While men are largely regarded as the gender who fart constantly and stink up a room, only one part of that statement is correct.
A popular TikTok doctor has gone viral for promoting the little known fact that women’s farts stink more than men’s. Don’t hate us, we’re just the messengers.
Known online as Mad Medicine, the doctor explained how in 1998 there was a study done that tried to clarify what was contained in flatulence and what the difference was between men and women.
It revealed that while men fart more wind on average than women, it was the females that had a higher concentration of Hydrogen sulfide, which is the ingredient that makes your farts stink and, ladies, unfortunately yours stink more.
The data collected during the study found that men have a sulphur concentration of 0.59 in each fart, whereas women have a recording of 1.77. The total volume in men’s farts was 119ml, versus 88ml in women – but it’s all about quality rather than quantity.
The method of getting these results is just as outrageous as its results.
“Flatus was quantitatively collected via rectal tube from 16 healthy subjects who ingested pinto beans and lactulose to enhance flatus output,” the study said.
“The concentrations of sulphur-containing gases in each passage were correlated with odour intensity assessed by two judges.”
It was two people’s jobs to literally smell people’s farts and get some readings on them. And you thought you had a hard job.
The study continued: “While the social significance of flatus derives mainly from its odour, previous studies have focused on the non-odoriferous components of rectal gas.
“The aims of the present study were to determine the role of sulphur-containing gases in flatus odour and test the efficacy of a device purported to reduce this odour.
“Rectal gas has been a topic of scientific and scatological interest since the beginning of recorded history.
“This fascination with flatus has little to do with its volume, 200-2500 ml per day, but rather its offensive odour. Nevertheless, virtually all scientific publications concerning flatus, which date back to 1816, have focused on the quantitatively important, but non-odoriferous components (oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and methane).”
The 16 people selected for the study ranged in age of 18 to 47 years old and none had history of gastrointestinal disease or antibiotic ingestion during the preceding three months.
The people had a diet of 200 grams of pinto beans on the night before and the morning of the study, plus 15 grams of lactulose two hours before gas collection.
