Colon Gas and Flatus Prevention Diet
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Final Flatus Factoids
The following are common sense tips on flatus. They may not work for everyone but perhaps a few might.- If you have no or little flatus, then you likely are not getting an adequate amount of soluble prebiotic fiber in your diet. The good benefits of these fibers can’t be obtained without a minimal amount of gas production.
- Chewing gum – When you chew gum, you swallow more often and some air goes down into your stomach with each swallow. What you don’t belch up goes into the colon, where it can contribute to flatus.
- Beans contain special types of carbohydrates that some colon gas forming bacteria love. These carbs are not part of the prebiotic family that are so good for the colon and for general health. However, beans are a great source of protein and other fiber, so it can be dilemma for some people. Soaking and/or overcooking beans may help reduce gas formation. Do the experiment and see.
- Beano is an over-the-counter product touted for helping reduce flatus. It is an enzyme that works only on the carbohydrate in beans and only if it mixes with the chewed up beans in the stomach. So, you need to take the pills, and usually a lot of them, while you are eating beans. You can try taking the pills after eating but the results may not be as good.
- Gulping food or eating fast may result in more air being swallowed, which results in more of this air in the colon. So, slow down and chew your food well.
- Over-the-counter remedies – Gas-X and other similar preparations are simethicone, which is a chemical that breaks down small intestinal bubbles into big ones. I am not sure of the benefit as it does not get rid of gas. Charcoal tablets are reputed to absorb the bad sulfide smell. It has never been proven very well. Reducing sulfur in food and acidifying the colon with prebiotic foods and supplements makes more sense.
- Odor eating underwear – Yes, you can get these online. They seem a bit of a stretch and inconvenient for a physiologic event that can be controlled in other, more natural ways.
- For more information and more lighthearted take on this issue, read our “Sink the Stink!” article.
