You may need to change your diet if you have a frequent problem with bloating and gas. The average person passes gas about 14 times a day, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. If you are passing gas more frequently, change your diet and see how your body responds. If you continue to have a problem after changing your diet, see your doctor.
Fruits
Foods that contain sugars and soluble fiber are usually the hardest on the digestive system. Fructose is a fruit sugar that causes bloating and gas, especially in people who are fructose intolerant--but the soluble fiber in fruit is a key culprit for bloating and gas in people who tolerate fructose well. This is because soluble fiber only gets broken down when it reaches the large intestine. Abdominal cramping, bloating and gas may arise when eating fruits that are high in soluble fiber. Dr. William Sears, author of more than 40 pediatric health books, names white grapes, raspberries, blackberries, pineapples and strawberries as some of the kindest fruits on the digestive system. He also names bananas, applesauce and canned fruits as some of the fruits that usually don't cause a problem with gas.
Vegetables
Raw vegetables can cause gas and bloating. Vegetables contain raffinose, a complex sugar. Unlike a one-molecule simple sugar, complex sugars are made of multiple sugar molecules. They are harder to break down in the digestive system, which is the reason they cause excess gas and bloating. The cooking process breaks down some of the sugar molecules, so cooked vegetables become easier to digest. The Seattle Cancer Center recommends eating well-cooked, tender vegetables as tolerated, but specifically recommends cooked beets, carrots, mushrooms and winter squash. Vegetable juices usually digest easily and are generally well tolerated too.
Cereals
Sugar-laden cereals may cause bloating and gas, especially when consumed with cow's milk. However, some fortified cereals usually do not cause a problem with gas. In fact, The Mass General Hospital for Children recommends Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies and Cheerios for children who are having digestive upset that accompanies abdominal pain, bloating, gas and diarrhea.
Dairy
To reduce bloating and gas associated with cow's milk, drink soy milk instead. Jillian Michaels and Mariska van Aalst, authors of ""The Master Your Metabolism Calorie Counter," recommend drinking only one or two servings of dairy products per day. Unlike pasteurized cow's milk, soy milk is gentle on the digestive system and won't cause a problem with constipation or diarrhea, where the associated symptoms of gas and bloating can sometimes last for days.
Meats
Most meats usually don't cause gas. Unlike carbohydrates, protein and fat usually don't cause digestive upset. This is because protein and fat do not contain the sugars that carbohydrates do. The sugars cause bacterial fermentation in the intestines, which leads to gas. Gas can also cause bloating due to the temporary storage of excess air in the digestive tract. Beef, poultry, seafood and other meats are generally good foods to eat if you have a problem with gas.
References
- National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse: Gas in the Digestive Tract
- AskDrSears.com: Fabulous Fruits
- MassGeneral Hospital for Children: Total Colectomy
- "The Master Your Metabolism Calorie Counter"; Jillian Michaels and Mariska van Aalst; 2010
- Seattle Cancer Center: Gastrointestinal Diet 2
