bacterial in the intestine,
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and indicates healthy functioning of the gut.
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The amount and type can based on your diet and the bacteria in your intestine.
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Exercise social courtesy while passing gas, and do try to forgive your bacteria.
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They're only trying to be helpful.