Experts reveal that holding your farts in on a plane could give you this painful condition, here's why

Cabin bag stowed, passport in pocket, you've braved baggage claim like an ace, waited patiently in the boarding lounge, and now you're seated on the plane. Your seatbelt fastened, you wait for the pilot to throttle up. You already know and are mentally prepared, but during the flight, many of your guilty pleasures will be put on hold. But there's one pleasure you really shouldn't miss.

Let go of the throttle!

It's not us who say so, but a very serious team of British and Danish gastroenterologists, who have published a study on the subject in the scientific journal New Zealand Medical Journal. The bottom line is that, no matter how long your flight, when you're on a plane, never hold back from ... farting! 'Drop a case', 'get gassy', 'fart', call it what you will, there's only one watchword, let yourself go. And the aim isn't just to get back at you for not being upgraded, no, what the study underlines is that your health is at stake.

According to Jacob Rosenberg, who led the study, the risks are not negligible. The first of these is discomfort. Because of the reduced air pressure in the cabin, bloating sensations can be felt more intensely than on land. By holding back your gas, the pressure created on the anus can, for some people, lead to hemorrhoids. Other non-pleasures include dyspepsia, as well as pyrosis (heartburn). So it's well worth giving your neighbors a short olfactory hard time, isn't it?

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Long live economy class

Not quite convinced? The experts in intestinal well-being have thought of everything by studying the most strategic places to release your gas. If propriety dictates that toilets are a must, you're in for arude awakening if they're not equipped with air fresheners and there's a queue after you've gone. No, the noise in the airplane cabin is, according to the gastroenterologists in the study, sometimes sufficient to mask gases that aren't too noisy; which makes your seat a prime location. But only if you're in Economy class! Fabric seats absorb odors better than leather seats in Business and First class. Quite an organization!

And in the world of farts, not all are created equal. According to urban legend, 'it's better to have a big, resonant fart than a small, poisonous one'. So to avoid annoying your neighbors too much at 35,000 feet, avoid sulfur-rich foods before your flight: red meat, alcohol, soft drinks, ultra-processed foods, but also cabbage, onions and beans. Anti-odour underwear with activated charcoal can also help. Enjoy your trip!

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This article has been translated from Gentside FR.