[Richard]

Richard asked the Naked Scientists:

Hi,

Hopefully you can settle a debate I'm having with my wife.

It relates to the iconic 'beans round the campfire' scene in the movie
Blazing Saddles, on the slightly indelicate subject of flatulance!

My view is that, yes, eating a certain type of food can cause flatulance, but not within minutes! Surely it takes longer to get through the body?
My wife is of the opinion that it only takes twenty minutes or so before we
feel the effects after eating say, brussel sprouts!!!!

SO..... My rather embarrassing question is: How long does flatulance take to develop an 'output' after eating?

We listen to url=http://www.thenakedscientists.com/ask]Ask the Naked Scientists[/url] on a Thursady evening so hopefully you can broadcast your thoughts and settle the debate once and for all.

Many thanks

Richard in Suffolk.

What do you think?

[Chemistry4me]

You might want to have a look at this: http://www.biologyinmotion.com/minilec/gas.html

[Chemistry4me]

So I suppose the answer to your question will vary, it'll also depend upon what you have already got in your stomach before you eat your beans or brussel sprouts.

[Andrew K Fletcher]

Wife and I had Christmas dinner as normal with all the usual trimmings, roasted parsnips, roasted carrots, asparagus, stuffing made with leak, egg, small clove of garlic redcurrants and pork “godly” But with an exception. We did not eat any dried fruit or any product that contained. Wife ate a mince pie however. Result: no excessive flatulence. Food for thought?

[Chemistry4me]

I'm not sure I understand what you're trying to say.

[Andrew K Fletcher]

Trying to say it is not the sprouts and stuffing etc that causes excess flatulance during the festering season. But the dried fruits are highly suspect.

[Chemistry4me]

Perhaps the dried fruits contain amounts of carbohydrates that enzymes can't breakdown, that's basically what causes excess flatulence

[DrN]

I'm sure curry goes through pretty quickly! ;oD