Flatulence, or passing gas, is a regular part of a healthy digestive system. In fact, the average person passes gas an estimated 12 or more times a day, suggests the Mayo Clinic. Without being able to pass this excess gas building up in your digestive tract, you would fill constantly bloated with gas pains, making flatulence a necessary part of feeling comfortable. However, certain foods can cause more gas to build up, causing greater episodes of flatulence. Foods with high levels of fiber can cause lots of gas.
Importance of Fiber
Fiber plays an important role in your diet especially in regard to disease prevention. In fact, the Harvard School of Public Health suggests that fiber can help prevent diseases including certain cancers, heart disease, diabetes and diverticular diseases. Fiber also plays an important role in the digestive system with insoluble fiber helping to prevent constipation, and soluble fiber helping to control the absorption of food nutrients into the bloodstream, assisting in keeping your blood sugar levels more level after eating a meal. The American Academy of Family Physicians recommends getting at least 25 to 38 grams of fiber every day, depending on your age and gender.
Function
Fiber creates flatulence due to the action of bacteria within the colon. Because some fiber does not fully digest when it reaches the colon, bacteria go to work eating and breaking it down. As the bacteria eat the fiber they create hydrogen and methane gas as a byproduct. As this byproduct builds up in the colon, pressure begins to build up. Once enough pressure builds, your body passes the gas out the rectum through flatulence.
Smell of Flatulence
Although fiber contributes to the formation of flatulence, it is other products in the fiber-containing food, especially sulfur related sulfides and skatole that affect the overall smell of the gas that is passed. For example, fiber-containing foods like cauliflower, broccoli and cabbage all have higher levels of sulfur which contributes to the unpleasant smell of your flatulence. Other foods that can make bad smelling gas include meats and eggs.
Treatments
Although cutting back the fiber in your diet may reduce excess flatulence, fiber is still important to your health and should not be fully removed. However, there are many over-the-counter remedies that may help including products like Beano, lactase enzyme supplements, charcoal tablets, or simethicone, a common active ingredient in products like Mylanta and Gas-X.
Other Causes of Flatulence
Flatulence can be caused by other sources, including constipation, swallowed air, food intolerances, digestive diseases such as Crohn's or divericulitis, antibiotic reactions or reactions to artificial sweeteners, suggests the Mayo Clinic.
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