How Many Times a Day Do You Fart?

Hi Everyone,

Dr. Storage here.

You laugh it off with friends, then go quiet the second it happens on a first date or in a silent elevator.

Gas is one of the most common digestive processes there is, and one of the least discussed, so let's put a real number on it.

Why You Should Read This

• The average person passes gas 8 to 14 times a day.
• Up to 25 times a day is still within the normal range.
• Sugar substitutes ending in “-ol” (sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol) are a hidden driver behind unexplained gas.

1. The actual number, and where you land on it

Gas leaves your body two ways: belching and flatulence, the clinical term for passing gas through the rectum.

Research shows people pass gas an average of 8 to 14 times a day, and up to 25 is still considered normal.

2. Where it comes from

Gas comes from two sources: swallowed air and undigested carbs your gut bacteria ferment in the colon.

Eating fast, chewing gum, and sipping carbonated drinks all mean swallowing more air. Sugars, starches, and fiber your body can't fully digest feed that fermentation, and sulfur from the process creates the odor.

3. The everyday habits worth adjusting

• Skip the straw and the carbonated drinks if belching bothers you.
• Slow down at meals. Eating fast means swallowing more air with every bite.
• Check labels for sugar alcohols in “sugar-free” gum and candy.
• Cruciferous vegetables and legumes are common, harmless culprits—not something to cut out of fear.

4. When it's worth a conversation

Most gas is uncomfortable, not dangerous. But paired with something new—a bowel habit change, unexplained weight loss, or new pain—it's worth bringing to your healthcare provider.

IBS, celiac disease, and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth can all start out looking like “just gas.”

Talk soon,
Dr. Storage