The average person produces one to four pints of gas each day, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, and the typical person passes gas 14 times a day. Eating certain foods increases gas production, including vegetables that are otherwise quite good for you. While uncomfortable and potentially embarrassing in social conditions, gas and bloating caused by consuming vegetables is harmless and easily avoided while still maintaining a healthful diet.
Physiology of Gas
Your small intestine digests some, but not all, of the carbohydrates you consume in vegetables. Your body passes the undigested carbohydrates to your large intestine, where harmless bacteria break down the food, producing hydrogen, carbon dioxide and, in some people, methane. About one-third of people produce methane but its presence does not mean these people experience more gas when eating vegetables. Researchers are not quite certain why some people produce methane.
Gas-inducing Vegetables
Vegetables containing small amounts of the complex carbohydrate raffinose might cause gas and bloating in some individuals. Raffinose is a type of sugar. Vegetables known to cause gas include broccoli, brussels sprouts and cabbage. Other culprits include onion, celery, carrots, cucumbers, cauliflower and radishes, according to the University of Michigan. You might need to avoid leeks, green salads and parsnips.
Gas-Free Vegetables
Not all vegetables cause gas. You should be able to eat as much avocado, lettuce, pepper and tomatoes as you wish. Asparagus does not cause gas for most people. Zucchini, okra and olives are safe to consume without fear of gas and bloating. Potatoes contain starch, broken down in your large intestine. You might experience gas and bloating after you eat potatoes or eggplant.
Gas Prevention
The symptoms and causes of gas vary from individual to individual, so you will need to experiment to find out which vegetables cause you gas and bloating. Experiment with your diet, noting the foods that cause increased symptoms and whether you ate these foods raw or cooked.
Cooking vegetables might reduce gas. Eat frequent, small meals at the same time each day to ease the workload placed on your intestines. Take over-the-counter gas medications before meals to reduce gas and bloating caused by eating vegetables. Using hot spices on your vegetables to improve flavor also increases gas production by speeding up the pace at which food moves through your intestinal tract. Some people experience gas and bloating after consuming salad dressings containing lactose, the natural sugar in milk.
