Download Got Gas? Find out why and how to control it

Got Gas?
Find out why and how to control it
What is gas?
Everyone has gas in their gut – it’s normal. In fact, the average person passes gas 12 -25 times a day. Even
though it’s normal, gas can be embarrassing. It can also be uncomfortable if it causes bloating. The good news is
that it’s rarely the sign of a serious problem.
You can’t stop your body from making gas. But there are a few things you can do to cut down on how much
gas you make and ease the discomfort.
Where does gas come from?
Swallowed air makes up 90% of the gas in our digestive tract. Some of this swallowed air leaves the stomach by
burping or belching. The rest passes through the digestive tract and is released through the rectum (pass gas).
Bacteria, from our large intestine, make the rest of the gas. These bacteria feed on the undigested carbohydrate
and fibre from the foods we eat and produce the hydrogen and methane gases that are passed. Only a tiny
amount of this gas can cause odour. The worst smelling gases contain sulphur.
Which foods cause gas?
Any food that contains carbohydrate (sugars, starches and fibres) can cause gas. This includes foods such as
fruits, vegetables, grains and dried beans, peas and lentils as well as chocolate bars, chips and candy. Foods that
have carbohydrates that we can’t fully digest produce more gas. Foods known for their gas production include:
baked beans, cabbage, brussels sprouts and cauliflower.
Sugar-free foods and candies with the sugar-alcohols sorbitol, mannitol and xylitol also cause gas. Sugar
alcohols are not digested in the small intestine and become food for the bacteria in the large intestine.
Fructose is a natural sugar found in fruit. This does not cause a problem when found in fruit but some foods like
pop and fruit drinks are sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup. This form may cause a gas problem. Large
amounts of this high fructose corn syrup feeds the bacteria found in our gut. This again causes gas to be formed.
Fruit juices can also have high amounts of fructose and can result in this same problem.
Trusted advice from dietitians. www.dietitians.ca
Milk products cause gas for people with lactose intolerance. Lactose is the sugar in milk and it is digested by the
enzyme lactase. People with lactose intolerance make very little or no lactase at all so lactose gets into the colon
for bacteria to feast on.
Steps you can take to reduce gas
Swallow less air
Try some of these tips to swallow less air:
• Eat food slowly and try to relax while you eat.
• Don’t talk a lot while eating.
• Drink from a glass. Don’t use a straw or drink from a bottle or can.
• Avoid chewing gum and sucking on hard candy.
• Drink fluids lukewarm instead of hot. Air is swallowed when hot drinks are sipped.
• Wear properly fitting dentures.
• Avoid carbonated drinks like pop and beer.
• If you smoke, try to stop.
• If you have chronic post-nasal drip, get treatment. It can cause you to swallow air.
Adjust your food choices
Try these tips to reduce the gas and keep healthy foods in your diet:
• Find out which foods make you more ‘gassy’. Eat them in smaller amounts or less often.
• Avoid foods with sugar alcohols and high fructose corn syrup.
• Eat the whole fruit instead of drinking fruit juice. Quench your thirst with water.
• Discard the water that dried peas, beans and lentils were soaked in. Rinse well, and cook them in fresh
water.
• If you are avoiding many nutritious foods because they cause you gas, talk with a registered dietitian.
Trusted advice from dietitians. www.dietitians.ca
Try an over-the-counter product
There are some non-prescription products that help reduce gas symptoms. They work in different ways. Follow
package directions.
•
•
•
Antacids with simethicone join gas bubbles in the stomach. This makes gas easier to burp away. These
products have no effect on gas made by bacteria.
Beano, and products like it, has the enzyme needed to digest the carbohydrate in beans and some
vegetables.
Lactase, the enzyme to digest lactose in milk products, may help people with lactose intolerance. It
comes in liquid and tablet form. Or, you can buy lactose free milk.
Gas can be uncomfortable and embarrassing. However it is usually a sign of a healthy digestive tract. If you’re
bothered by the amount of gas you produce, try the tips in this fact sheet. Keep in mind that burping, belching
and passing wind are normal.
UNTIL SEPTEMBER 2016
© 2013 Dietitians of Canada; may be reproduced in its entirety. For non-commercial use only.