Passing gas through either belching or flatulence is a cause for embarrassment in our society, as well as the topic of crude jokes, yet it is perfectly normal and necessary. People pass gas approximately 14 times a day, producing from 1 to 4 pints. However, certain foods or changes in your diet can increase the amount of gas to uncomfortable levels. While dietary fiber is beneficial to health, it can cause gas, especially when you increase your consumption.
Dietary Fiber
Dietary fiber can be either soluble or insoluble. Soluble fiber becomes gel-like when exposed to water during digestion. Insoluble fiber does not absorb water. Both kinds are indigestible and pass through your digestive tract. Soluble fiber helps to lower cholesterol and slow digestion, which aids in controlling glucose levels. Soluble also softens stool, while insoluble gives it bulk. Both kinds are in vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and grains. Most Americans only eat about half the amount of dietary fiber recommended for good health.
Intestinal Bacteria and Fiber
Your intestinal tract was sterile at birth, but by the time you were a month old, it was home to as many as 500 different species of bacteria. The majority of the bacteria are in your large intestine. When soluble fiber reaches your large intestine, bacteria begin breaking it down, creating intestinal gas. Because insoluble fiber cannot break down, it causes very little gas.
Bloating and Pain
Your intestines contract and relax -- a process called peristalsis -- to push food through your digestive system. Under normal circumstances, intestinal gas should pass easily. When normal intestinal motility is compromised, however, gas buildup can cause bloating and pain. Digestive disorders that can affect motility include irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn's disease, colon cancer and splenic-flexure syndrome, which occurs with gas trapped at bends in the colon. Motility can also be affected by internal hernias, scar tissue from surgery or any intestinal obstruction.
Treatment and Prevention
If you consistently suffer from severe bloating or pain, see your doctor to rule out a digestive disorder. If, however, you have recently increased the amount of fiber in your diet and notice an accompanying increase in gas, that is normal. Eating foods containing dietary fiber is a good thing, but start small and gradually increase the amounts over a few weeks, giving your intestinal bacteria time to adjust to the increased fiber. Because water helps move fiber through your digestive system, drink approximately eight glasses of it or other liquids each day.
References
- National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse; Gas in the Digestive Tract; January 2008
- Medline Plus; Fiber; L. Vorvick; July 2010
- Colorado State University; Microbial Life in the Digestive Tract; R. Bowen; January 2004
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Digestive Disorders; January 2008
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