I eat a balanced diet with no excess of anything I can think of. What could be the cause??

Dear Smellyass,

Some folks' opinion of a "balanced diet" really don't meet all the good health standards that are usually implied with the term. Just because you don't eat any one thing in excess does not mean that all the stuff you are eating equal parts of are really that good for you.

Gas does tend to stink more when the farter consumes foods that are either not so good for them (such as high-fat fried foods, sugary confections, and carbonated beverages such as sodas and beer) or things that disagree with them (such as foods they are allergic to or intolerant of, like dairy or wheat products).

Illness can also be a contributing factor in the scent and intensity of the flatulent odor. Celiac disease, diverticulitis, colitis, bacterial overgrowth/imbalance, and even cancer could be the cause of some really smelly fumes.

Here are some tips from Kendra Dahlstrom of eHow [1] to try to make your farts less stinky:

1) Try cutting out the dairy in your diet. This seems quite drastic, but an excess of milk and dairy products in the diet can cause extra smelly gas. If your gas odor has not severely declined within two or three days without dairy, go ahead and add it back into your diet.

2) Decrease your intake of oily, fatty, fried foods. Not only is this bad for your gas, but greasy foods are also horrible for your health. Do everyone (including yourself) a favor, and cut them out of your diet.

3) Eat artichokes. Artichokes have the strange ability of neutralizing gastrointestinal odors. Although this is not a commonly eaten food, try to incorporate it into your diet.

4) Eliminate all carbonated beverages from your diet, including pop and beer. Carbonation tends to exacerbate the odor of gas. Again, if this does not improve the odor within a few days, you may go ahead and add them back to your diet.

5) Cook your vegetables before you eat. It's extremely easy to grab a handful of baby carrots or broccoli florets for a snack. Unfortunately, your digestive system has a more difficult time breaking down raw vegetables than it does digesting cooked vegetables. Make sure all roughage you put into your stomach is cooked, and your gas odor should improve.

Hope these tips help. If not, you could get you some of those activated charcoal underwear inserts and just fart away without worrying about the smell. Here is one good offer on them: Charcoal Underwear [2].

Thanks for asking Motherload!

Motherload is Certified Nurse Assistant as well as an IBS sufferer, which means she knows a lot about poop. Got a question for her? Ask it here. [3]