Some foods, drinks, and dietary habits produce gas, but others can reduce it. To reduce the amount of gas, try: drinking beverages that are room temperature. eating raw, low-sugar fruits, such as apricots, blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, grapefruits, peaches, strawberries, and watermelons.
Berries and citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruit contain less fructose, making them easier to tolerate and less likely to cause gas. Bananas are also low-fructose and are fiber-rich and contain inulin, a substance which stimulates the growth of good bacteria in the gut.
As bananas ripen, their resistant starch is turned into simple sugars, which are more digestible. As such, eating ripe bananas may help reduce gas and bloating ( 13 ).
Avoid vegetables such as peas, onions, artichokes, cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, mushrooms, as well as asparagus. Avoid whole grains that are high in carbohydrates such as whole wheat, bran, and pasta. While delicious, avoid fruits such as peaches, prunes, apples, and pears.
Drinking ginger tea, eating ginger root, or sucking on ginger candy can help alleviate multiple gastric symptoms, including flatulence.
Excessive flatulence can be caused by swallowing more air than usual or eating food that's difficult to digest. It can also be related to an underlying health problem affecting the digestive system, such as recurring indigestion or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Read more about the causes of flatulence.
Yogurt's probiotics (good bacteria) help your gut digest and absorb food, so there's less gas and bloating. Go for plain yogurt with active cultures, and sweeten it with a little fruit.
Apples. The teachers' favorite contains sorbitol, a sugar that's naturally in many fruits. Some people's bodies can't absorb it properly, which gives them gas and bloating. It can cause diarrhea, especially for children.
Wheat contains a protein called gluten, which may cause bloating, gas, stomach pain, and diarrhea for some people. Bread, pasta, and many baked goods contain gluten. Sensitivity to gluten can be due to a condition called celiac disease, which affects about 1 percent of the American population .
Excess gas is often a symptom of chronic intestinal conditions, such as diverticulitis, ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease. Small bowel bacterial overgrowth. An increase or change in the bacteria in the small intestine can cause excess gas, diarrhea and weight loss. Food intolerances.
This may surprise you, but coffee can indeed cause gas. When you drink it on an empty stomach, and it reduces the hydrochloric acid, your stomach may have trouble breaking down protein. All that undigested protein starts eating all the gut bacteria that produce hydrogen sulfide. The result is, well, a gassy stomach.
Contrary to popular belief, eggs don't make most of us fart. But they do contain sulphur-packed methionine. So if you don't want smelly farts, don't eat eggs alongside fart-causing foods such as beans or fatty meats. If eggs make you bloated and give you wind, you may be intolerant to them or have an allergy.
Why Do Older People Pass More Gas? Some experts believe that as you get older, you fart more because your metabolism slows down. The food sits longer in your digestive system, creating more gas. Also, your stomach makes less of the acid needed to digest food well.
Lactose is a sugar that's found in milk and most dairy products, including cheese and ice cream. People who don't produce enough of the enzyme lactase have difficulty digesting lactose, which is known as lactose intolerance. Increased gas is one symptom of lactose intolerance.
If you have persistent excessive gas, abdominal pain, or bloating, and can't get relief, it's a good idea to head to your doctor. If the problem is intestinal gas, he can recommend ways to provide relief. And if it's a more serious problem, you can catch it early and get started on treatment.
While gas is normal, there are times when it could be a red flag for a serious health issue. If gas occurs more frequently than usual, or if it's accompanied by other symptoms, like abdominal pain, weight loss, fever, or bloody stools, you should speak with your doctor.