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Article: What a gas!: Michael Jordan does it. So does Britney Spears. Everyone passes gas--on average 14 times a day! While the phenomenon (called flatulence) is often the butt of jokes, "farting" is as natural as taking a breath. (Teen health issue: digestive system * microbes).
- Article from:
- Science World
- Article date:
- December 10, 2001
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Scholastic, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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"In fact, a lot of the air people pass from their behinds is from the air they swallow," says gastroenterologist (stomach and intestine doctor) Judy Sondheimer of the Denver Children's Hospital. You gulp in air when you eat too fast, swallow fizzy drinks, chew gum, or even talk a lot. And while most swallowed air is belched out the mouth, a small amount passes through your body to "pop" out the rear end. The other cause of gas? Freeloading microbes (tiny organisms, like bacteria) that thrive and feed inside your colon (large intestine).
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