Watch What You Eat
Fresh food and produce are a foodie's dream come true. But some offerings at farmers markets and your local grocery store can be a nightmare in the making if you have trouble with intestinal gas. Although there is individual variation in what foods make people gassy, all of the potential offenders have one thing in common: indigestible carbohydrates.
Whether we’d like to admit it or not, everyone gets gas from time to time. Gas is caused by swallowing air and the breakdown of food in your digestive tract. The consequences are usually burping, feeling bloated, or passing gas.
On average, most people pass gas at least 14 times per day. Some people have more gas than others, which may be uncomfortable or embarrassing.
However, gas itself is not cause for alarm.
The friendly bacteria in our guts help digest foods that our bodies have trouble breaking down. These bacteria also produce gas, usually as they digest food in the large intestines.
Foods most often linked to intestinal gas include:
- Beans and lentils
- Asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and other vegetables
- Fructose, a natural sugar found in artichokes, onions, pears, wheat, and some soft drinks
- Lactose, the natural sugar found in milk
- Fruits, oat bran, peas, and other foods high in soluble fiber, which gets digested in your large intestine
- Corn, pasta, potatoes, and other foods rich in starch
- Sorbitol, the artificial sweetener
- Whole grains, such as brown rice, oatmeal, and whole wheat
That list covers a whole lot of healthy food, but you don’t have to severely restrict your diet. Most likely just a few give you gas. "Some people have problems digesting milk. Others don’t," says Lawrence R. Kosinski, MD, MBA, a spokesman for the American Gastroenterological Association. "And food sensitivities may change with age. Many people develop problems digesting milk products as they get older, for instance."
Two simple steps can help you discover your problem foods.
1. Keep a food diary. When you have bloating or gas, look back over the foods you’ve eaten within the last few hours – that’s typically when gas occurs.
2. Experiment, one by one, with the foods you suspect. Eat one of the foods by itself. Does it give you gas? If not, wait a day, then experiment with another of your suspect foods. Keep going through the list on different days until you find the food that gives you gas.
Adjust Your Diet
The best way to reduce gassiness is to avoid foods that cause problems. If a healthy food gives you gas – such as whole grains and vegetables -- reduce the amount you eat. Then, gradually start eating more of the food – increasing the amount bit by bit over weeks – to give your digestive system time to adjust.
Disclaimer: The information on this POST is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional advice. The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available through this article is for general information purposes / educational purposes only, and to ensue discussion or debate.
Thank you …Vegetables with Indigestible Sugars
Onions, leeks, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, red beets, celery, cauliflower, broccoli and cabbage contain high concentrations of indigestible plant sugars. As with beans, your colonic bacteria break down the sugars from these vegetables and emit gases as by-products.
Some of the gas produced is used by other bacteria in your colon or absorbed into your bloodstream; the remainder is disposed of by passing gas.
Avoidance of gas-producing vegetables is effective for reducing intestinal gas but deprives you of their healthful nutrients and diverse flavours.
Over-the-counter products containing the enzyme alpha-D-galactosidase taken with meals allow you to enjoy these vegetables without the nuisance and discomfort of intestinal gas.
If you’re experiencing a lot of gas and bloating, making changes to your diet can help. Keep in mind that people’s bodies react differently, so if you make changes to your diet, avoid the foods you react to the most.
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High-Fructose Foods
High-fructose fruit, including apples, cherries, pears, grapes, raisins, peaches, plums, prunes, watermelon and dates, can overwhelm your digestive system's capacity to break down this fruit sugar.
Juices made from these fruits and red wine can also be problematic. The bacteria in your colon feast on undigested fructose and produce gas.
Processed foods sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup also cause intestinal gas.
In a 2009 article published in the "Journal of Nutrition," Bernadette Marriott, Ph.D., and colleagues reported that non-alcoholic beverages, such as soda and fruit drinks, and sweetened grain products, such as commercial baked goods and breakfast cereals, are the leading sources of fructose in the American diet.
Avoiding these foods can diminish the amount of gas produced in your intestines.
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Milk and Dairy Products
Approximately 16 to 19 percent of Americans have difficulty digesting milk sugar, or lactose. This condition, known as lactose intolerance, arises due to low production of the lactose-digesting enzyme lactase.
To reduce intestinal gas caused by lactose intolerance, avoid large portions of milk, yogurt, ice cream, sour cream, butter and cheese.
Alternatively, take an over-the-counter lactase supplement before eating lactose-containing food.
These enzyme supplements eliminate the gassiness associated with eating dairy products, enabling you to reap the nutritional benefits of these calcium-rich foods.
If you prefer a dairy-free diet or are allergic to milk, try almond, rice, hemp or oat milk as an alternative to animal milk.
Because these products do not contain milk sugar, they do not cause lactose-derived intestinal gas.
Whole-Grain Foods
Whole-grain foods contain high concentrations of plant fiber, an indigestible carbohydrate.
Colonic bacteria ferment fiber, releasing gas in the process. Whole-grain cereals, breads and crackers may cause embarrassing intestinal gas.
Because fiber supports your digestive and heart health, it is important not to eliminate it from your diet. Try eating high-fiber foods in small portions throughout the day rather than one large serving.
Experiment to see which cereal grains cause you the least gas. For example, you may find whole-grain oat products cause less gas than whole-grain wheat products or vice versa.
Consider a Supplement
Some supplements contain digestive enzymes that break down hard-to-digest foods.
You can buy the enzyme lactase over the counter if dairy products give you gas. A product called Beano helps break down gas-producing sugars in beans.
Avoid Swallowing Air
We all swallow small amounts of air. That’s normal. When we swallow too much air – called aerophagia -- it causes abdominal bloating, gas, or belching.
Pay attention to things you do that may make you swallow more air than you need, such as:
- Chewing gum
- Drinking carbonated sodas
- Eating too quickly
- Smoking
- Wearing loose dentures
Sodas and other carbonated drinks can add significantly to the amount of air you swallow. When air gets into your digestive tract, it has to pass through somehow. This causes burping and may also increase how much gas you pass. Swapping soda for juice, tea, or water (with no carbonation) may help you reduce gas.
Stress can also make you swallow too much air. "Often people aren’t even aware that they’re gulping down air," Kosinski says. "If you’re feeling anxious or [are] under a lot of stress, look for ways to relax. Or talk to your doctor about stress reduction techniques."
Bloating, which is generally caused by the build-up of gas in the digestive tract, is not uncommon. In fact, the Cleveland Clinic notes that many people believe that they have excess gas when in fact they have normal amounts.
While bloating is a common complaint, feeling bloated every time you eat may be a sign of an underlying digestive issue. If you're struggling, see your doctor to rule out a medical issue.