What’s the Cause of Your Gas?

Often times when we sit down for a meal we aren’t actively thinking if those charro beans, or ice cream cone will come back to haunt us. If you suffer from bloating or gassiness it is important to know and understand the foods that might cause it. Most of us don’t realize that most foods that contain carbohydrates cause gas, where as fats and protein usually cause little gas.

In this article we will discuss the different foods that can be the cause of your gassiness.

Raffinose
Beans are the major culprits of containing large amounts of this complex sugar. Other foods that contain smaller amounts are cabbage, brussel sprouts, broccoli, asparagus, and other vegetable and whole grains.

Lactose
Lactose is a natural sugar in milk. This being the case, lactose can be found in a variety of milk products such as cheese, ice creams, processed foods such as bread, cereal and salad dressing.

In addition, it is important to note that as a person ages they might become more sensitive to lactose due to decreasing levels of the enzymes that are needed to digestive lactose.

Fructose
This is a tricky one because you might not realize you are consuming high levels of fructose until you look at the label of your soft drink or fruit drink. In addition, fructose is naturally present in vegetables and fruits such as onions, artichokes, and pears.

Sorbitol
This is the sugar that is naturally found in a variety of fruits such as apples, pears, peaches, and prunes. It is often also used as an artificial sweetener for many dietetic foods, protein bars, and sugar free candies. This particular type of sugar is very gassy and should be eliminated from your diet if you are having issues with gassiness.

Starches
Most starches, including potatoes, corn, noodles, and wheat products, product large amounts of gas as they are broken down in the large intestine.

Fiber
Although fiber can great for you it may cause gas for certain people. There are two types of fiber – soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber dissolves easily in water and takes on a soft gel like textures. This fiber is not broke n down until it reach the large intestine and produces gas at this stage. This type of fiber is found in oat bran, beans, peas, and most fruits. Insoluble fiber on the other hand, passes through the intestines unchanged and produces little gas. Foods that have this type of fiber are wheat bran, and some vegetables.

As you can see there are many different reasons why you might be suffering from gas. In addition to avoiding the above mentioned foods you can try to avoid the following:

• Beans
• Broccoli
• Brussel sprouts
• Cabbage
• Carbonated drinks
• Cauliflower
• Chewing gum
• Fruit, such as apples, peaches, and pears
• Hard candy
• Lettuce
• Milk and milk based products
• Onions
• Sugar alcohols found in sugar-free foods
• Whole-grain foods

If cut these types of food out of your diet and you are still suffering from gassiness and bloating make sure you set an appointment with your doctor for a consultation.