Ashu’s Dilemma
“For the whole night I was unable to sleep, not able to take a short nap due to smell,” Ashu told his mother.
Last night, Ashu had to share his room with a guest from his maternal family. That person is in his late 40s and suffers from the problem of farting.
For Ashu, the problem is not new. Even some of his own family members are also facing the same issue. Sometimes, when the problem becomes uncontrollable then for him and his family it is an embarrassing situation.
Now Ashu wants to get detailed information that why farting is prevalent. How eating habits and foods taken influence the farting or flatulence treatment. 10 foods that cause flatulence and how to pacify their gas making effect.
He is again searching on Know Ur Diet, let us see what he finds:
What is Farting (Flatulence)?
Although farting can create embarrassing situations for most of us, it is a natural process to lower down the gas in the stomach. In this process, the excessive gas produced in the digestive system is released through the anal passage.
There are two major causes due to which this excess gas is generated in the stomach. First, when we eat foods, drink beverages and even when we swallow saliva. Second, when our digestive system releases enzymes to digest foods, gas is generated in the large intestine.
This gas needs to be released because it can damage the lining of the intestine. Excessive gas is majorly released in 2 ways- by burping or belching through the mouth & Flatulence (Farting) through the anus. As per studies, a healthy person can fart at least 13 to 20 times a day, mostly without any noticing.
Causes of Excessive Farting
As we have discussed that farting is a natural process, excessive farting remains a major problem among most Indians. Here we will discuss what are the reasons for excessive farting:
Poor Digestion
Our stomach is designed to digest all sorts of foods and for this, enzymes or gut bacteria are produced in large quantities. The heavier your meal will be, the more enzymes will be released in the stomach. This causes excessive production of gas in the stomach.
Gut Bacteria Imbalance
Also known as dysbiosis, gut bacteria imbalance is a health condition when there is an overgrowth of harmful bacteria in the intestine. These bacteria can elevate the gas production in the intestine which can lead to excessive farting.
Food Intolerance
Food intolerance is majorly a symptom of a condition when your body is unable to break down the consumed food. This imbalance in the stomach leads to faster bacteria growth and this ends up in gas creation.
High-Fiber Diet
Having a diet high in fiber can accelerate your problem of farting. Fiber is an essential nutrient for healthy digestion but it is hard for the small intestine to digest it. Again, if your intestine releases more gut bacteria then it will automatically produce more gas.
Swallowing Excessive Air
This may sound idiotic to you but if you are sucking up high quantities of air through your mouth then you may suffer from excessive farting. The reason is simple, all that air you swallow through your mouth ends up in your stomach and the only way it can be released is through the anal passage.
Till here, there is no doubt that food plays a vital role in tackling the gas problem. If you reduce and avoid food causes farting then you can easily avoid embarrassing situations. Now, let us see what different foods causes gas or farting problems.
Your farts also are a combination of two things: the air you swallow (say, by eating a little fast) and the actual food you eat,
– David Poppers, M.D., Ph.D., a gastroenterologist at NYU Langone Health
10 Foods that cause Farting or Flatulence
If you want to have flatulence treatment, then you should avoid these foods in your meals. These foods cause gas and can make you fart and make you uncomfortable. So here is the list of gas making foods:
Beans & Legumes
Our list begins with lentils and legumes because they are notorious for gas-making. One major reason is that they are rich in carbohydrates especially oligosaccharides, a compound that is difficult to digest. Also, Fiber in beans is also responsible to accelerate the problem of farting.
What To Do
Use legumes and beans in cooking after soaking them. Start consuming legumes with small quantities and gradually increase the share in your meal.
Read more about Beans & Legumes
Cruciferous Vegetables (Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Sprouts)
Consuming Vegetables like Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower and Sprouts can also worsen your farting problem. These foods are high in carbohydrates and sulfur-containing compounds known as glucosinolates can upset the smooth digestion process.
What To Do
Start your cooking of these vegetables by slow steaming, this reduces the gas-making effect of these foods.
Read more about Fruits & Vegetables
Dairy Products
Dairy foods are considered heavy and loaded with lactose, a sugar found specifically in milk and its alternatives. Lactose is hard to digest and people have lactose intolerance due to which it remains undigested. This undigested lactose can lead to gas production and farting issue.
What To Do
Replace your dairy intake with alternatives like soy products. Another way is to substitute milk with Almond and soy milk. These foods can help you in avoiding your lactose intolerance.
Carbonated Drinks
You will be surprised but having carbonated drinks can worsen your farting problem. These drinks can increase your air swallowing and this excessive air then turn into farting through the anal passage. Also, some drinks are loaded with artificial sweeteners that can upset your normal stomach functioning.
What To Do
Avoid or reduce drinking carbonated drinks and substitute them with beverages like water, unsweetened tea and coffee without milk and its alternatives.
Onions
Yes, onion is also a food that can cause farting especially when eating it raw. This is because of the presence of Fructan, an oligosaccharide that is hard to digest in the small intestine. This undigested Fructan will produce gas and elevates farting.
What To Do
Cooking onion properly can reduce its gas-producing effects and you can also use onion powder that is easy to digest. Also, drink a lot of water for smooth digestion.
Whole Grains
In this category, you can have wheat, oats and barley. They are all high in fiber and carbohydrates both are responsible for gas production in the stomach. Raffinose, a carb compound present in whole grains is hard to digest and needs extra gut bacteria to move throw the intestine. This produces a lot of gas and causes Flatulence.
What To Do
Rather than taking a diet full of whole grains, start with small quantities and then increase it gradually. Also, drink a lot of water for smooth digestion.
Fruits with Natural Sugar
Commonly eaten fruits like Apple, Pears, Mango, Peaches and Apricots are rich in natural sugar called Fructose. This sugary compound is hard to digest and can cause gas production. Similarly, bananas are also hard to digest for certain groups of people.
What To Do
If you are facing a gas problem then you should avoid these fruits and opt for citrus fruits and berries that contain low amount of Fructose. Also, drink a lot of water for smooth digestion.
Garlic
Similar to onion, Garlic is also rich in Fructan. A compound that can create the problem of gas. Garlic is an integral part of Indian cuisine and you won’t find a single curry without it. But it can indeed generate digestive issues like bloating and indigestion, especially for those who are intolerant to it.
What To Do-
If you are sensitive to garlic or have garlic intolerance then you can go for garlic powder or garlic-based oils. Secondly, replace garlic altogether from your meal preparation.
Meat
Meats are also a part of gas making foods especially pork and beef can elevate your Flatulence problem. The reason is the presence of Methionine, an amino acid that is primarily made of sulfur. When gut bacteria break down this compound, they generate hydrogen sulfide gas that is released through anal passage or mouth.
What To Do-
If you are facing the severe problem of farting or stomach gas then you should avoid these meat products.
Read more about Meat & Dairy
Fatty and Fried Foods
Dietitians always advise avoiding Fried foods as they are considered unhealthy. But for the people who are already facing digestion problems, then they should remain away from these foods. Fried products can slow down your digestion and have a high content of sulfur, both can increase the gas production in the stomach.
What To Do-
Avoid fried foods completely and if you have to eat them then avoid fried meat or other fried products that are made from gas-producing foods.
Conclusion
Ashu has concluded that for any Flatulence treatment, it is necessary that you need to avoid food causes farting. Farting or Flatulence is a gut-related issue where gas generated in the stomach has to be passed from the anal passage.
To tackle this problem, Ashu has decided that you can completely avoid these foods or consume them in a way that pacifies their gas-producing effect.
But in the end, Ashu also understands that if this condition continues even by removing the food causes gas, then a person must seek immediate consultation from the doctor.
