If you feel like you are always letting one go, you are in good company. Most people fart somewhere between 5 and 15 times a day, and the usual reasons you fart so much are swallowed air and foods your gut bacteria love to ferment.
Passing wind 5 to 15 times a day is considered average, and more can still be normal for you. Frequent farts usually come from swallowed air or fermentable foods such as beans and cabbage, while smelly farts are linked to small amounts of sulphur containing gases. A new, persistent change alongside other symptoms is worth discussing with a GP.
How much farting is normal?
Everyone farts, and what is normal varies a lot from person to person. UK health guidance estimates the average at five to 15 times a day [2]. In one small study of ten healthy volunteers, people passed wind around ten times a day on their usual diet, and passed more gas when extra fibre was added [3]. With only ten participants, those numbers are a rough guide rather than a rule.
Most of that gas is made in your large bowel, where gut bacteria ferment food your body has not fully digested.
Why do I fart so much?
| Possible cause | Why it may cause wind | What to try |
|---|---|---|
| Swallowed air | Gulping food, fizzy drinks, chewing gum and smoking add air to your gut [1] | Eat slowly with your mouth closed |
| Fermentable foods | Beans, lentils, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and sprouts feed gas producing bacteria [1] | Smaller portions, more often |
| A recent jump in fibre | More fibre means more fermentation while your gut adjusts | Build up gradually |
| Food intolerance | Undigested sugars such as lactose reach the bowel and ferment | Note what you ate before flare ups |
| Constipation | Gas can build up behind slow moving stool | Fluids, movement and fibre |
If you have recently added more fibre to your diet, extra wind is common and may settle as your gut adjusts. Some medicines can cause wind as a side effect [1], and hormonal changes may play a part for some women, as our piece on perimenopause and gas explains. If a particular food seems to set you off, a short food and symptom diary, like the one in our guide to tracking food intolerances, can help you spot it. If symptoms persist, recur or affect your daily life, speak to a GP or dietitian rather than cutting out whole food groups on your own.
Why do my farts smell so bad?
Most of the gas you pass has no smell at all. The odour comes from small amounts of sulphur containing gases. A study that analysed flatus samples from healthy volunteers identified three sulphur containing gases, hydrogen sulphide, methanethiol and dimethyl sulphide, with hydrogen sulphide most strongly linked to odour in that study [4]. Certain foods, such as eggs, meat, onions, garlic and broccoli, may affect the smell, although responses vary from person to person. Our guides to why stool smells different and sulphur burps cover the same chemistry from other angles.
How can I fart less?
The NHS suggests eating smaller meals more often, eating and drinking slowly with your mouth closed, exercising regularly and trying peppermint tea [1]. It also suggests not chewing gum or smoking, and not having too many foods that are hard to digest or too much beer, wine or fruit juice [1]. A pharmacist can recommend products that may help [1]. If the problem is more pressure than frequency, our guide to trapped wind and our piece on bloating and gas have more practical tips.
Farting a lot is usually nothing to worry about [1], but see a GP if wind comes with:
- a change in your poo, such as looser, harder or more often, that lasts 3 weeks or more [5]
- blood in your poo [5]
- losing weight without trying [5]
- tummy pain or bloating that keeps coming back [5]
Why do I fart so much at night?
Your gut keeps working while you sleep, and wind can feel more noticeable at night. One possibility is that gas from the day's meals is still moving through; another is that relaxing makes it easier to pass. A large or late evening meal, especially one with beans, onions or fizzy drinks, might play a part for some people, so eating earlier and lighter in the evening may be worth a try.
For one week, jot down when your wind is worst and what you ate and drank in the few hours before. Look for repeat offenders, such as fizzy drinks, a big portion of beans or eating on the go, and change one thing at a time for a week to see what helps. If nothing shifts and it is affecting your day, speak to a pharmacist or GP.
References
- NHS. Farting (flatulence). https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/flatulence/
- nidirect (NHS information for Northern Ireland). Flatulence. https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/node/10732
- Tomlin, J., Lowis, C., & Read, N. W. (1991). Investigation of normal flatus production in healthy volunteers. Gut, 32(6), 665-669. https://doi.org/10.1136/gut.32.6.665 (Small study of 10 participants.)
- Suarez, F. L., Springfield, J., & Levitt, M. D. (1998). Identification of gases responsible for the odour of human flatus and evaluation of a device purported to reduce this odour. Gut, 43(1), 100-104. https://doi.org/10.1136/gut.43.1.100
- NHS. Bowel cancer: symptoms. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/bowel-cancer/symptoms/
This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. If you have concerns about your digestive health, please speak to a qualified healthcare professional.
