'Chart Your Fart': Australian researchers develop unique flatulence tracking app to study gut health

A sedentary lifestyle marked by stress and erratic work-life balance is undoubtedly one of the primary concerns plaguing a majority of the population in the modern world. Add egregious food habits to the mix - and we have the perfect recipe for health disasters!

As a result, a large number of people today suffer from poor gut health, and its debilitating effects. In view of this, a team of researchers in Australia have come up with a rather unique and bemusing technique of improving one's gut health - keeping a track of your fart!

As baffling as it may sound, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia's national science agency, has started this bizarre project, which aims to delve deep into the science of gut health using data collected from people, according to a report by Interesting Engineering.

Scientists of CSIRO have developed an app called 'Chart Your Fart', which enables Australians above the age of 14 to document and keep a track of their flatulence for three days. According to the reasearchers, this project uses data from the app to advance our knowledge of intestinal health.

The software of the app is programmed to examine the features of flatulence in a detailed manner, not merely record it. People using the app are required to rate their farts on a range of subjects: loudness (silent to deafening), duration (short to eternity), smell longevity (fleeting to permanent), detectability (discreet to blatant), and stench (odourless to toxic).

“Passing wind is a natural occurrence and a sign that our digestive system is working as it should, to expel excess gas that is produced from breaking down and processing the food we eat,” said CSIRO research dietitian Megan Rebuli. “Different foods, medical conditions, or even the way we chew or swallow can impact how our body processes the gas, leading to different smells, frequency, or volume,” she added.

“Research is only as good as the data we have, and we want to work with as much of our diverse Australian community as we can to drive innovation in health and wellbeing research,” said Dr Emily Brindal, project lead and CSIRO Behavioural Scientist while explaining the purpose of the project.