Reasons You’ve Got Gas, And What You Can Do About It

You’re Eating Gassy Vegetables/Fruits/Legumes That You Don’t Know Are Gassy. 

Everyone knows the rhyme about beans being good for your heart, and most people can identify broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and cabbage as gassy foods. Did you know that avocados, garlic, bell peppers, onions, cucumber, artichokes, and asparagus are also gas-producing? Soy is also notoriously hard to digest. Many of these foods contain a complex sugar called raffinose, and/or fructose, both of which can cause gas. And it’s not only vegetables; fruit can also give you gas. Apples, bananas, peaches, pears, apricots and oranges, along with dried fruit, all contain sorbitol, which is a sugar alcohol that’s very gassy.

Your Fiber Level Is A Bit Over The Top.

You’re supposed to eat a lot of fiber, about 25-30 grams per day. Dried fruit, whole grains, leafy greens – lots of healthy food is high in fiber. Inulin, a type of fiber, is present in a lot of foods like granola bars and diet candy, so watch for it on labels because it’s extremely bad in terms of gas production. Fiber ferments in your colon, though, and that feeds the bacteria in there, causing gas. When you’re eating 16 cups of kale to be healthy, you’re not going to get out of it without being gassy.

Chewing Gum Makes Your Breath Sweet, But Your Gas Bad.

Anything sugar-free likely contains sugar alcohols, such as the afore-mentioned sorbitol, xylitol, or mannitol, to name a few of the common ones. Another name for sugar alcohols is polyols, and people who have IBS, in particular, may find it helpful to avoid them (see FODMAP Diet). Chewing gum, sugarless or not, also makes you swallow air, which can compound the problem. Sugar alcohols occur naturally and are usually used in combination with other sweeteners in sugar-free candies and gums.

Lactose – You Just Don’t Tolerate It As Well As You Used To.

You may be lactose intolerant, but chances are, you just don’t break down lactose, a sugar in milk, as well as you used to as we age, our ability to break lactose down decreases, which can cause gas after eating milk products. Ice cream and fluid milk are very high in lactose. Yogurt is too, but the active cultures in yogurt help break down lactose so you may tolerate that a bit better. Protein powders, specifically whey protein, may be a culprit also. If you have gas after using whey protein powder, try switching away to another protein source such as rice protein isolate to see if that helps.

Your Diet Is Full Of Fat, Sugar, and Processed Junk.

Fat slows the digestive process down, which can give foods more time to ferment in your colon. A diet that’s high in processed foods, fat and sugar can sway your bad gut bacteria into high levels, which can precipitate gut distress. Carbonated drinks, including beer, can cause gas as well.

Top remedies for Gas & Bloating

Colon Hydrotherapy

Performing a colon cleanse will help improve overall colon health as well as provide gas relief. Colon hydrotherapy can help to treat gas and bloating in a few ways: It is the safest and most effective method to remove bowel obstructions, so that the colon may pass blocked fecal matter and release trapped gas. Colon hydrotherapy is an all-natural way to do this, one which does not require the use of invasive procedures or chemical laxatives, both of which often irritate the gut further. There are more benefits than just this immediate relief of obstruction, however; even if one is not suffering from constipation, colon hydrotherapy can be a key method of rebalancing the gut flora that leads to gas production. Colon hydrotherapy is an inherently detoxifying process, one which removes built-up toxins, excess mucus, and the harmful pathogenic flora that causes excess gas. By supplementing with probiotics following a colonic, one can re-balance gut flora and possibly prevent the return of painful gas and be bloating. Regular colon hydrotherapy treatments are also thought to tone the colon as they stimulate the muscle and nerve activity of the lower digestive system, which subsequently leads to the colon more effectively eliminating waste (meaning that trapped food will no longer be present to foster the growth of harmful gas-causing bacteria)

Avoid foods that are known to cause gas and indigestion

Such as fried foods, spicy foods, processed foods and refined sugar. Other foods which may lead to gas and bloating include most beans, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, onions, apples, corn, oats, potatoes, most dairy products, pears, prunes, and peaches.

Probiotics

Taking a probiotic supplement or eating foods with probiotics, such as pineapples, help get rid of the most common symptoms of gas. Probiotics replenish beneficial intestinal bacteria and help keep your colon in optimal working order.

Drink ginger tea and eat fresh ginger root

Add small amounts of ginger (both dried and fresh) to your food, as desired. You can also take a teaspoon of fresh grated ginger before meals for gas relief.

Parsley

Adding more parsley to your diet is also a very good remedy for gas. Add parsley, either freshly minced or dried as a spice, to foods that may contribute to intestinal gas to help prevent them from causing gas and bloating problems.

The hot garlic bulb

is another good home remedy for gas. Garlic helps stimulate digestion. For best results, use fresh garlic. You may also want to follow up with parsley or fennel seeds to freshen your breath.

Dandelion Tea

The common weed dandelion has numerous health benefits, one of which is relieving gas. Drink as a tea or add it to meals as a dried spice.

Peppermint Oil

Mix two drops peppermint oil in 1/2 cup cool water and drink once or twice per day.

References:

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