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Don't
let gas get in the way of good-for-you food
March 29, 2007
Suzanne Havala Hobbs
Don’t
let a little hot air keep you from foods that support health.
It’s a dilemma many people tell me about: “I like
beans and cabbage, but they don’t like me.”
We all need to eat more fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, legumes
and grains, but what can be done about it if they give you
gas? It may help to understand a few facts about flatulence.
Everybody has gas, and we pass it about a dozen times a day.
We take air in when we eat, drink, talk, laugh and chew gum.
We burp it out, or it passes on into the small intestine.
We also produce gas when bacteria in the large intestine break
down indigestible components of food, including fiber and
food sugars. That gas leaves the body via the rectum. Most
is odorless, but some gas contains sulfur. When it does, you
and those around you know it.
Aside from some medical conditions that may cause excessive
amounts of gas, the presence of gas in the body is normal.
There’s no harm in it, though pressure from gas in the
stomach or intestines can cause pain at times, and sulfur
emissions can cause funny looks and embarrassment.
That’s why it’s handy to know a bit about the
foods that cause gas and ways you can minimize or control
the gas you do produce. Prime offenders include:
* Fruits and vegetables. They contain natural sugars, including
fructose, raffinose, and sorbitol. Gas forms as these sugars
are broken down in the large intestine. Foods that contain
one or more of these sugars include cabbage, Brussels sprouts,
asparagus, artichokes, broccoli, onions, peaches, pears, prunes
and apples. Most fruits also contain soluble fiber, which
also causes gas as it is digested.
* Legumes, including dried beans and peas. They contain lots
of raffinose and soluble fiber, so they’re potent packages
of combustibles.
* Whole grains. The natural sugars and starches in whole wheat
bread and cereals, and the soluble fiber in oats, are gas
producers.
* Dairy products. After infancy, most of the world’s
adults naturally stop producing the enzyme that breaks down
lactose, the form of sugar in milk. People who are lactose
intolerant and eat foods that contain milk sugar – including
fluid milk, ice cream, and cheese – may develop a range
of symptoms including nausea, gas, diarrhea, bloating, and
abdominal cramps.
* Candies and sweet drinks. Sugar-free candies and chewing
gum often contain sorbitol, and many caloric beverages, such
as soft drinks and juice drinks, are made with high fructose
corn syrup.
Since most of the foods that cause gas are high in nutritional
value, it doesn’t make sense to eliminate them from
your diet. Plus, people tolerate foods differently. Beans
may give you gas but leave me totally unaffected.
If a specific food gives you particular problems with gas,
avoid it. But there are other ways to deal with gas that may
be equally effective:
* Walk it off. Regular physical activity, such as brisk walking,
can help move gas out of your body.
* Swallow less air. Take your time and chew your food well.
Cut back on chewing gum and sucking on hard candies.
* Get over-the-counter help. The anti-gas product Beano contains
an enzyme that helps the body break down sugars in beans and
vegetables. Lactaid and similar products contain lactase,
the enzyme that breaks down the milk sugar lactose.
* Give it time. If you’ve recently added more fiber-rich
foods to your diet for good health, your body may not have
had time to adjust. Over time, people often find that gas
production subsides.
And remember: Never, ever admit it was you. Blame it on the
dog.
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