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Your weekly dose of evidence
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Every so often I come across a research paper I can barely believe made it all the way to publication. Back in 1991, researchers in the UK tracked the farts of ten healthy volunteers. They wanted to see how much gas they produced each day (around 700 mls on a high-fibre diet), what it was made of (mainly carbon dioxide and hydrogen), and how many times the participants passed wind (an average of 14 to 18 times a day).
That study, and others since, have added to our knowledge of why some people are so affected by bloating. As Vincent Ho explains, bloaters don’t produce more intestinal gases than other people, but they may have problems with it passing through their body and getting rid of it. But, curiously, your level of pain and discomfort with bloating isn’t necessarily dictated by how much your belly distends.
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Fron Jackson-Webb
Deputy Editor/Senior Health + Medicine Editor
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One in six healthy people report problems with bloating.
Alice Day/Shutterstock
Vincent Ho, Western Sydney University
People who bloat don't produce more abdominal gas than others but they might have problems getting rid of it.
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From the archives
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Vincent Ho, Western Sydney University
When we get nervous, a number of processes occur in the brain that are passed onto the stomach and affect the digestive process. This is a hangover from our hunter-gatherer days.
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Ian Musgrave, University of Adelaide
It's long been thought anti-inflammatory painkillers need to be taken with food to protect the stomach. But a handbook for doctors has recently moved away from this advice.
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Clare Collins, University of Newcastle
Holding on too long triggers a build up of intestinal gas that may eventually escape via an uncontrollable fart.
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Vincent Ho, Western Sydney University
Pauline Hanson’s concern about the ATO installing squat toilets to cater for its increasingly diverse workforce has prompted debate about the best way to go to the toilet: sitting or squatting.
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Expert answers to serious, weird and wacky questions
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Exercising during pregnancy is fine, so long as it’s not a tough new regime.
from www.shutterstock.com
Alexandra Hansen, The Conversation
Five out of five experts agree running during pregnancy is OK.
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Your plants would certainly love a drink this summer. But which water is best?
from www.shutterstock.com
Ian Wright, Western Sydney University; Jason Reynolds, Western Sydney University
Plants can find it tough to get all the nitrogen they need, especially from Australian soils. But summer storms can provide an added boost.
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Quixi Sonntag, University of Pretoria
When it comes to their own "voices", studies show that cats and dogs use different vocal signals to communicate different messages.
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Jasper Knight, University of the Witwatersrand
There are many reasons to be careful when there's a big storm. But there are also ways you can protect yourself to avoid lightning.
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Mark Ellison, Australian National University
In the space of a few short years, deaf Nicaraguan school children created their own language. This example may give us a clue about how spoken language developed over thousands of years.
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Jason Yosar, The University of Queensland
Simply closing your eyes will protect your eyes from sunlight. But looking straight at it can cause serious damage.
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Top picks from the week
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When considering harm to the user and to wider society, alcohol is much more of a problem than MDMA.
Krists Luhaers
Nicole Lee, Curtin University; Jarryd Bartle, RMIT University
Most people assume drugs are illegal because they are dangerous, but the reasons aren't related to their relative risk or harm.
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Although tiny houses take many forms, most are situated in rural or semi-rural areas.
Jekka Shearer
Heather Shearer, Griffith University
Tiny houses aren't for everyone, but most people who live in them are positive about the experience. Yet planning laws still make this way of life harder and less secure than it could be.
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We need a new legal definition of ‘parent’ to reflect the diversity of Australian families.
from www.shutterstock.com
Hannah Robert, La Trobe University; Fiona Kelly, La Trobe University
Who is a child's legal parent? The question is at the heart of a case due before the High Court this year. It may have implications for children born via IVF or surrogacy, and the people who raise them.
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Featured jobs
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Griffith University — Bundall, Queensland
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University of Technology Sydney — Sydney, New South Wales
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University of Melbourne — Parkville, Victoria
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Deakin University — Geelong, Victoria
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Featured events
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31 Constitution Ave, Canberra ACT , Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia — Universities Australia
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The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia — University of Sydney
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The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia — University of Sydney
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Monash University Law Chambers, 555 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia — Monash University
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