Colon Gas & Flatus Prevention
The thriving healthy mix of bacteria within the colon does not happen without the production of some gases. Most of these gases are odorless – hydrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide and methane. Nitrogen is also present from swallowed air, which then moves down into the colon. So, bacteria produce most of the gases that are passed as flatus. The tiny amount of the remaining gases are the sulfide ones. These are the smelly gases that are made by just a few species of bacteria specialized for this process. These rascals rely on sulfur in the water, food, beverages, and indeed, some medications we swallow to make these sulfide gases, including hydrogen sulfide. What Is Normal? Believe it or not, there is really a limited amount of information in the medical literature on this socially important question. Everyone will have her or his own idea of what normal is. Here is some general information that medical texts provide. The amount of colon gas produced per day ranges from one