Researchers at the University of Maryland are on a mission to determine the actual frequency of human flatulence, as previous estimates may not have been precise.
As advancements in science continue, experts often revisit established knowledge about the human body. Scientists at the University of Maryland have devised a practical and precise method to monitor how often individuals pass gas throughout the day.
They have introduced a ‘smart underwear’ device, which is a small, coin-sized sensor that can be attached to regular underwear. This device measures flatulence by detecting hydrogen levels in farts.
For many years, healthcare professionals have faced challenges in assisting patients with intestinal gas problems. The researchers involved are committed to advancing this field to make such issues manageable.
Brantley Hall, an assistant professor in UMD’s Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, mentioned that the amount of flatulence considered normal remains uncertain due to potentially inaccurate older estimates.
A press release discussing the smart underwear clarified: “Previous research relied on invasive techniques in small studies or self-reporting, which suffers from missed events, imperfect memory and the impossibility of logging gas while asleep. Visceral sensitivity also varies widely: two people can produce similar amounts of flatus yet experience it very differently.”
Therefore, it may not be surprising that the smart underwear revealed people actually pass gas more than twice as often as previously estimated.
The research team discovered that healthy adults experience flatulence approximately 32 times a day on average, nearly double the 14 (±6) daily events commonly mentioned in medical studies.
Though it might seem like an unusual area of research, understanding the frequency of flatulence helps medical professionals establish a baseline for what is considered healthy, akin to baseline health metrics for heart rate and cholesterol.
Hall noted: “Objective measurement gives us an opportunity to increase scientific rigor in an area that’s been difficult to study.
“We don’t actually know what normal flatus production looks like. Without that baseline, it’s hard to know when someone’s gas production is truly excessive.”
The researchers behind this study are aware of the significant variations in flatulence rates among healthy individuals and plan to initiate the Human Flatus Atlas project.
This initiative will employ the Smart Underwear to objectively analyze flatulence patterns, both day and night, across numerous participants. It will also explore correlations between these patterns, diet, and microbiome composition.