A research study investigated which gender produced the most unpleasant-smelling farts and found that women’s emissions were more ‘offensive’.
Everyone experiences flatulence, and we generally accept it, even if the odor can be quite strong at times.
Conducted in 1998, the study revealed that, on average, women’s flatulence had a stronger odor than men’s due to a straightforward reason.
Dr. Michael Levit, a gastroenterologist, carried out this study and became known as the ‘king of farts’ because of his contributions to this unusual field.
So, what was the study’s methodology?
The doctor enlisted 16 healthy adults without gastrointestinal issues, equipping each with a ‘flatus collection system’, which is essentially a rectal tube attached to a bag.
Although people typically pass gas up to 23 times daily, the study did not rely on waiting for these natural occurrences.
Participants were instead given pinto beans and a laxative to prompt gas production, with researchers gathering the resulting emissions.
The collected gas underwent analysis using a gas chromatographic–mass spectroscopic test to determine its components.
Perhaps most intriguingly, the farts also underwent a sniff test by two judges who were tasked with rating their offensiveness.
Interestingly, the judges were unaware they were judging human flatulence and rated the samples on a scale from 0 to 8, where 8 indicated ‘very offensive’.
Findings showed that sulfur-containing compounds, particularly hydrogen sulfide, were the main contributors to fart odor.
While men typically produced larger gas volumes, women’s flatulence contained a ‘significantly higher concentration’ of hydrogen sulfide.
The judges concurred that women’s flatulence had a ‘greater odor intensity’ than men’s.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, there is a scientific explanation behind flatulence.
Gastroenterologist Christine Lee explains that gas is produced in two ways: through food digestion and the swallowing of air.
She notes that the food consumed reaches the gut, where it is broken down during digestion. This process produces hydrogen, carbon dioxide, methane, and other gases that contribute to flatulence.
Additionally, Lee mentions that an average person swallows approximately two quarts of air daily when chewing, talking, snoring, and drinking. While most of this air is expelled as burps, some may pass through the intestines before being released as gas.
Knowledge is power.