Gut bacteria are the sneaky organisms behind those awkward farts and long bathroom breaks! Find how they impact your bowel movements below.
The human gut hosts thousands of bacteria colonies that aid in breaking down the food you consume into proteins, minerals, vitamins, etc. An unhealthy culture of these bacteria in your stomach causes constipation, IBS, obesity, diabetes, depression, and colon cancer. The quality of these bacteria differs from human to human, given their genes. Probiotic and prebiotic foods are also responsible for the growth of good or bad bacteria.
Why Do You Keep Farting?
Recent research has found that a plant-based diet could make you fart more than the average individual, especially men. The research team comprising Claudia Barber and colleagues from the Liver and Digestive Diseases Networking Biomedical Research Centre in Barcelona, Spain, studies 18 men (18 to 38 years)without any medical conditions.
The participants were randomly instructed to follow either Mediterranean or Western diet continuously for two weeks. At the end of the study, the men consuming the Mediterranean diet farted seven times more than men on the western diet.
The balloons attached to the men’s rectum revealed they also farted 50% more gas than usual while on the plant-based stewed beans diet. It was also recorded that most farts were odorless.
Researchers explained farts get smelly depending on the quantity of protein digested. A plant diet has less protein and more fiber. Barber said the study falsified the Western idea of farts representing something wrong in the bowel.
Why Do You Poop a Lot?
The researchers had already established how the Mediterranean diet is high in proteins due to the number of fruits and vegetables included. Though the number of poo breaks remained constant, the study found men on the plant diet pooped double the quantity.
Since gut bacterias are fiber-fermenting bacteria. They dissolve solid food and release short-chain fatty acids into the system. These fatty acids assist the blood in absorbing nutrients. Thus, they also reduce cholesterol levels keeping the heart and intestine healthy.
Which Is the Best Diet for Weight Loss?
The excess farting and pooping resulted in visible weight loss in men. Since men have visceral fat i.e. The male body deposits excess fat around organs, unlike the female body that deposits excess fat under the skin. A Mediterranean diet proves to be a healthier option for developing gut bacteria. You can check out more diet options in this article.