Do you like the smell of your farts? Here’s why

Some theories give possible explanations

If you have ever liked the smell of your farts, it’s not something to be ashamed of, because it happens to many and it’s quite normal. Likewise, it’s more likely to be disgusted by others’ farts than ours.

Although there aren’t specific studies about this particular area of gastroenterology, there are some theories.

The most plausible reason we like the smell of our farts is simply that we got used to them easily, especially if we fart often. It must be said that we fart more than you may think—around half a liter a day.

“In nature, survival depends on your ability to detect other smells, so you tend to ignore your own”, Loretta Breuning says, a Ph.D., who writes about brain chemistry and the social behavior of mammals.

Another theory says you may be used to the smell because your family was a little more prone to farts than others.

“Your ability to produce significant quantities of methane, one of the multiple components in intestinal gas, is based on genetics”, says dietician Tracy Lockwood, R.D. “The offspring of two methane producers have a 95% of being a methane producer”.

If your parents farted frequently, there’s a good chance you will as well. However, Lockwood claims that you have less than a 10% chance of producing “strong methane” if only one of them has that inclination.

“Therefore, if you’ve been exposed to this gas smell at an early age, you are more likely to be familiar and comfortable with these strong smells versus your friends”, she says.

The good thing is that this might mean you’re more immune to the strongest stinks. The bad one instead, is that you might be producing a stronger stink than average too, which means that when you fart, your friends might not be that immune.

Another benefit of being used to our smell or others’ is evolutionary. According to experts from Macquarie University in Australia and the University of Washington, parents familiar with family odors can deal with innumerable dirty diapers while still loving their children. Another primordial explanation is that disgust or fear for the stench, in general, is a form of defense from possible infections or diseases that are dangerous for humans but were more common when our ancestors used to run naked.

But all of these theories are moot if you actually can’t stand your own stink. In that case, it’s likely your food is the cause, and it might be time to change your diet. Lockwood notes that gas is simply the final result of the metabolism, or breakdown, of bacteria or organisms, basically, a by-product of digestion.

Your gas can be volatile or odorless, depending on your gut microbiota and colonic flora, and you may need to experiment a little to get better results.

Cutting down on sulfate-rich foods should be the first step. Sulfate is a chemical that is poorly absorbed in the small intestine and is found in cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, nuts, and almonds. According to Lockwood, eating these in smaller amounts can help to lessen the occurrence of smelly gas.

Source menshealth.com