Feeling Gassy?

“Beans, beans they’re good for your heart, the more you eat, the more you fart, the more you fart the better you feel, so eat beans with every meal.”

Recently, a couple of close friends complained to me about excessive gas passing, uncomfortable gas pain, and bloating. We discussed that the older we get the more we are confronted with this embarrassing topic. So, what can be done to manage gas and its associated discomfort?

Check your diet to see if you’re eating a lot of foods that may be contributing to these symptoms. 

Gas Producing Foods
Alcohol Apples Artichokes Asparagus Bananas Beans Beer Beets Broccoli Brussel sprouts Cabbage Carbonated beverages Carrageenan Carrots Cauliflower Celery Cheese, some types	Corn Cucumber Dairy products Dried beans, peas, lentils Eggs Fatty Foods Fish Grapes Greens (mustard, turnip, collard) Green pepper Melons Mushrooms Okra Onions Parsnips Peanuts	Pears Potato skins Prunes Radish Red wine Rutabaga Sauerkraut Spinach Sugar alcohols (sorbitol, xylitol) Turnips Watermelon Winter squash Wheat Whole grains Zucchini

Eating the foods listed above typically promote good health and decrease your risks for various health conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers. However, you may need to temporarily omit these foods to help manage your symptoms. You may add these foods back into your diet once you feel like the bloating and gas pain is manageable.

What else can be done? Consider modifying some of your eating and drinking habits. 

1.    Slowly and gradually increase the amount of fiber you eat to 25 to 35 grams per day. Introducing high fiber foods quickly into your diet can lead to gas.

2.    Try to cook your vegetables to help digest them and decrease gas production.

3.    Eat small meals or snacks every 3 or 4 hours and try to avoid skipping meals.

4.    Eat foods that have added probiotics and prebiotics.

5.    Choose lactose-free products if you have lactose intolerance.

6.    Eat slowly to prevent swallowing too much air.

7.    Sip fluids. You may also be swallowing too much air by drinking rapidly or using straws.

8.    Avoid carbonated drinks.

9.    Avoid clear liquids that contain sugar, alcohol, caffeine, and calories.

10. Limit or avoid high fat foods.

11. Eat small amount of real sugar to cut back on the amount of sugar alcohol (sorbitol and xylitol) you consume. Your gut bacteria may become flooded with their favorite foods and rapidly consume them (fermentation), which leads to increased gas production.

12. Exercise such as walking can help manage gas associated pain and discomfort. Talk to your doctor before engaging in any physical activity.

13. Talk to your doctor or healthcare provider if digestive enzymes, Lactase or Beano®, or medication changes is right for you.

14.  Search for a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist near you by typing in your zip code here, to discuss your nutritional needs based on your medical status.

   "Hey! Who let one out? It wasn't me."

Photo courtesy of Food Explorer RD

Sources:

The Arizona Digestive Health. Accessed [October 4, 2015]. 

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Nutrition Care Manual®. http://www.nutritioncaremanual.org. Accessed [October 4, 2015].

Goldfinger S, Lamont J, Grover S. Gas and bloating (Beyond the Basics). In UpToDate®, Post, TW (Ed), UpToDate, Waltham, MA, 2015. 

The blog content and information provided by Food Explorer RD is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended nor recommended as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Seek the advice of your own physician or other qualified health care professional regarding any medical questions or conditions.