Better out than in

The Mediterranean diet will increase flatulence, but it has benefits for you and the planet

- By Michael Mosley, Illustration by Joe Waldron

I am a big fan of the Mediterranean diet, which is rich in oily fish, nuts, vegetables and legumes (such as lentils and red kidney beans). There's a lot of research showing that this way of eating reduces your risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. And we also know that switching from a typical Western diet to a Mediterranean diet can be an effective way to improve your mental health, with studies showing that it reduces rates of anxiety and depression.

But there are a couple of downsides to the diet. Anyone who's started eating more fibre-rich food (or fermented foods, such as sauerkraut) will know that you soon start producing much larger stools and far more wind.

Now, thanks to scientists from the Liver and Digestive Diseases Networking Biomedical Research Centre in Spain, we know just how big the effect is. For their study, titled