Here Comes the Breeze Trivia Quiz

Answer: Flatus

A flatus is generally defined as intestinal and/or stomach gases passing through the anus. The scientific study of flatulence is called 'flatology'.

Ructus is the scientific name for burping, coitus is the scientific term for sexual intercourse, and a meatus is a natural opening within the body.

Answer: They contain lots of fibre and/or certain sugars

Certain sugars, such as raffinose (found in beans) or sorbitol (found in chewing gum and some fruits), can be broken down into hydrogen, methane and oxygen. Fructose, a sugar found in fruits, feeds the bacteria that live in your lower intestines and create gas by breaking down undigested fermentable particles.

Answer: Fermentable Oligo-, Di-, Monosaccharides and Polyols

Oligosaccharides, monosaccharides, disaccharides and polyols are all different types of short chain carbohydrates which cause flatulence, due to being poorly absorbed by the small intestine. They are not additives; they generally occur naturally in foods such as pulses, cauliflower, wheat and stone fruits. Low FODMAP foods include meats, tempeh, quinoa and grapes.

However, low FODMAP diets are only recommended as a short-term measure, and you should consult your doctor before going on one.

Answer: Sulphur

If you've studied World War I, you might remember the use of mustard gas, or sulphur mustard, characterised by its rotten smell. Gut bacteria produce compounds such as the foul-smelling hydrogen sulphide when coming into contact with protein and/or foods rich in sulphur, such as cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and our old friend cabbage. Protein powders also often contain cysteine, a compound which contains sulphur - bad news if you're a bodybuilder! An experiment conducted at Monash University in Australia found that adding cysteine to the faeces of seven healthy people caused a sevenfold increase in hydrogen sulphide emissions from gut bacteria.

Answer: 5-15 times

There's no exact average number of farts per day for the average healthy human, but the UK's National Health Service website estimates it to be between 5-15 times. Farting is perfectly normal, and only becomes a problem if it is seriously affecting your life or comes with other symptoms, such as constipation.

Answer: Migraine

Horrible though migraines are, they generally do not make you fart. However, flatulence can be a side effect of IBS, lactose intolerance and coeliac disease. People with coeliac disease have difficulties digesting gluten, while people with lactose intolerance have the same issue with dairy products. Fortunately, there are an increasing number of alternatives to both in supermarkets in the UK. IBS is a chronic condition with symptoms of abdominal pain and constipation and/or diarrhoea.

The causes of IBS are largely unknown, although it can be co-morbid with other chronic conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome.

Answer: False

Although flatulence is linked with nasty smells, most farts are odourless. The vast majority of gases produced in the intestine are made up of nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, carbon dioxide and methane. All of these are all odourless gases. Swallowed air can also account for farts, hence the nitrogen presence - it does not naturally occur within the gut.

Answer: The anal sphincters

Fans of 'Wayne's World' may remember the line, 'A sphincter says what?' The anal sphincters are rings of muscle which surround the anal canal, and the external anal sphincter's job is to keep the anal canal shut. When flatulence exists the anus, it causes the sphincters to vibrate and make a noise.

The noise is similar to the action of sticking your tongue out and blowing, aka 'blowing a raspberry', a term which - funnily enough - comes from the Cockney rhyming slang for fart, 'raspberry tart'.

Answer: True

Since medieval times, flatulists have existed. Professional flatulists in medieval Ireland, for instance, were known as 'braigetoir'. The most famous example of a professional flatulist was Joseph Pujol aka 'Le Pétomane' (French for 'the fart maniac'), who imitated musical instruments and was able to make himself fart by moving air into his rectum, using his sphincter muscles to control it.

In more recent times, one flatulist, Paul 'Mr Methane' Oldfield, appeared on 'Britain's Got Talent' in 2009, though Simon Cowell was not amused and called him a 'disgusting creature'.

Answer: Bismuth subgallate

Devrom can be bought over the counter, and can be used to treat people who have faecal incontinence, IBS, or a gastrointestinal stoma. The active ingredient, bismuth subgallate, acts as a deodoriser for flatulence and faeces, and can also be used to ease haemorrhoid symptoms such as itching. It can cause darkening of the stools and tongue.