Digestive problems with gas and diarrhea can cause discomfort and embarrassment. Diarrhea is the passing of loose, watery stools. This happens when food moves too quickly through the intestines, allowing important nutrients and liquid to pass through unabsorbed. Gas in the digestive system comes from two primary sources: swallowed air and undigestible carbohydrates in certain foods.
Cabbage Family Vegetables
Vegetables belonging to the cabbage family include broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, kale and collard greens. These foods, as well as dried beans, are gas producing because they contain a complex sugar known as raffinose. The human digestive tract does not have a particular type of enzyme, alpha galactosidase, required to metabolize this sugar. However, bacteria found in the digestive tract do possess alpha galactosidase. Bacterial metabolism of raffinose causes the release of gaseous byproducts that are then eliminated through flatulence.
Starchy Vegetables
Corn is considered a starch, as are potatoes, beets, beans and noodles. Starches are not completely digestible by the components of the human intestines alone. Humans rely on the help of friendly gut bacteria to aid in the breakdown of starch found in corn and other foods. This results in the production of gas in the intestinal tract.
Vegetables Containing Fructose
Onions. sweet peppers, artichokes and leeks are a few of the many vegetables that contain a sugar known as fructose. This sugar is also present in high amounts in certain fruits, such as pears. The bacteria that reside in the intestinal tract digest fructose through a metabolic process called fermentation. The byproduct of this reaction is carbon dioxide gas, which contributes to flatulence.
