You can run but you can't hide. We all know an unwelcomed friend that shows up at the worst possible moment — during an important meeting, on a crowded elevator or on a first date. In this case, I am referring to the not so infamous fart. Also known as intestinal gas, it can strike anytime, anywhere.hether we want it or not, fart is part of our lives (and a big one for some). The technical name for a fart is actually flatus and means the process of gas release from the body. Fatulence is the more commonly used; among other definitions you can find gassers, stinkers, air biscuits, bombers, barking spiders, rotten eggs, and wet ones. You can pass gas, break wind, blast, beef, poof, rip one, let one fly, step on a duck, and cut the cheese.

Flatulence occurs when a food does not break down completely in the stomach and small intestine. As a result, the food makes it into the large intestine in an undigested state. Most lower intestinal gas is produced when bacteria in your colon ferment carbohydrates that aren't digested in your small intestine. The body does not digest and absorb some carbohydrates (the sugar, starches, and fiber found in many foods) in the small intestine because of a shortage or absence of certain enzymes.

When a person swallows too much air or eats foods that the human digestive system cannot digest easily, gas becomes trapped in the stomach. The only way for this excess gas to exit the body is through the anus. Unfortunately, healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes (beans and peas) are often the worst offenders. That's because these foods are high in fiber. Fiber has many health benefits, including keeping your digestive tract in good working order, regulating blood sugar and cholesterol levels, and helping prevent heart attacks and other heart problems. But it can also lead to the formation of gas. In the colon the bacteria thrive on the undigestible fiber. Foods that produce the most gas include:

• Carbohydrates and foods high in fibre, like bread, brans, potatoes, fruit and vegetables (garlic, onions, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli)
• Beans
• Beer
• Foods with added preservative sulphite (white wine, fruit juices and deli meats)
• Sulfur-rich foods cause a stinky fart (beans, cabbage, cheese, soda, and eggs)
• Fructose, a sugar abundant in honey and fruits such as apples, peaches, pears, and oranges; also the main ingredient in high-fructose corn syrup used in hundreds of juices, sodas, condiments, snacks, and other foods.

There are plenty of products on the market to help minimise the "musical fruits":

• Charcoal tablets
• Peppermint products
• "De-gas" and "No-gas"
• A flatulence filter, (an American-made charcoal-filled cushion which promises to absorb 90 percent of bad odour).
• Eat slowly, chew thoroughly, sip rather than gulp liquids, minimize fizzy beverages, try to avoid chewing gum, and eliminate sugar-free foods containing sorbitol or xylitol which are poorly digested
• Beans' "windy" properties may be reduced if you boil them three minutes, soak overnight and discard the water which contains much of the undigestible carbohydrates (you might notice air bubbles in the soaking liquid - get rid of it before it gets you!) Cooking beans with sea weed or with a spring of herb epazote said to have calming properties.

The average person expels gas 16 times every day, mostly during sleep. If someone tells you that he or she doesn't fart, they are either lying or have no idea when they break wind. The amount of actual gas released ranges from as little as one cup to as much as one half gallon per day. All humans and animals fart, and elephants do it the most! Contrary to popular belief, women have just as many passages as men, and older people have no more gas than younger individuals. So, next time you sit in a tub of water and see bubbles come out of your hiney, you know that you are just a healthy normal part of this universe.