Men on a diet largely composed of plants develop a higher number of healthy bacteria in their intestines. As a result, they produce more flatulence than others. Their stools are also more important, confirms a study.
Those who switched to a plant-based diet may be able to attest to this. The consumption of fruits, vegetables and legumes in large quantities promotes the formation of intestinal gas, but to what extent precisely? In a study led by Claudia Barber, of the Liver and Digestive Diseases Networking Biomedical Research Center in Barcelona, Spain, researchers looked into the question. Details of their work are published in the journal Nutrients .
For this study, researchers analyzed the effects of a Western-style diet versus a fiber-enriched Mediterranean diet in twenty healthy men aged 18 to 38. health. Each diet was offered for two weeks preceded by a two-week weaning diet. The fiber-enriched diet consisted largely of fruits, vegetables, and legumes.
Over the eight weeks of the study, the researchers actually found that flatulence increased in volume (twice as much gas produced) and frequency (seven times as much gas). farts) when participants switched to the fiber-enriched diet. Stool size, which had a softer consistency, also increased (about 200 grams versus 100 grams with the Western diet). On the other hand, the number of stools produced per day remained the same according to the two diets.
These results are not very surprising. Indeed, eating more fruits, vegetables and legumes necessarily implies consuming more fiber, which certain bacteria use as a food source.
The species Anaerostipes hadrus and Agathobaculum butyriciproducens, in particular, were more abundant in the intestines of men following the vegetable diet, the study points out. These bacteria break them down into short-chain fatty acids. It is this process which, combined with the number of additional bacteria, is responsible for the increased frequency of flatulence and the increase in stool bulk (more water), explains to New Scientist nutritionist Rosemary Stanton of the University of New South Wales in Sydney.
Despite the undesirable side effects associated with their activities, the presence of these bacteria is to be desired. Indeed, short-chain fatty acids can reduce the risk of colorectal cancer, prevent harmful bacteria from developing in the intestines or even protect against cardiovascular disease. “Our western idea that farting is a sign that something is wrong is totally wrong. In fact, in most cases, it is a sign of a healthy diet and a healthy colon” , concludes the doctor.
