Here’s How Often People Fart, According to Science
Men's Health • • health
Key Points:
- A large Australian study involving 6,416 adults tracked over 360,000 fart episodes to determine average fart frequency, finding most people fart between two to seven times daily.
- Men reported slightly more daily farts (5.2) than women (4.8), possibly due to differences in diet, social norms, or willingness to admit to farting; younger people (14-25) farted less than older groups.
- Researchers emphasize that farting is both a biological and behavioral function influenced by social and cultural factors, with men generally facing less stigma around flatulence than women.
- Doctors find the data useful as a benchmark for normal farting frequency, helping to differentiate typical behavior from symptoms that may indicate gastrointestinal disorders.
- Excessive or smelly gas accompanied by other symptoms like weight loss, abdominal pain, or bleeding should prompt medical evaluation, while variations in fart frequency alone are usually normal.