Table of contents:
- Does your body burn calories when you fart?
- Then, why does the stomach look slimmer after farting?
- Watch out for drastic weight loss after farting
After successfully passing wind, aka farting, your stomach will usually feel more comfortable. In fact, sometimes you also feel that your stomach will become slimmer after you fart. That is why many people suspect that the air that comes out when you fart is said to be a sign that the body is burning calories when you fart. So, is that so? Find out the answer in the following review.
Does your body burn calories when you fart?
A gastroenterologist from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Kyle Staller, MD, revealed that the average person stores about 0.5-1.5 liters of gas in his digestive tract every day. All of this gas will be released through the fart gradually every day. Approximately, humans will pass gas 14-23 times a day.
After a few farts, you may feel that your stomach is no longer bloated, aka slimmer. For this reason, there is an assumption that the body burns calories when you fart. In fact, he said, one fart can burn 67 calories in the body. Is that true?
Unfortunately, this is just a myth. The body doesn't burn a single calorie when you fart. According to experts, farting is a passive activity that does not use up energy in the body.
When you fart, the muscles of your intestines and digestive tract are relaxed. Even so, the pressure from the intestinal muscles can still push gas out of the anus without expending any energy.
Meanwhile, to burn calories, your body muscles must contract or move. For example, with running, swimming, or just walking that involves moving muscles all over the body.
This makes it clear that the body basically does not burn calories when you fart. Unless you accidentally fart while running or doing activities, then of course there will be calories burned. However, this comes from the activities you are doing, not because of farting.
Then, why does the stomach look slimmer after farting?
Even though it is sometimes seen as an embarrassment, passing wind, aka farting, actually brings many health benefits. One of them, the air that comes out when you fart can help you avoid flatulence.
If you pay attention, sometimes the stomach that was originally distended looks slimmer after farting. You may be wondering, does this mean that farts can overcome a distended stomach?
As it turns out, lean stomach after farting is only a temporary effect. This distended stomach comes from the accumulation of air in the digestive tract which comes from:
- Swallowing air, usually occurs when eating, drinking, using a straw, or chewing gum.
- The bacteria in the intestines give off gas when they help digest food.
The more gas in the stomach, the bigger your stomach will look, or often referred to as flatulence. When the bowel movements begin to push these gases out of the body, your stomach will deflate and appear smaller. Your stomach will feel more comfortable afterwards.
Watch out for drastic weight loss after farting
Because your body doesn't burn calories when you fart, your body weight won't diminish at all after you fart. Even so, be careful if you feel more frequent farting accompanied by drastic weight loss.
According to Michael Rice, MD, a gastroenterologist at the University of Michigan's Michigan Medicine Gastroenterology Clinic, drastic weight loss accompanied by frequent farting can be a symptom of digestive ailments. Starting from celiac disease to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Watch for other symptoms that appear when you fart. If you experience abdominal pain, a change in bowel habits, or rectal bleeding, consult your nearest doctor immediately.
