At the heart of our digestive system, gases are naturally present. When a person drinks or eats, digestion of food produces gas in the intestine. They can be evacuated through the mouth (belching) or through the anus (flatulence). Flatulence is made up of hydrogen, methane, and carbon dioxide. They are made by bacteria living in the large intestine.
What foods to avoid in case of gas?
On average, a person emits 13 to 21 gas per day. In most cases, gas is not a medical emergency. Excessive gas production is mainly due to food. Consuming foods high in carbohydrates (sugar) causes bloating.
To relieve these intestinal discomfort, it is therefore recommended to avoid:
- the fruits : consumed in large quantities, some fruits cause flatulence. When an apple, a banana or an apricot are poorly assimilated, they arrive in the large intestine where they ferment with bacteria.
- milk and dairy products: many people are lactose intolerant because their bodies don’t make enough lactase, an enzyme that helps digest dairy products well.
- whole foods: rice and bread are also sources of gas, because they are sometimes poorly digested by the body.
- Sodas and sparkling waters: the air contained in these drinks accumulates in the intestines. He also has difficulty evacuating afterwards.
- Le chewing-gum : frequent chewing gum makes us swallow a lot of air. Bloating can then occur.
- legumes: chickpeas, beans, lentils or even beans are beneficial for transit because they are rich in fiber. However, when a person abuses it, their digestion is slowed down. Which leads to gas.
- Fat food : red meat or cold meats are heavy foods for the body. They slow down digestion and can cause feelings of bloating.
- Onion: this vegetable is made up of fructose, a sugar, which can interfere with its absorption by the body.
- Cabbage : they hold carbohydrate, which makes them difficult to digest.
However, gas can appear when the digestive tract fails to properly absorb certain foods. This is called malabsorption syndrome. This pathology prevents the small intestine from digesting food properly.
Patients affected by this syndrome often have carbohydrate deficiency accompanied by lactase deficiency. When they consume foods containing these sugars, excess gas is favored. Bacteria in the digestive tract are sometimes more numerous or different in a person. Which explains why she suffers from bloating more frequently.
What are the symptoms of gas?
Several symptoms can occur with gas:
- abdominal discomfort
- unintentional weight loss
- blood in stool
- chest pain
Flatulence: what is the treatment to treat it?
There is no specific treatment to treat flatulence. Doctors may recommend that their patients change their diet to relieve bloating. In general, it is better to start by eliminating a food or a first group of food. For example, if you suffer from gas, you can start by removing or reducing dairy products from your diet.
It is sometimes advisable to consume small amounts of dietary fiber such as psyllium seeds to promote colon movements. However, it is best to be vigilant, as fiber can make symptoms worse in some people.
Discover the complete list of foods to avoid in case of bloating
Source : The MDS manual
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