According to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, or NDDIC, most foods that contain carbohydrates can cause gas in the digestive system. Sugar is a carbohydrate, and as it breaks down in your body, it can produce flatulence. Lactose, raffinose, fructose and sorbitol are all notorious for their flatulent effects, but even plain old table sugar can create wind.
Process
All carbohydrates are chains of sugars linked together. Table sugar, or sucrose, is the simplest form of sugar. When you eat sucrose, saliva first breaks it down into maltose and then your gut turns maltose into glucose, or blood sugar. When you eat more complex sugars -- those that have networks of different sugars linked together -- then your body has to work a little harder to digest sugar into a usable form. As the sugars travel through your digestive system, natural bacteria in the gut ferment the sugars, producing gas.
Sugars
The types of sugar that most often cause flatulence are raffinose, lactose, fructose and sorbitol. Raffinose is plentiful in beans, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and broccoli. Fructose is a component of pears, onions and artichokes, and food manufacturers add it to sodas. Sorbitol is common in fruit, and it is also used in dietetic candies. Lactose is the sugar in dairy products, and it causes flatulence in a slightly different way than the other sugars do.
Lactose
Your body uses an enzyme called lactase to break down the sugars in milk to a usable form. If you don't produce enough lactase, your body can't break down the sugars properly. Undigested lactose will stay in your gut, where bacteria will ferment it, producing gas and bloating. Over-the-counter remedies provide a one-time boost of lactase to help digest a bowl of ice cream or glass of milk, but many lactose-intolerant people choose to avoid milk products entirely.
Recommendations
Although breaking wind is not usually a serious problem, it can be a social issue. If your gassiness embarrasses you, try to find out which type of sugar produces the most gas and scale back your intake. You can also limit your fat intake at meals, because fat slows down digestion and gives food more time to ferment. Eating smaller meals may help your system by not overwhelming it with sugar all at once.
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