Some people on a high-protein diet may have more frequent and smellier farts due to their diet, or protein farts. Noticeably smelly farts are typically the result of a particular food you have consumed, as bacteria in the large intestine can release sulfur during the digestive process.

Farting (medically known as flatulence) is a normal process that happens as food and gas move through the digestive tract. While experiencing protein farts or excessive farting may be uncomfortable, it is typically not a cause for concern.

What Causes Protein Farts?

Farting is a result of extra gas in your digestive tract. This happens when you swallow too much air or when food passes through your small intestine undigested. Bacteria break down the food in your large intestine, which releases gas.

There is not much evidence to suggest that protein itself is causing extra farts. Protein-rich foods like beef, eggs, pork, fish, and poultry are rich in sulfur, which gut bacteria turn into hydrogen sulfide. This foul-smelling gas resembles rotten eggs.

Protein shakes, powders, bars, or supplements also can contain ingredients your body has trouble digesting. Some of these ingredients to look out for include:

  • Fiber

  • Whey or casein

  • Sugar alcohols like xylitol, sorbitol, and mannitol

How To Get Rid of Protein Farts

There are a few simple ways experts recommend to prevent protein farts, including dietary and lifestyle changes.

Dietary Changes

Consider investigating the protein source you are consuming.

Try making protein shakes with water or a dairy-free milk if lactose is the cause of your protein farts. Look for products that use whey protein isolate, which do not contain as much lactose, or opt for plant-based protein powder.

You can also try reducing or eliminating the following to reduce farting in general:

  • Carbonated drinks

  • Chewing gum and hard candies

  • Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage

  • FODMAPs, which are carbohydrates that do not digest well

  • Lactose

  • Legumes like black beans

  • Starches like potatoes, wheat, and corn

Try eating and drinking more slowly to eliminate additional gas bubbles in your digestive tract. Consider taking a 15-minute post-meal walk to keep the digestive process moving.

Over-the-Counter Options

Several types of over-the-counter (OTC) medications might alleviate protein farts, such as:

  • Alpha-galactosidase: Found in medications like Beano, this enzyme breaks down poorly-digested carbohydrates.

  • Bismuth subsalicylate: As the main ingredient in Pepto-Bismol, bismuth subsalicylate is used for a variety of digestive symptoms.

  • Digestive enzyme blend: Consider taking a digestive enzyme blend like FODZYME if you are sensitive to FODMAPs. It contains ingredients that target and break down FODMAPs, which makes them easier to digest. Talk to a healthcare provider before trying it.

  • Enzyme lactase: These medications, like Lactaid or Dairy Ease, can help digest foods with lactose.

  • Simethicone: Products that contain this ingredient, like Gas X or Alka-Seltzer, break up gas bubbles in your digestive tract.

Supplements

A few supplements that may help reduce excessive farting include:

  • Ginger: In traditional medicine, ginger has been used to reduce gas. While ginger seems to be a promising aid, more studies are needed on how it affects flatulence.

  • Peppermint: Peppermint oil in capsule form may relieve irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms, including gas.

Lifestyle Adjustments

Making adjustments to your daily routine may also reduce protein farts. A few habits that can support digestive health include:

  • Consider your protein intake: Chugging a protein shake or quickly eating a protein bar before a workout may not be optimal for the digestive process. Protein may have the same effect pre- and post-workout, so try eating your protein after an exercise session to reduce farting.

  • Keep moving: Increasing your physical activity levels, like walking or doing light stretching daily, can relieve and prevent excessive farts.

  • Manage stress levels: Stress can affect the digestive system and contribute to uncomfortable symptoms like protein farts.

How Much Protein Do You Need?

The average adult needs about 0.85 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, or 0.36 grams per pound, a day. The amount of protein you need largely depends on your activity level, age, size, and weight.

When To Seek Care

Check with a healthcare provider if you routinely have excessive farting related to protein intake. You may also consider visiting a healthcare provider if your farts are bothersome, change suddenly, or occur with symptoms like:

  • Diarrhea or constipation

  • Fever

  • Heartburn

  • Nausea or vomiting

  • Oily, smelly, or bloody stools

  • Stomach pain

  • Unexpected weight loss

A healthcare provider will typically ask about your health history and perform a physical exam. They may order tests, like imaging scans, to get a better look at your digestive tract.

Once they make a diagnosis, they can discuss a treatment plan if necessary. A healthcare provider may prescribe an antibiotic like Xifaxan (rifaximin) if you have a bacterial infection that causes bloating and gas.

A Quick Review

Increasing your protein intake may come along with protein farts, or an increase in smellier farts. Compounds like sulfur in protein-rich foods and additives in protein powders, drinks, and other supplements might cause protein farts.

While farting in general is normal, see a healthcare provider if you also have stomach pain, fever, or bloody stools.