Gas isn’t the most polite dinner topic, but
it’s a strong indicator of what’s going on inside your body.
So, while you may not want to discuss it with friends, it’s a
good idea to notice what’s going on with your body so you can discuss it with
your doctor should problems arise.
It’s
almost strange that it’s so taboo to talk about. Passing gas is, after all, a natural part of the
human digestive process. Gas even helps your food go through your digestive
track. It’s just a part of life.
However, if you’re experiencing stomach pain, pressure from
gas, very smelly gas, or passing excess amounts of it, your body might be
telling you that something is off.
You don’t have to live with unwanted stomach symptoms. A
working knowledge of what’s what when it comes to gas is a great first step in
taking control.
You probably have the normal questions, such as: What’s normal
and what’s cause for concern?
Let’s look at both, along with causes for gas, and when to
see your doctor.
Healthy
amounts of gas
Passing
gas is a sign that we’re healthy. Men tend to pass more gas, and more often,
than women.
Smokers, too, pass more gas, although science isn’t sure why.
The average person passes gas more than 10 times a day. This
varies, of course, and is affected by diet and other things.
Gas without a smell is usually from swallowed air. We swallow
air when we eat, drink, and chew gum.
Other gas is created when the bacteria in our gut break down
food.
Foods
that cause gas
Any
food can cause gas if you’re sensitive to it. We’ll discuss that soon.
Foods that cause more gas in general are:
·
Apples
·
Artichokes
·
Asparagus
·
Beer
·
Broccoli
·
Brussels
Sprouts
·
Cabbage
·
Carbonated
beverages
·
Carrots
·
Cauliflower
·
Celery
·
Corn
·
Cucumbers
·
Dried
beans, peas, and lentils
·
Eggs
·
Onions
·
Pears
·
Peas
·
Potatoes
·
Radishes
·
Red
Wine
·
Rutabaga
·
Sorbitol
·
Supplements:
glucosamine contains sulfates
·
Turnips
·
Wheat
·
Water
with sulfate in it, such as well water, will make gas smellier
·
Whole
grains
·
Xylitol
Some
of these foods even cause urine to smell differently, such as asparagus.
Some sweeteners, usually considered more natural than
artificial sweeteners, can cause gas and even diarrhea in higher doses.
Excess
gas and its causes
Do
you eat quickly? Or on the run?
If you’re eating quickly, while chatting, or in an attempt to
multitask, you’re probably swallowing more air.
Some people tend to eat quickly. The next time you eat with
others, notice if you generally finish earlier.
You might also have times when you need to “scarf down” your
meal due to a time crunch.
Try to slow down when you eat and chew your food longer to
see if it helps with excess gas.
If you chew gum on a regular basis and notice you have extra
gas, a first step is cutting back on gum to reduce gas.
If changing your eating habits changes your gas, you can
simply monitor the problem.
Adding
more fiber to your diet will also lead to more gas at first.
If
it’s not painful or causing pressure, it’s probably nothing to worry about.
There are many over-the-counter chewables and liquids that
help relieve gas.
If you know you upped your fiber, or you have bad gas that
goes away, you usually don’t need to go to the doctor.
However, excess gas can indicate a bowel problem, such as an
intolerance to dairy or gluten.
You can usually tell the difference because, if you have a
food insensitivity, you’ll also have stomach pain and gas that smells more.
Stomach pain that sticks around for more than a few days is a
reason to see your doctor.
Meat
and gas issues
Some
meats contain sulfur, which causes smellier gas. You might have noticed this
with certain meats if you’re more sensitive.
And many meats have hormones and antibiotics added to them.
Lidia thought she had issues with eating chicken. Sometimes
it made her very gassy.
She went on an elimination diet and then added chicken back
in.
What she finally uncovered was that chicken gave her gas sometimes
but not all the time, so it was more likely that the hormones and additives in
some meats were causing the problems.
She stuck to free-range, organic chicken after that and the
problem went away.
That’s one example of how you can learn to read your body by
keeping track of what you eat and how it affects you.
Constipation
also causes excess gas.
Being constipated can be annoying and even painful,
and it often causes more gas with a stronger smell.
That’s
because waste is mainly made up of bacteria, so when you’re constipated, there’s more bacteria sitting in your
gut, fermenting and releasing fumes.
Drink
plenty of water, eat more fiber, and exercise to relieve the problem.
There’s
over-the-counter medicine to help with this as well, although you can usually
fix it yourself.
Prolonged constipation might indicate
another medical problem, so if you don’t find relief after a week, talk to your
doctor about it.
Smelly
gas
A
foul smell might indicate an imbalance in the gut biome, or the source could be
the food itself.
Some healthy foods that are high in sulfate, like broccoli,
cauliflower, almonds, and Brussels sprouts, produce smellier gas.
Sulfate is actually the culprit behind most smelly gas, so
controlling how much you ingest helps with the smell.
Sulfate is in well water, some supplements, beer, wine, milk,
and juices from apple, grape, and tomatoes.
Meat and dairy also has a sulfur compound called mercaptans,
and that can lead to smelly gas as well.
Flatulence
and Digestive Care – How to reduce excessive smelly gas
Treatment for smelly gas can include:
·
Exercise
(which also helps constipation)
·
Dietary
changes to avoid trigger foods
·
Digestive
enzymes like Lactase and Beano
·
Food
sensitivity testing and an elimination diet
·
Prebiotics
from prebiotic-rich yogurt or supplements
·
Antacids
or H2 blockers if reflux is present
Some
people are aware that they’re somewhat lactose intolerant, and consuming dairy
will cause more gas, but the symptoms go away.
The truth is, many people probably know certain foods cause
gas, but that doesn’t mean they avoid them. It’s possible to plan ahead and not
eat that food at a big event or before going to work.
Most adults become lactose intolerant to some degree. Even if
you’ve always been able to consume dairy, that can change as you get older.
As you become an adult and age, you have less lactate enzyme
available in your system to digest milk.
If you get an upset stomach every time you have milk or
cheese, eliminate all dairy from your diet for a few days and see if you feel
more comfortable.
When gas comes from a food, it usually happens a few hours to
12 hours later, and then goes away.
But if you’re dealing with foul smelling gas that’s
lingering, it’s time to think about your gut health.
You
have foul smelling gas on a regular basis
If
your stomach has trouble breaking down certain foods, it’ll let you know via
gas.
With
gluten insensitivity, Celiac’s disease (extreme sensitivity to gluten) or other
autoimmune disorders, the stomach might be
breaking down the lining of the small intestine.
Signs that you might have a problem with gluten include:
·
Bloating
and abdominal pain
·
Diarrhea
and/or constipation, foul smelling feces
·
Headaches
·
Brain
fog
- Skin problems such as psoriasis, alopecia (hair loss), and rashes
- Depression, which is more common among people
with Celiac Disease, possibly due to changes in gut biome or serotonin
levels
·
Weight
loss
·
Deficiency
in iron, folate, or vitamin B12
·
Family
history – if a parent or sibling has been diagnosed, it’s smart to get tested.
Many
symptoms for different stomach issues overlap, so it’s a good idea to have
tests run and find out what’s bothering your stomach.
Doing an elimination diet at home will also help you discover
what foods cause problems.
And remember, when trying an elimination diet, you should
look at additives too.
Many people are sensitive to artificial food dyes,
preservatives, hormones, antibiotics, and other additives.
Many foods have wheat and gluten even when it doesn’t seem
logical, like licorice. Wheat and corn starch are both used to thicken many
commercial foods.
The small amounts of additives in packaged foods are enough
to add up and cause stomach issues, including smelly gas.
Flatulence
and Digestive Care – When to see your doctor
Gas
by itself can often be fixed at home. You can discover the cause with a food
diary or an elimination diet.
If, however, you have pain and other stomach issues, and the
problem persists, it’s much better to visit the doctor than to continue to
suffer.
Take any information you’ve written down about symptoms and
foods that bothered you.
Hopefully you’ll be on your way to feeling better soon.
Watch these 2 videos that are related to flatulence and
digestive care –
7 ways to fix your
gas | What Causes Excessive Gas | Sameer Islam Videos
The Truth About Fart:
Is Farting Healthy? What's the Treatment for Flatulence?
Written
by Dr. Carl Bamlet who is a chiropractor and a certified nutrition specialist.
He creates the Food, Health & You Complete
Implementation System
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Dr.
Carl Bamlet is a cancer survivor. He was diagnosed with brain cancer at the age
of nineteen, underwent surgeries and chemotherapy, adapted to a lifestyle that
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exposed to due to the modern diet. He has been cancer free for twelve years.
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To
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