Gas Crisis
It appears Koreans are having a gas crisis of sorts. The Marmot provides this report:
According to the JoongAng Ilbo (Korean), Koreans fart a lot. Hey, don’t blame me for this one — blame the JoongAng. Anyway, the piece said that while it might be hard to draw a hard and fast conclusion, one could guess that Koreans break wind particularly often due to the large amount of gas-producing foods they consume — beans, veggies, fruits and raw foods. The rising consumption of milk doesn’t help matters, and those with trouble digesting lactose and the elderly with weakening digestive power are particularly susceptible to becoming, in the colorful choice of words by the JoongAng, “gas shells†(like in the WWI artillery round). For Koreans, it’s normal to cut the cheese between 15 and 25 times a day, although Kyung Hee University Hospital’s Kim Hyo-jong said it’s OK to occasionally expel gas more than that as long as it’s not accompanied by other symptoms. Frequent farting accompanied by other symptoms like abdominal pain, loss of appetite, weight loss and irregular bowl movements, however, may point to intestinal diseases.
Just because a fart smells bad is not necessarily a sign of a problem. Protein-rich foods like eggs and meat usually produce foul-smelling gas, while carbohydrates like rice and barley-rice (always a great musical food) tend to produce noise without the attending odor.
The sound produced by the gas, of course, is due to anal vibrations caused as the gas passes through. Loud farts are a sign of a healthy and happy colon, although Eulji University Hospital’s Go Byeong-seong pointed out that hemorrhoid patients who break wind loudly due to blockages of the escape route are the exception.
Those whose frequent farting is cramping their style are advised to reduce their intake of foods like beans, veggies and milk and avoid gum, sugar and carbonated drinks. Eating slow, drinking little water and not talking during eating also helps, according to the JoongAng.
I’m glad to know that I have a healthy and happy colon.
