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We\u2019ve got smart rings, smart watches, and now \u2026 smart underwear.\u00a0<\/p>\n It was developed by a team of researchers led by biologist Brantly Hall of the University of Maryland in the form of a small device equipped with electrochemical sensors that can clip directly onto your underwear. What does this device measure? Farts, of course. Or to put it in more polite, scientific terms: flatus.<\/p>\n But why?\u00a0<\/p>\n ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. It turns out the scientific knowledge of human flatulence is almost as nebulous as the gas itself. To quote the \u201cKing of Farts,\u201d gastroenterologist Michael Leavitt, \u201cIt is virtually impossible for the physician to objectively document the existence of excessive gas using currently available tests.\u201d We have established baselines for normal blood glucose, normal cholesterol levels, normal hormone levels, but no such baseline exists for flatulence.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t actually know what normal flatus production looks like,\u201d Hall explained in a statement<\/a>. \u201cWithout that baseline, it\u2019s hard to know when someone\u2019s gas production is truly excessive.\u201d<\/p>\n Read more: \u201cThe Curious Case of the Exploding Pig Farms<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. To address this glaring gap in our understanding of the human body, the team created the discreet sensor, took it for a spin with human subjects, and recently published<\/a> their findings in Biosensors and Bioelectronics: X. They found healthy adults pass gas an average of 32 times a day, more than twice the previous estimate of 14.\u00a0<\/p>\n Why were previous estimates lower? One reason is that earlier studies relied on self-reporting flatulence, which (as you can imagine) resulted in an undercount. Now, with this new device, scientists can get an accurate read of the frequency and content of our intestinal gases.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cObjective measurement gives us an opportunity to increase scientific rigor in an area that\u2019s been difficult to study,\u201d Hall said.<\/p>\n ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. So what exactly are farts made of? For most people, hydrogen along with some carbon dioxide and nitrogen, although some people\u2019s flatus also includes methane. Hydrogen, produced exclusively by the microbiota in our guts, is what the sensor detects, and the data it collects gives us a better understanding of how active our gut biomes are. In tests, the sensor was able to detect increased hydrogen production after subjects consumed prebiotic fiber with 94.7 percent sensitivity.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThink of it like a continuous glucose monitor, but for intestinal gas,\u201d Hall said.<\/p>\n Moving forward, Hall and his team are launching the Human Flatus Atlas<\/a>, recruiting hundreds of participants to establish normal baseline flatulence levels. Specifically, Hall is looking for gas passers across the spectrum that the team identified in their research: \u201czen digesters,\u201d who eat high fiber diets but experience minimal flatulence; \u201chydrogen hyperproducers,\u201d who flatulate frequently; and those who fall between those two extremes.\u00a0<\/p>\n ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. If you\u2019d like to help, you can sign up here<\/a>. Just know that your days of blaming it on the dog are over. Enjoying\u00a0 Nautilus<\/a>? Subscribe to our free newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n Lead image: Aleksandra Kirichenko \/ Shutterstock<\/p>\n ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. Jake Currie <\/p>\n
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