By Dr. A. Minocha,   author of  "How To Stop Heartburn: Simple Ways to Heal Heartburn and Acid Reflux" and "Natural Stomach Care: Treating and Preventing Digestive Disorders with Best of Eastern and Western Therapies"

Composition of flatus is the same among different people

Is it a Myth or a Fact? Find out below

While the basic gases are the same, there can be some qualitative and quantitative differences. Approximately one third of the world’s population has methane producing bacteria that lead to production of methane gas. The aroma/odor of the flatus also depends upon the relative proportion of certain pungent gases.

More Facts or Myths

Flatus

Flatulence is the expulsion through the rectum of a mixture of gases that are byproducts of the digestion process of mammals and other animals. The mixture of gases is known as flatus, (informally) fart, or simply gas, and is expelled from the rectum in a process colloquially referred to as "passing gas" or "farting". Flatus is brought to the rectum by the same peristaltic process which causes feces to descend from the large intestine. Depending upon the relative state of the anal sphincter (relaxed/tense) and the positions of the buttocks, this often results in an audible crackling or trumpeting sound, but gas can also be passed quietly. The noises commonly associated with flatulence are caused by the vibration of the anal sphincter, and occasionally by the closed buttocks.

The olfactory components of flatulence include skatole, indole, and sulfurous compounds. The non-odorous gases are mainly nitrogen (ingested), carbon dioxide (produced by aerobic microbes or ingested), and hydrogen (produced by some microbes and consumed by others), as well as lesser amounts of oxygen (ingested) and methane (produced by anaerobic microbes). Odors result from trace amounts of other components (often containing sulfur compounds).