Flatulence, belching and abdominal pain and bloating are caused by gas. No one wants gas, but everyone has it, says the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC), which states that the average person passes gas around 14 times a day. Keep in mind when looking for a natural gas relief remedy that gas is largely caused by the foods you put in your mouth, namely carbohydrates (sugar, starch and fiber) that your intestines find difficult to break down and absorb. Once gas is already inside the intestinal tract, there's no real fix; however, there are ways to reduce and prevent gas before you eat, as well as during your meals.
Diet
Eating a diet that causes the least amount of gas puts you in a Catch-22 situation, for many of the "high profile" foods known to be good for your health cause large quantities of gas, says integrative physician Dr. Andrew Weil. Some of these foods include: broccoli sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. Other common culprits are beans, onions, artichokes, asparagus, apples, pears, prunes, peaches, whole-wheat breads, bran cereal/muffins, carbonated drinks, milk, cream and ice cream, says the Mayo Clinic.
Methane-producing bacteria in your colon feed off of cruciferous vegetables, and there's no method of cooking or preparation that can prevent these foods from causing gas, if they're a problem for you, says Weil. Mayo Clinic experts suggest cutting down on problematic high-fiber foods, at least temporarily. Take fiber supplements with 8 oz. of water each day, and increase your liquid intake. Gradually add high-fiber foods back into your diet over a serious of weeks and see how much of any given food you're able to tolerate without experiencing excessive gas. Also, Weil points out that reducing the amount of high-fat foods you eat helps your stomach empty faster, allowing gas to pass though your intestines with better ease.
Lactase
One over-the-counter supplement that may help you better process dairy is lactase (such as Lactaid and Lactrase), which you can purchase in a tablet or chewable form, says the NDDIC. Consider purchasing lactose-reduced milk and other products if lactose seems to be the cause of your gas problems.
Alpha-Galactosidase
To help break down gas caused by the sugar in beans and other vegetables, Weil recommends Beano (alpha-galactosidase), which is a natural enzyme derived from plants. Beano, which can be purchased at health food markets and many drugstores, can be added to food in liquid form. Alternately, you can take one tablet prior to eating. The NDDIC warns that Beano won't have any effect on gas that's caused by fiber or lactose.
Activated Charcoal
Activated charcoal tablets can have a pronounced effect on gas, says the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (IFFGD). Product names you may recognize include CharcoCaps and Charcoal Plus; these can be purchased at whole foods markets and many drugstores. The IFFGD indicates that studies show that gas is greatly reduced when activated charcoal is taken before and after a meal. A typical dose consists of between two and four tablets before eating and one tablet afterward.
Other
Because different foods affect people in different ways, it might be very difficult to ascertain what foods cause you to have the most gas. Other suggestions Weil has to offer include regular intake of yogurt, kefir or buttermilk, or taking lactobacillus GG supplements, which purportedly increase the number of "friendly" bacteria in your intestines. Fennel seeds, which can be purchased at health food and Indian food markets, are often used as a digestive, helping gas move through the bowels more quickly. Weil suggests chewing and swallowing a half teaspoon of fennel seeds after eating.
