People pass gas for many reasons, and it has benefits, but farting does not burn calories.
Releasing Farts and Burning Calories: Whats True?
Fartingdoes not burn calories, at least not enough to be significant.
vitapix / Getty Images
Passing gas is a passive process.
The anus hastwo rings of muscle around it.
Farting requires only passive muscle involvement because the pressure buildup causes the gas to be released.
What Does Burn Calories?
BMR varies by person, but it accounts for about two-thirds of the total calories burned each day.
People fart an average of eight to 14 times a day, and sometimes more often.
Letting farts out is a good thing.
Farting has benefits such as:
Engaging in “fart walks” can also be beneficial.
Taking a short walk within an hour after eating can help get your bowels moving and release farts.
This can help mitigate bloating and could reduce acid reflux.
Where Does Gas Come From?
These bacteria digest certain carbohydrates that are incompletely digested in the stomach and intestines.
This creates by-products such as carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and methane.
Eating these carbohydrates can lead to increased gas and discomfort.
If you notice excess gas or changes in amount or odor, do not self-diagnose.
A healthcare provider can help determine if your gas is normal or due to an underlying condition.
Most of the time, farting is not a concern.
Excess gas often happens because of swallowed air and certain foods.
Bladder and Bowel Community.Factsheet: sphincter exercises to aid bowel control.
MyHealth Alberta.Rectum, anus, and anal sphincter.
Harvard Health.Burning calories without exercise.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of gas in the digestive tract.
University of Bergen.Why do we fart?
Johns Hopkins.Bloating: causes and prevention tips.
Kify Hospital.Flatus or farting - health benefits.
University of Washington.Why fart walks are so good for your health.
UpToDate.Gas and bloating (beyond the basics).
American College of Gastroenterology.Belching, bloating, and flatulence overview.
Mount Sinai.Gas - flatulence.
Brigham and Women’s Hospital.Gas: beat the bloat.
Johns Hopkins.FODMAP diet: what it’s crucial that you know.
Keck Medicine of USC.This Is what your excessive or foul-smelling gas could mean.
Houston Methodist.Flatulence: everything you wanted to know about farting.
National Health Service.Farting (flatulence).
Hospital for Sick Children.Gas (flatulence).
Cedars-Sinai.Gas in the digestive tract.
