On my recent quest to heal my leaky gut I have been upping my intake of gut loving foods such as red cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kimchi, cauliflower, artichoke etc and drinking fermented beverages such as Kombuchas and Kefirs. There is so much research to show that these all help to boost the happy bacteria in our gut microbiome. The only thing was all this goodness was causing me some serious badness! It would give me serious smelly flatulence. This is a well-known side effect of eating and drinking these things for many as the body tries to adapt to the new flora. Well I needed a solution and had seen a few articles about SHREDDIES – flatulence filtering garments – so thought I would give them a try.
How amazing would it be if they actually work?! One would be able to eat and drink what one liked then release gas and not have to worry about any ghastly smell in a shop, on a plane, when with a loved one – anywhere – even in bed! Now that would be confidence building. There are in fact many digestive diseases for which Shreddies would be life changing – for people with Crohns, Colitis, Celiac, IBS, food intolerances or allergies, SIBO etc.
What is Flatulence?
A fart, also called gas, “passing wind” or flatulence, is caused by the internal build up of gases that are formed during the process of digestion and respiration. The causes of farts and how they develop within the digestive tract vary considerably depending on the person and circumstance. A healthy person is said to pass gas around 14 times per day, sometimes not even realizing it because the farts are mostly silent and odourless.
The reason for stinkiness in general comes down to how much sulfurous gasses form within the intestines. Everybody’s body is different and will have different gases present at any given time. Really only a very small percent (around 1%) causes the signature foul smell of farts. The main type of gas that gets trapped inside the body and leads to flatulence is nitrogen then there is also carbon dioxide, oxygen, methane and hydrogen.
If your fart smells like rotten eggs then Hydrogen sulphide is the culprit. Flammable and toxic!
If your farts smell like leftover veggies then the culprit is Methanethiol and or Dimethyl sulphide. Methanethiol actually occurs in the body anyway and is also the culprit of bad breath.
So how can SHREDDIES prevent these nasty smells from escaping into the environment and save our embarrassment?
Well this British design is in fact genius – so simple – they have activated carbon cloth sandwiched between layers of regular fabric. This specialty layer absorbs and traps the odour before it can make its way out into the open. When you wash them, according to the specific instructions, (only with Soda Crystals in the machine) the carbon is reactivated and so the garment can last a lifetime.
But do they work?
Appearance…..
Here are my 2 opening videos, 1 & 2, from Sunday when I gave a pair of SHREDDIES ladies briefs a run for their money!
Each pair comes in a box with a tongue in cheek image of a girl bending over and a boy happily smelling her bottom! It states that they are intact Winners of the ACA ‘Look Good Feel Good’ Award. That’s a good sign!
Inside is a lady’s black cotton & lycra pants.
The cotton is good and strong with an extra thick layer between the legs and into a panel surrounding the bum. This is where the carbon is sandwiched. They are definitely thicker than normal pants I wear but for good reason I guess! No thongs possible here!
The elastic is tight and durable.
There is also a piece of paper with printed instructions in the box, on how to wear your garment to ensure tight fit and how to wash. When purchasing your Shreddies you have to be sure to get the best size as if too big then any gaps will let the order escape and the pants will not work. It states that to ensure that any nasty smells are trapped I have to fart with my legs closed and standing upright forcing the odour into the back panel. NOTED!
So how do they feel while wearing?
To be honest the thickness takes a bit of getting used to especially if you normally wear tiny winy thongs! They do feel super secure though. I definitely got the right size…no gaps. You will get a VPL if wear tight garments over them. I wore leggings and they were OK. 
I walked to our favourite local Indian restaurant half an hour away but by the time I got there the inside of my legs were a bit sore. They rubbed a bit between my legs – personally I would need that panel to be not so wide. Making a brief that perfectly fitted everyone is difficult unless you have made to measure. They were not horrendous just mildly uncomfortable. Siting down there is no issue. I was all set to tuck into an Indian feast – no holes barred consuming mixed spices, onion etc! (normally after this Indian feast my tummy goes a bit crazy and my farts get smelly so this is a good test!)
I devoured my delicious meal, feeling super relaxed. Often when I eat anything I know that has caused me to release smelly gas in the past I get anxious of the inevitable. The vegas nerve is our longest cranial nerve connecting our gut to our brain so any thoughts and fears like this may in fact make the matters worse and create their own chemical changes in our microbiome. Today I felt curious but confident, even excited! I wanted a fart to release asap!
We finished the meal and walked home – all very calm – no wind out!
When I got in I drunk 3/4 of a bottle of Kombucha 
thinking that would really get my tummy in a whizz! Sure enough the flatulence started to come. Noisy but I couldn’t smell a thing. I finished the night with half a tub of my favourite coconut ice cream. This has inulin and coconut nectar, which on top of an Indian feast should cause some good fermentation leading to smelly gas.
Cowboy and I went for a walk at 8.30pm as I wanted to get moving and see if that would enhance and release the gas. WOW I was right! I trumped in M&S and nobody whiffed a thing! I felt rather smug…..I have to say I was proud of the power in my panties! For the next few hours I had a good few releases and zero smell came out. I even wore the pants to bed as they had moulded to me well and any initial rubbing had stopped. I was elated going to sleep knowing the room would be gas free – well from me that was! I could not say the same for Cowboy! Moral of the story – Get him a pair too!
Conclusion
In my mind then there is NO doubt that SHREDDIES do what they claim. I am so glad I own a pair and would advise many of my clients who suffer from flatulence to make the investment. SHREDDIES are discreet, snug, satisfying and give you a sense of freedom and relaxation. I can’t wait to try them out on a plane! Such a confined space for all those hours with so many people, I have had some nasty experiences with people’s smelly gas in the middle of the night….. they let one rip and finding the exact culprit is tricky! Perhaps Shreddies should work with airlines to create their PJ’s for the business and first class passengers – at least they can breathe cleaner air! Even better get the panel of activated carbon put into the seats on the planes. GENIUS!
Seriously though there are so many occasions and circumstances where SHREDDIES are, I believe, truly invaluable. They can save those with serious digestive issues any embarrassment. The brand also produces Jeans and PJs with the carbon in so I would actually be keen to try those too! Valentine’s Day is coming soon – I know what I’m buying my Cowboy!!!
Shreddies
