1. Yes, human beings actually need to fart

This may seem like a basic premise, but there’s a lot that goes into it. Namely, the human body builds up a lot of intestinal gas because we not only swallow air all day, we also have bacterial overgrowths in our intestines, not to mention all those gassy byproducts of digesting.

Farting, therefore, is a very necessary function of the human body. All that gas has to go somewhere, doesn’t it?

2. Holding in farts is a super bad idea

Pressure builds. That’s the simplest way to put it. You hold in a fart, and what happens is the pressure increases on your spincter until you release a compound fart, which is twice as loud and smelly as the one you would have released had you just farted normally.

That’s not the only way a backed-up fart comes out, however. The fart gases can reabsorb in your bloodstream, which means eventually it’ll come out your breath. Thankfully, the smellier gases dissipate, so your breath should be fine.

However, there’s another way a delayed fart can get you – via a burp. That’s right, if the gas is near enough to your mouth, it’ll come out as a very mealy smelling burp.

When in doubt, let it out.

3. Your farts are flammable

Farts are made up of several different gases including  nitrogen and carbon dioxide. Both of these, by the way, are highly flammable, so don’t even think of holding a lit match near your butt.

Bacteria-produced farts can add methane and hydrogen to the mix and both of these are – you guessed it – explosive.

Can you blow up a house with a fart? It’s honestly a distinct (if very far-fetched) possibility.

4. Vegetarian farts smell better

Meat products contain high levels of sulfur, and sulfur makes gas smelly. It follows, therefore, that vegetarians have less smelly farts due to the fact that they don’t eat meat.

That doesn’t mean vegetarian farts are all lilacs and roses, however. Certain vegetables cause smelly farts, so vegetarian farts can be as noxious as meat-eaters’ every once in a while.

5. Certain foods make your farts smellier

When bacteria breaks down sulfur-rich foods, gasses known as  sulfides and mercaptans result. These are what give farts their distinctive bouquet, and meat is the usual suspect.

Veggies, however, are also a culprit. Some vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, onions, Brussels sprouts, peas, leeks and garlic are high in sulfites, and eating them results in sulfide- and mercaptan-rich gas.

6. 20 is a magic number

Why? Because that’s the average amount the typical human farts every day. Of course, this number varies depending on diet, exercise, etc., but it’s pretty standard.

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This number counts both when you’re awake and asleep because people fart as much during both activities. And yes, men and women fart about the same amount.

7. “Wake-up” farts is a thing

Ever wake up in the morning and then let one rip? Turns out, there’s a reason for that. During the day, you’re up and about, so fart emerges in tiny little puffs.

At night, however, gas pools in your colon, which leads to flatulence and that horribly disturbing morning breeze that releases the moment your new significant other wakes up.

8. The word “fart” actually has a long history

And it’s always been vulgar. “Fart” comes from the old English word “feortan,” which means to break wind. 

Interestingly enough, the definition of fart is “a flatus expelled through the anus.”

Excuse us while we go titter into a napkin.

9. We fart an unbelievable amount at an unbelievable speed

The average person releases four pints of farts a day. Four pints! That’s just over a liter of gas per day. That’s nothing compared to the speed of farts, however.

The average fart travels 10 feet per second, or, in other words, nearly 7 miles per hour. That’s nothing to sniff at.

10. There’s a good reason why you hate the smell of other people’s farts

Farts spread Streptococcus pyogenes, a bacteria that causes tonsillitis, scarlet fever, heart disease, and even flesh-eating disease. Back in the day, when our ancestors ran around naked, this was a huge problem. Now, however, people wear pants.

But they still hate the smell of other people’s farts, though.