What causes you to Fart?
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Psst. Hey, smarty pants. Are you familiar with Shakespeare's Hamlet? In it, he says, to be or not to be, that is the question. Well, I have a similar phrase. Mine goes like this. To bean or not to bean, that is the question. Huh?

I can explain. I love beans. I love bean salad, bean pie, fried beans, refried beans, black beans, kidney beans, cannellini beans, lima beans, pinto beans, red beans, navy beans, oh, and fava beans. Oh, and of course, baked beans from a can. Yum! Beans are healthy, beans are tasty, and beans make you, I was gonna say, smart. After all, studies show that blackened kidney beans increase dopamine production and make you smarter. Ooh!

But they also make you a lot. Which is why, whenever it's lunch or dinner time, I have to ask myself, to bean or not to bean? After all, there are certain times when you don't want to risk having to because it could be embarrassing. Like when you're recording an episode of Who Farted? I mean, Who Smarted?

Ah, and just for the record, beans contain raffinose, a type of carbohydrate that your body doesn't digest easily. Bacteria in your large intestine breaks down raffinose, resulting in... resulting in... Wake up, sound guy! Resulting in... Huh? Oh, whoops, sorry. There you go. But while you might understand how beans make you fart, why do people and animals fart in the first place? How often do people fart?

Why are some farts loud and some farts quiet or even silent? And why do some farts smell worse than others? Ew. And should you hold in your farts? Ugh. It's time for another whiff of... No, not that. Whoops, sorry. It's time for a whiff of science and history on... Who Smarted? Who Smarted?

Who's Smarted? Who's Smart? Is it you? Is it me? Is it science? Or history? Listen up, everyone! Smarting! Lots of fun on Who's Smarted!

Hey, Smarty Pants. Trusty here with a special mission for all the Smarty Pants listening. But unlike a top secret mission, this mission requires you to tell everyone. That's right. Your job is to spread the word about Who Smarted so we can keep growing and bringing you awesome new episodes. To qualify for this mission, let's play a little game. Who do you know that would love Who Smarted but doesn't listen to the show?

Got someone in mind? Great. Question two. Pick one. Make a plan. Stick to it.

And best of all, complete this not-so-top-secret mission. I'm counting on you, Smarty Pants. The more people you tell, the bigger we grow, which means a lot more smarting for you. Okay, Smarty Pants, I can't believe it's taken us this long, but we're finally doing an episode to learn all about farts. And to help us out, I brought back an old friend of the show who also happens to be an expert. Ooh!

Author of Art of the Fart and star of the Emoji Movie and the What Does Your Poo Say About You Who Smarted episode, why, it's Poo-moji.

Why, yes, it's me, Pumogi. Good to see you again, trusty narrator. Always a pleasure, never a chore. And thanks for agreeing to interview me at my place of choosing. Of course, Pumogi. Um, where are we exactly? We are at the hottest nightclub in the human body, the Swollen Colon. Come inside. I'm on the list.

Wow, it's super crowded in here, Pumoji. I know. Luckily, you're with me. I'm a VIP, a very important poop. So what exactly did you want to talk to me about? Well, the Smarty Pants and I were smarting about farts, and I figured you'd have the inside scoop, seeing as you originate from the same place. Ah, yes. Good thinking, trusty. I hate to toot my own horn, but...

Thanks. Anyway, the first question is, why do people fart? Smarty Pants, before Pumoji answers, see if you can guess the answer. Is it A, because your body likes making funny noises to amuse people? B, it's a defense mechanism to keep people away, like a skunk's spray? Or C, it's due to a buildup of gas in your body? So, Pumoji, which answer is right? Farty Pants, if you said C, you're right!

The reason you or me or trusty narrator fart is due to a buildup of gas in the body. Great job if you got that right. Oh, and it's smarty pants, not farty pants. Hey, you put on a smarty pant and a farty pant the same way. One leg at a time.

Right. Next question. How does the fart-producing gas get in our bodies in the first place? Excellent question. Here is an equally excellent answer. You swallow air throughout the day, sometimes from carbonated beverages, other times from inhaling air, or even when you chew and swallow, all that swallowed trapped air turns into a gas inside your intestines.

I see. But what exactly is this gas? Intestinal gas is made up of various amounts of oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and methane. Whoa. Yikes. Is it dangerous having all these gases inside your body? No.

The gas is a byproduct of your digestive system at work. In fact, farting is healthy and good for your body. Your body produces gas as part of breaking down and processing food. That's great to hear. Sorry, I had a three-bean salad for lunch. Me too!

Okay, no more farting around, narrator. Ask me a tough question. Okay, how often do people fart? And why are some farts smelly and others are not? Ah, two-parter. Now we're talking. Let's start with part one. How often do people fart? What do you think, Smarty Pants? Is it A, once a day? B, 100 times a day? Or C, it varies from day to day? Did you guess C again? Well then, you're right again.

Oh, yeah. The amount of gas you pass varies from day to day depending on many factors. However, doctors say the average person farts anywhere from 5 to 15 times per day. That's a ton of farts. It's nowhere near my record. But don't worry. Like I said, farting is a normal part of digestion that reflects the activity of the air and bacteria in your gut.

You might also notice you fart more when you eat certain foods that are more difficult to digest, such as... Beans. To bean or not to bean? That is the question. Yeah, there's no question that beans make you fart. Oh.

And what about the second part? How come flatulence, that's a fancy pants way of saying fart, smarty pants, how come flatulence is sometimes smellier than other times? Well, the smell of your fart has a lot to do with what you put in your body. The odor comes from intestinal bacteria that produces compounds containing the gas sulfur.

Foods high in sulfur can make your farts reek like rotten eggs or poop. Ew. This includes cruciferous veggies like broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, and cabbage. Ugh.

Other sulfur-rich foods include garlic, onions, cheddar cheese, dried fruits, nuts, beef, eggs, pork, fish, poultry, and legumes, also known as beans. And it's not just food that can stink up your farts. Certain prescription medications, vitamins, and supplements can also do a number on your gut, resulting in some really smelly stink bombs.

Ew, it smells like... But guess what? Did you know 99% of farts are odorless? Really? It's true. Most farts are just air escaping, and those tend to be not very stinky. Also, the sound of the fart depends on how open your sphincter muscle is at the time the gas escapes. The larger the opening, the louder the fart. The funny thing is, the air farts tend to be louder.

while quieter farts tend to be smellier. Ah, so silent but deadly. Is it real? That it is, but the loud one is always funnier.

Just remember, trusty narrator and smarty pants, everyone's body is different, meaning everyone reacts to foods, medications, vitamins, and supplements differently. If you feel like something is causing your body to fart more often than normal or results in a tummy ache, it may be something to mention to an adult or doctor.

You know, all this fart talk has made me realize something, Pomoji. What? That there is more to farts than meets the nose? Well, that too. But more importantly, I gotta fart right now. But we're in the middle of this crowded nightclub. I suggest you head to the bathroom. It's the polite thing to do. But what if I can't make it in time?

Hey, it happens. It can be embarrassing to fart in public, but there's no reason to be ashamed. It's only human. Everybody farts. Just be sure to say excuse me. That's a great message, Pumoji, but what if you really, really don't want to fart in public? Is it safe to try and hold in a fart? Good question. And the answer, right after this quick break.

Have you ever asked questions like, I wonder who invented toilets? Or, why do dogs wag their tails? Then have I got the thing for you. The Brains on Universe, a family of podcasts for kids and their adults. My name is Joy Dolo, and I host a funny and fabulous history show called Forever Ago. We explore the history of everything from bubblegum to how we sent messages before cell phones.

I live in New Zealand, and the Maori people there use smoke signals to send messages. There's also Brains On, a science show where we answer kids' questions like... Do plants sleep? And... Why do some people have asthma? And on the debate game show Smash Boom Best, you get to judge which is cooler, chocolate versus cheese, or Spider-Man versus Batman.

What is Batman's personality? He's a rich guy. Find Forever Ago, Brains On, and Smash Boom Best wherever you get your podcasts. Or head to brainson.org to learn more.

Hey everyone, Trusty here. One of the things I love about hosting Who Smarted is getting to answer all those amazing questions from curious smarty pants. And that's why I'm excited to tell you about another show that does exactly that. Our friend's podcast, But Why? A podcast for curious kids. Have you ever asked something like, why does the wind blow? Or does skyscrapers actually scrape the sky? And you weren't quite sure of the answer?

Well, but why has you covered? They've answered questions from over 16,000 kids across 90 countries, and they're not afraid to tackle any topic, even the gross ones that make grown-ups squirm. I mean, they have whole episodes about poop and making paint from spit and rocks. How cool is that?

Their team gets real experts to answer real questions from real kids like you. So if your family loves learning interesting stuff on Who Smarted, you'll definitely want to check out But Why. You can find But Why wherever you get your podcasts. Now back to Who Farted. I mean, Who Smarted?

Okay, smarty pants. I'm still at the Swollen Colon nightclub with my special guest, the Poo-Moji. Luckily, I was able to make it to the bathroom to pass some gas. It's the polite thing to do. But what if you can't make it to a bathroom? And you really don't want to fart in a public place? Should people hold their farts in, Poo-Moji? What do you think, trusty narrator? Hmm.

It would be nice not to let that sound or smell out in math class, for instance. What do you think, smarty pants? Should you hold in your farts? I'm hearing a lot of no's. And a few farts.

I think your smarty pants are onto something, trusty narrator. I, for one, wouldn't advise holding in your farts. Though there's limited scientific evidence that holding in a fart could cause severe health issues, holding in your farts can cause problems in the long term. Really? Like what? Well, pain and discomfort in the abdomen, for starters. It can also cause bloating, indigestion, even heartburn. Oh.

Oh. Heartburn? Like, in your chest and esophagus? That's right. When you hold in a fart, you're not releasing gas that your body is trying to expel. Well, that gas has to go somewhere. And whether you like it or not, that fart is going to get released out of your body one way or another.

It may not happen when you hold it in, but when you stop focusing on holding it in or when you fall asleep, your body will expel the gas. It's all a way of your body keeping you healthy. Right. Just keep telling yourself, farting is healthy. Farting is healthy. Healthy. And hilarious. I said healthy and hilarious. Whoops. Sorry. Sorry.

I see you laughing, farty pants. It's smarty pants. Whatever you say, musty narrator. Hey, excuse me. Yeah, I definitely shouldn't have beans today.

A big whiff of shout out to Landon in California, Maryland. We love knowing that you think Who Smarted is funny and super interesting. Yep, it sounds like you totally get us. Keep on smarting, Landon. This episode, Farts, was written by James Buttpuff Butler and voiced by Brandon, Who Beefed Bayless, Adam Toots Davis, and Jerry Colbert.

Technical direction and sound design by Josh Gassi-Hahn. Who Smarted? is recorded and mixed at the Relic Room Studios. Our associate producer is Max Cut the Cheese Kamaski. The theme song is by Brian Stinky Suarez, with lyrics written and performed by Adam Toots Davis. Who Smarted? was created and produced by Adam Tex Davis and Jerry Colbert. This has been an Atomic Entertainment production. Who Smarted?