Breaking wind is one of the most common gas-related stomach issues. The main cause of all this flatulence, though, may surprise you.

Researchers believe that poor quality of life, stress, worry, and depression are to blame for a variety of gas-related symptoms.

According to the study, breaking wind is the most prevalent stomach concern for more than four out of five persons (81.3 percent). Other gas-related symptoms include stomach rumbling (60.5percent), belching (58percent) and poor breath (48.1percent ). Trapped wind (47.2 percent), abdominal distension/swollen tummy (39.6 percent), and bloating/abdominal pressure (38.5 percent) are other prevalent symptoms, according to a poll of over 6,000 adults in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Mexico.

Only 11.1 percent of those polled reported no gas sensations at all during the 24-hour period under consideration. Over the course of a 24-hour period, respondents faced with three different gas concerns on average.

The Intestinal Gas Questionnaires (IGQs) were completed online by people ranging in age from 18 to 99. They also disclosed their BMI, exercise habits, emotional well-being, and quality of life over the previous seven days.

According to responses on the PROMIS Global-10 questionnaire, greater IGQ scores were associated with lower mental health and quality of life ratings. Simply put, increased stress, worry, and depression lead to increased gastrointestinal distress.

Can exercise and a healthy diet improve gas problems?

The IGC scores, according to the researchers, have no relationship with any person’s weight or BMI. The scores investigating gas problems revealed just a minor relationship to how much exercise each respondent engaged in.

Scientists from the Rome Foundation Research Institute in the United States and Danone Nutricia Research in France discovered that younger persons between the ages of 18 and 34, as well as those between the ages of 35 and 49, had the highest level of gas-related disorders. Respondents in Mexico, in particular, earned the highest scores across all seven gas-related difficulties in the study.

“I think the most remarkable and surprising finding in our study is that almost all adults in the general population experience some daily gas-related symptoms. This is important given the data also clearly reveals that these symptoms affect people’s general wellbeing. Having a high amount of these common intestinal symptoms is associated with higher levels of depression, anxiety and stress, as well as impaired general quality of life,” said lead author Professor Olafur Palsson from the University of North Carolina in a media release.

As for what’s causing the differences across nations, study authors say the exact reason is still unclear.

“Cultural, linguistic, diet or public health factors might affect population levels of gas-related symptoms,” Palsson concluded.

Researchers presented their findings at UEG Week Virtual 2021.

Image Credit: Getty

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