How to control flatulence through diet

In some cases, excessive flatulence can be treated with simple dietary changes. Check out this guide to learn more about what causes flatulence and how you can reduce flatulence through diet.

Excessive gas, or flatulence, causes uncomfortable abdominal bloating, which can be relieved only by bringing the gas up from the stomach (burping) or expelling it through the anus. Although it is embarrassing, this experience is the completely natural result of intestinal bacteria acting on undigested carbohydrates and proteins.

• The average person has more than 13 episodes a day, most of which pass unnoticed. It's only when certain malodorous gases are released that the problem becomes unpleasant.

Flatulence seems to worsen with age, and some individuals are simply more susceptible to gas than others.

• Eating smaller portions, chewing food thoroughly and not gulping liquids should minimize episodes.
• Some experts also believe that reducing the amount of air in the digestive tract may help to prevent flatulence, so they advise against drinking carbonated ­beverages, chewing gum or drinking through a straw, which promotes swallowing air.

Some foods are especially notorious gas producers; topping the list are those that produce methane gas when fermented by intestinal bacteria.

• Soybeans, kidney beans, lentils and dried peas can result in unpleasant-smelling flatus. Except for lentils and split peas, which do not need to be presoaked, soaking dried beans for at least four hours (preferably eight or more hours) before cooking them in plenty of water helps to reduce the indigestible sugars, raffinose and stachyose, that cause gas.
• Avoid vegetables from the cabbage family. Many people also experience flatulence after eating onions and Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower and other members of the cabbage plant family; you may be able to reduce gas ­production by adding such spices as anise, ginger, rosemary, bay leaf and fennel seeds during cooking.
• Some cooks add kombu seaweed, available in Asian markets and natural food stores, to cooking water for the same purpose.
• Passing gas can be an uncomfortable side effect of a well-intentioned move toward a healthier, high-fibre diet. Nutritionists suggest increasing fibre intake gradually, and they recommend avoiding bran and high-fibre laxatives.
• In addition, sorbitol, fructose and other sweeteners can cause flatulence in some people, as can high doses of vitamin C.

• Look in the pharmacy for a flatulence reducer made from natural en­zymes. They can help reduce flatus when a few drops are sprinkled on gas-producing food or a tablet is taken before a meal.
• A cup of peppermint or fennel tea after a meal sometimes helps improve digestion and reduce flatulence.
• Some people find that eating yogurt made with live cultures cuts down on gas production.
• Yoga, particularly the knee-to-chest pose, is also said to alleviate the condition.

Sometimes flatulence is due to a medical disorder; if the problem is severe and persists, it could be a symptom of food allergies, Crohn's disease, intolerance to milk or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Keep this guide in mind and contact your doctor for more information.