[Sportschosun Reporter Jang Jong-ho] A new study has found how many times people pass gas on average in a day.
Researchers in Australia recently published findings in the international journal JAMA Network Open after surveying 6,416 Australians aged 14 and older on how often they passed gas.
The researchers explained that passing gas is not just a simple bodily function, but an important indicator of gut health, making it meaningful to understand what counts as a normal frequency.
They gave participants a smartphone app and asked them to record each episode of passing gas as soon as possible after it occurred.
The team then analyzed a total of 361,920 records submitted by the participants.
The results showed that, during waking hours, the average number of times people passed gas per day was five, while the median was 3.8. The researchers said the average was higher than the median because some participants passed gas very frequently, pulling the overall average upward.
About 79.3% of all participants recorded between two and seven episodes per day. By sex, men averaged 5.2 times a day, slightly more than women at 4.8.
By age, those aged 14 to 25 had the fewest episodes, averaging 4.4 times a day, while those aged 26 to 45 had the most, at just over five. The 46 to 65 age group recorded exactly five on average. However, there were not enough participants aged 65 and older for a separate analysis.
The study also identified the times of day when gas was most common. The number of episodes gradually increased throughout the day and peaked after dinner, with slight increases also seen between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. and between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. The researchers said this appears to be linked to the process in which food consumed during meals ferments in the gut and produces gas about an hour later.
The researchers said the average number found in this survey was lower than in previous studies. Earlier research suggested that 14 to 23 times a day was normal, and a study using “smart underwear” developed by researchers at the University of Maryland detected gas episodes ranging from four to 59 times a day.
This study differed from earlier work in that participants recorded episodes directly only while awake, meaning gas passed during sleep was not included.
The researchers emphasized that passing gas itself is a normal physiological process that naturally occurs during digestion, but if the frequency suddenly rises sharply or is accompanied by abdominal pain, diarrhea, or bloating, it may be worth suspecting a health problem.
Excessive gas can be associated with a range of conditions, including sensitivity to lactose in milk or gluten, irritable bowel syndrome, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), diabetes mellitus, and hypothyroidism.
The researchers also explained that smoking, frequent chewing of gum, and drinking a lot of carbonated beverages can lead to more air being swallowed, which may increase gas. Foods rich in fiber, such as beans, lentils, broccoli, and cabbage, can also increase gas as they ferment in the colon.
Reporter Jang Jong-ho bellho@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
