Bloating (synonym: flatulence) – pathological condition which is caused by excess accumulation of gases in the intestines. Flatulence is a symptom, not an independent disease. In the article we will analyze the products, not causing gas formation and bloating.
FlatulenceAttention! IN international classification Diseases 10th revision, the symptom is indicated by code R14.
Causes of bloating
Components of gaseous waste products: nitrogen, hydrogen, methane, carbon dioxide and sulfur compounds. Most intestinal gases are produced by digestion by Escherichia coli, Bacteroides vulgatus or Methanobrevibacter smithii. They produce flammable compounds of hydrogen, methane and sulfur.
Bacteria Carbon dioxide is produced when food in the stomach reacts with hydrochloric acid. It was previously thought that the odor was caused by hydrogen sulfide, skatole and indole. However, gas chromatographic studies in 1984 showed that the main components causing bad smell, these are sulfur compounds: methanethiol, hydrogen sulfide and dimethyl sulfide.
Due to the influence of hormones during pregnancy, many women suffer from constipation and flatulence. Because the increased level progesterone relaxes organs, including the intestines, it becomes sluggish. The use of regular food provokes the formation of gases in the intestines and rotting processes. Subsequently, the abdomen becomes bloated, which leads to abdominalgia and other symptoms of flatulence.
Babies experience flatulence in the first few months of life. Aerophagia (swallowing air) plays a significant role in the development of three-month colic. Excessive gas formation causes unbearable pain in a child, but after a few weeks the flatulence goes away spontaneously. One of the most convincing explanations for infant colic is underdevelopment of the enteral system. nervous system.
Flatulence may be side effect various drugs. Acarbose, miglitol, hypoglycemic drugs, penicillin antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs (diclofenac), as well as lactulose and other laxatives can cause severe flatulence.
Diclofenac Anxiety and stress can trigger gastrointestinal complaints (including flatulence). Some patients sometimes eat too quickly and swallow too much air (aerophagia). In some cases, flatulence is caused by dietary habits.
Causes of gas absorption disorders:
- Portal hypertension: The portal vein carries blood away from the organs abdominal cavity to the liver. At high blood pressure blood accumulates in this vascular area. This condition has various causes and affects digestion. Hypertension is accompanied by flatulence and anorexia. One of possible reasons– liver disease;
- Heart failure: when the right ventricle or the heart as a whole becomes significantly weakened, sometimes deoxygenated blood, which is supposed to flow to the heart, accumulates in the liver. The result is portal hypertension.
Causes of disturbances in the functioning of the stomach or intestines (chronic or acute disorder motor skills):
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS): IBS is considered one of the most common causes of flatulence. In IBS, there is a chronic disturbance of the bowel movement pattern, and the bowel reacts to normal air content with painful signals. IBS often leads to intestinal motility disorders - diarrhea, constipation or other conditions;
- Gastric paralysis (gastroparesis, gastric atony): muscle activity in the stomach wall is weakened or paralyzed by various reasons. Acute gastric paralysis can occur as a result of a sharp drop in blood sugar during diabetes mellitus With diabetic coma or with high risk occurrence of coma. Chronic impaired gastric emptying, which may be associated in particular with diabetic nerve damage, causes constant fullness, pressure, pain in the upper abdomen, nausea, vomiting, leading to weight problems;
- Intestinal paralysis: When intestinal motility decreases, gas transport slows down. Sometimes this causes intestinal obstruction. However, paralysis may be a reaction to another acute event: surgery, renal colic, acute pancreatitis or poor circulation in the intestines. Symptoms include severe flatulence, but usually without loss of stool. Depending on the cause, nausea, more or less severe vomiting and strong pain in a stomach.
Important! Doctors must differentiate flatulence from so-called intestinal pseudo-obstruction. Pseudo-obstruction requires urgent surgical intervention.
Many people ask, which fruits most often cause gas? In general, fruits that contain a lot of seeds are risk factors for flatulence in adult men, women and children.
Fruits are contraindicated for flatulence Important! If you suspect acute gastrointestinal paralysis, immediately consult a doctor or call an ambulance.
Drugs that eliminate gas formation
There are no highly effective carminative drugs in medicine. Therefore, the goal of therapy is to prevent bloating. In many cases, medications are not required. Many intestinal complaints that cause flatulence can be alleviated by changing your diet.
If flatulence is the result of an illness, it must be treated first. For chronic inflammatory bowel disease, treatment usually starts with anti-inflammatory agents such as cortisone or other drugs that suppress the body's immune system (immunosuppressants). For flatulence caused by dyspepsia due to a lack of digestive enzymes, enzyme preparations are used. Agents that reduce the formation of gases are not always required.
IBS is accompanied by severe flatulence. In one study, the research team found that a unique bacterial strain of B. bifidum, MIMBb75, could significantly improve symptoms of flatulence.
Issued various means that help with flatulence:
- Defoamers prevent the accumulation of large amounts of gas in the intestines. Defoamers are available in chewable tablet form at the pharmacy;
- Antispasmodics relieve pain from compression of the intestinal walls;
- Some prescription drugs for depression (tricyclic antidepressants) in low doses help with abdominal pain and excess fermentation.
Allowed products for flatulence
Flatulence causes significant mental discomfort, but therapy is usually not required. First, you need to change your dietary habits and take non-gas-forming foods. A few changes can completely eliminate the symptoms of flatulence. It is recommended to avoid foods that the patient cannot tolerate and to eat small meals rather than in large portions. Regular outdoor exercise significantly improves intestinal motility and reduces the likelihood of bloating.
List of products that do not cause increased gas formation and fermentation:
- White bread;
- Refined sugar;
- Flour products.
Bread Various medicinal plants: fennel, peppermint, anise, cumin, help get rid of cramps and gas. They are suitable for pregnant and lactating women. Whenever severe flatulence With colic in children, you need to consult a doctor to find out the exact cause of the disease.
Gas formation represents normal physiological process originating in the intestines. Only pathological changes and poor diet can lead to increased gas production, causing discomfort. So, let's look at the picture of the normal process of gas formation.In any person in the gastrointestinal intestinal tract Gases are formed due to the swallowing of air, while in the intestines they appear as a result of the activity of many microorganisms. Usually? gases are expelled directly from the digestive system through belching, eliminated through the rectum, or absorbed into the bloodstream.
It should be noted that approximately 70% of the gases contained in the gastrointestinal tract ( or gastrointestinal tract), this is swallowed air. It has been established that with each swallow, approximately 2 - 3 ml of air enters the stomach, while the main part of it goes into the intestines, while a smaller part comes out through “air belching”. Thus, an increased amount of gas is observed in cases where there are conversations while eating, when eating quickly, when chewing gum or drinking through a straw. In addition, dry mouth or increased salivation can also cause increased gas formation.
Intestinal gases are a combination of carbon dioxide with oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen and a small amount of methane. However, the listed gases have no odor. But still, often “belching air” has an unpleasant odor.
Why? It's all about sulfur-containing substances, which are formed in fairly small quantities by bacteria that inhabit colon person.
And although gas formation is quite common and normal process, when it increases or the removal mechanisms are disrupted, very unpleasant symptoms appear. Understanding the reasons why bloating occurs helps to identify the best ways to solve this unpleasant condition.
Causes
There are two main sources of increased gas formation: swallowed air and intestinal gases. Let's take a closer look at each of these reasons.Swallowed air is gases that are formed as a result of the functioning of normal intestinal microflora ( in other words, the colon).
Swallowing air is the main cause of bloating. Of course, everyone swallows a small amount of air when consuming food or liquid.
But there are processes in which excessive swallowing of air occurs:
- Hasty intake of food or liquid.
- Chewing gum.
- Drinking carbonated drinks.
- Pulling air through the gaps between teeth.
Let's talk about intestinal gases. And let's start with the fact that, while evolving, humans failed to adapt to the digestion of certain carbohydrates, including lignin and cellulose, pectins and chitin. These substances form the basis of those formed in the human body feces. Thus, moving through the stomach and intestines, some of them, when they enter the large intestine, become a “victim” of microorganisms. It is the digestion of carbohydrates by microbes that causes gas formation.
In addition, the intestinal microflora breaks down many other food debris that enter the large intestine ( for example, proteins and fats). Basically, hydrogen and carbon dioxide are formed in the intestines. In this case, gases are released directly through the rectum ( only a small amount is absorbed directly into the bloodstream).
We should not forget that great value individual characteristics of each person play, for this reason the same product can have completely different effects on different people: So, gas formation may increase in some people, while in others it does not.
Mechanisms of excessive gas formation
Today, there are several underlying mechanisms for increased gas production, which can lead to flatulence ( bloating associated with increased gas formation in the intestines).Eating foods that lead to increased gas formation.
Here is a list of such products:
- legumes,
- mutton,
- black bread,
- kvass and carbonated drinks,
- beer.
It is impossible not to mention the violation of the bacterial composition ( or biocenosis) intestines, which is a fairly common cause of bloating. Thus, an excess of microorganisms, as well as the predominance of flora, which is not normally contained in the intestines, leads to increased processes of fermentation and putrefaction.
Finally, let's talk about motor skills disorders ( or motor function ) intestines. Due to the prolonged residence of breakdown products in the intestines, gas production increases significantly.
This process is observed:
- For abnormalities in intestinal development.
- After operations on the gastrointestinal tract.
- Under the influence of certain medications.
Types of flatulence
1. Alimentary flatulence, which occurs due to the consumption of foods, during the digestion of which there is an increased release of gases in the intestine.2. Digestive ( digestive) flatulence is a consequence of violations of the following digestive processes:
- enzyme deficiency,
- absorption disorders,
- disturbances in the normal circulation of bile acids.
4. Mechanical flatulence, which is a consequence of various mechanical disorders of the so-called evacuation function of the gastrointestinal tract.
5.
Dynamic flatulence resulting from disturbances in intestinal motor function. An interesting fact is that with this type of gas formation, neither an increased amount of gas nor a changed gas composition is observed, while the transit of gases through the intestines is significantly slowed down.
Causes of dynamic flatulence:
- intestinal paresis,
- irritable bowel syndrome,
- abnormalities in the structure or position of the large intestine,
- spasm of smooth muscles due to various nervous disorders and emotional overload.
7. High-altitude flatulence occurs when atmospheric pressure decreases. The fact is that in the process of rising to a height, the gases will expand and their pressure will increase.
Conclusion: The factors for increased gas formation in the intestines are very diverse, and often not one mechanism, but several, operates simultaneously.
Foods that cause bloating
Increased gas formation is observed when consuming foods that contain carbohydrates, while fats and proteins have a much lesser effect on this process. Carbohydrates include: raffinose, lactose, as well as fructose and sorbitol.Raffinose is a carbohydrate found in legumes, pumpkin, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, as well as asparagus, artichokes and many other vegetables.
Lactose is a natural disaccharide that is present in milk and components containing it: ice cream, bread, breakfast cereals, salad dressings, milk powder.
Fructose is a carbohydrate found in many fruits and vegetables. In addition, it is used in the production of soft drinks and juices. Fructose is used widely and as a filler in various medications on drugs.
Sorbitol is a carbohydrate found in vegetable and fruit crops. It is widely used to sweeten all kinds of sugar-free dietary products.
Starch, which is contained in most foods consumed by the Slavs, also provokes gas formation ( potatoes, corn, peas and wheat). The only product that does not lead to bloating and increased gas formation is rice.
Let's talk about dietary fiber, which is present in almost all products. These fibers can be soluble or insoluble. Thus, soluble dietary fiber ( or pectins) swell in water, forming a gel-like mass. Such fibers are found in oats and beans, peas and many fruits. They enter the large intestine unchanged, where the breakdown process produces gas. In turn, insoluble fibers travel through the gastrointestinal tract practically unchanged, and therefore do not entail significant gas formation.
Manifestation options
Clinical manifestations of gas formation: - bloating and rumbling in the abdominal cavity,
- frequent belching,
- unpleasant smell of emitted gases,
- development of a kind of psychoneurosis,
- burning feeling in the heart,
- cardiopalmus,
- interruptions in heart rate,
- mood disorders,
- general malaise.
According to clinical observations, increased gas formation may occur due to emotional disorders. Most often, this kind of flatulence is diagnosed in patients who are passive by nature, are not capable of confrontation, do not have sufficient persistence in achieving their goals, and, therefore, have certain difficulties in containing anger and discontent. Such patients may develop an avoidant type of behavior, leading to conflicts at home and at work.
Today, there are two main types of manifestations of flatulence. Let's look at each of them in more detail.
Option one
Main signs of gas formation:
- a feeling of overfilling of the stomach and its significant increase due to bloating,
- inability to pass gas due to spastic dyskinesia.
One of the types this option gas formation is local flatulence, in which gases are concentrated in a certain area of the intestine. Its symptoms, combined with certain types of pain, can provoke the development of characteristic clinical pictures inherent in the following syndromes: splenic flexure, as well as hepatic angle and cecum. Let's talk about each of the syndromes.
Splenic flexure syndrome
This syndrome is more common than others, and certain anatomical prerequisites are necessary for its formation: for example, left bend colon should be high under the diaphragm, fixed by peritoneal folds and forming an acute angle. It is this corner that can act as a trap designed for the accumulation of gas and chyme ( liquid or semi-liquid contents of the stomach or intestines).
Reasons for the development of the syndrome:
- poor posture,
- wearing clothes that are too tight.
Hepatic angle syndrome
This syndrome appears when gas accumulates in the hepatic flexure of the intestine. Thus, the intestine becomes pinched between the patient’s liver and the diaphragm. It must be said that clinical picture hepatic angle syndrome is similar to pathology biliary tract. Patients often complain of a feeling of fullness or pressure observed in the right hypochondrium, and the pain spreads after some time to the epigastric region, in chest, in the right hypochondrium, radiating to the shoulder and back area.
Cecal syndrome
This syndrome is typical for patients who have increased mobility of the cecum.
Symptoms:
- feeling of fullness,
- pain in the right iliac region.
Option two
This option is characterized by the following characteristics:
- constant violent passage of gases,
- presence of odor,
- mild pain syndrome,
- rumbling and transfusion in the abdomen, which is heard by both the patient himself and the people around him.
Increased gas formation is diagnosed by performing a plain X-ray of the abdominal cavity.
Signs:
- high degree of pneumatization ( the presence of air-filled cavities) not only the stomach, but also the colon,
- the diaphragm is located quite high, especially the left dome.
Since the symptom of excessive gas formation is quite nonspecific and can be combined with various functional and organic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, a thorough examination of the medical history and competent identification of dietary features are extremely important for approving a program of further examination and treatment. Young patients who do not have complaints about other diseases and do not lose weight do not have to worry about serious organic abnormalities. Elderly people whose symptoms are progressive in nature should undergo a thorough examination in order to exclude oncological pathologies and many other diseases.
Main symptoms
The main symptoms of increased gas formation include: - belching,
- increased gas evolution ( flatulence),
- bloating ( flatulence), accompanied by rumbling and intestinal colic,
- stomach ache.
But with high gas formation, not everyone exhibits such signs. Everything depends, first of all, on the number of gases formed, as well as the amount of fatty acids absorbed from the intestines. An important role is played by the individual sensitivity of the colon to increased gas formation. In cases where bloating occurs very often, and the symptoms are pronounced, you must immediately consult a doctor to rule out serious disorders and diagnose the disease in a timely manner.
Belching
Belching during or after eating food is not an unusual process, since it helps to remove excess air that has entered the stomach. Very frequent belching is an indication that a person has swallowed too much air, which is removed even before it enters the stomach. But frequent belching can also signal that a person has diseases such as gastric and intestinal disorders, peptic ulcers, as well as gastroesophageal reflux and gastritis. An interesting fact is that people suffering from the listed diseases, on a subconscious level, hope that swallowing and, accordingly, belching air can alleviate their condition. This erroneous state of affairs leads to the development unconditioned reflex, which consists in the fact that during the intensification of unpleasant symptoms a person swallows and regurgitates air. Most often, the manipulation performed does not bring relief, which means that pain and discomfort continue.
Frequent belching may be a symptom Meganblais syndrome, occurring mainly in older people. This syndrome is caused by swallowing a large volume of air during a meal, which entails overdistension of the stomach and a change in the position of the heart.
Result: limited mobility of the diaphragm, leading to the development of an attack of angina.
In some cases, the cause of increased gas formation and bloating of the stomach may be postoperative treatment gastroesophageal reflux. The fact is that surgeons, in the process of eliminating the underlying disease, create a kind of one-way valve that allows food to pass exclusively in one direction, that is, from the esophagus directly to the stomach. As a result, the processes of normal belching, as well as vomiting, are disrupted.
Flatulence
Increased off-gassing is another sign of excessive gas formation. According to the norm, a healthy person releases gas about 14 - 23 times per day. With more frequent excretion of gases, we can talk about serious violations related to the absorption of carbohydrates, or the development of dysbiosis.
Flatulence
There is a misconception that bloating is caused by excess gas formation. At the same time, many people, even with a normal amount of gas, may experience bloating. This is due to improper removal of gases from the intestines.
So, the cause of bloating is most often a violation motor activity intestines. For example, with SRTC ( irritable bowel syndrome) the feeling of bloating is due to the increased sensitivity of the receptor apparatus of the intestinal walls.
In addition, any disease that results in impaired movement of feces through the intestines leads not only to bloating, but often to the appearance of pain in a stomach. The cause of bloating may be previous abdominal surgeries, the development of adhesions, or internal hernias.
It is impossible not to say about overuse fatty foods, which can also cause an uncomfortable feeling of bloating, and this is due to the slow movement of food from the stomach directly into the intestines.
Abdominal pain
Sometimes bloating is accompanied by colic, characterized by acute and cramping pain in the abdominal area. Moreover, when gas accumulates in the left side of the intestine, the pain can be mistaken for a heart attack. When gases accumulate from right side the pain simulates an attack of biliary colic or appendicitis.
Which doctor should I contact if I have gas?
If there is a problem with gas formation, please contact Gastroenterologist (make an appointment), since it is within the scope of his professional competence that the diagnosis and treatment of the causes of this unpleasant symptom lie. If for some reason it is impossible to get to a gastroenterologist, then in case of gas formation you should contact general practitioner (make an appointment).Diagnostics
Bloating, and, consequently, increased gas formation, can be caused by many serious diseases, to exclude which it is carried out comprehensive examination. First, the attending physician determines the patient’s diet and the main symptoms that cause discomfort. In certain cases, the doctor prescribes a study of the patient’s daily diet for a specific period of time. The patient must keep a special diary, entering data regarding his daily diet.If lactase deficiency is suspected, all products containing lactose should be excluded from the diet. In addition, lactose tolerance tests are prescribed. If the cause of bloating is a violation of gas elimination, then in the diary the patient indicates, in addition to the diet, information about the time and daily frequency of gas elimination through the rectum.
The most careful study of nutritional characteristics, as well as the frequency of flatulations ( gas emissions) will help you identify foods that cause bloating.
Patients with chronic bloating should exclude ascites ( or fluid accumulation), not to mention a complete cure inflammatory diseases intestines. For patients whose age exceeds 50 years, mandatory You need to undergo a gastrointestinal examination to rule out a disease such as colon cancer. For this purpose, it is carried out endoscopic examination, prescribed to people suffering from unmotivated ( causeless) weight loss, diarrhea.
If chronic belching occurs, your doctor may order an endoscopic examination of both the esophagus and stomach. In addition, an X-ray contrast study may be prescribed.
What tests can a doctor prescribe for gas formation?
As a rule, the problem of gas formation does not present any difficulties in diagnosis, since it is associated with clear and unambiguous symptoms. However, in order to understand whether the normal amount of gases in a person’s intestines causes discomfort or whether there are a lot of gases, the doctor may prescribe a plain X-ray of the abdominal cavity or plethysmography. Both methods make it possible to understand whether there is a lot of gas in the intestines or whether there is a normal amount of them, and painful symptoms are caused by increased sensitivity of the mucous membrane, mental factors etc. In practice and overview X-ray of the abdominal cavity (make an appointment), and plethysmography are rarely prescribed and used.Treatment
Let's consider options for getting rid of gas formation. And let's start with what is most common reasons Gas formation is caused by poor diet and overeating. In this case it is necessary:
- Eliminate from the diet foods that cause gas formation: legumes, cabbage and apples, pears and White bread, as well as sparkling water and beer.
- Avoid simultaneous consumption of protein and starch foods. So, avoid the meat and potatoes combination.
- Avoid eating exotic foods that your stomach is not used to. If you are not ready to completely switch to traditional nutrition, then you should limit the consumption of original dishes that are not typical of Russian and European cuisine.
- Do not overload your stomach with food ( in other words, don't overeat). Eat smaller portions of food, but do it more often.
Also, the problem of gas formation occurs due to swallowing air when eating. So remember: " When I eat I am deaf and dumb" Take your time and chew your food thoroughly before swallowing.
Smoking and alcohol can lead to increased gas production, so give up these bad habits that provoke this delicate problem. To reduce the amount of air you swallow, you should reduce your use of chewing gum.
Pharmacological drugs
If we talk about treating increased gas formation with pharmacological drugs, then their use must be agreed upon with the attending physician, since their effectiveness depends, first of all, on the cause leading to the formation of gases. For increased gas formation and bloating, it is most often prescribed the following drugs: simethicone and activated carbon, espumizan, and dicetel and various enzyme preparations.
It is necessary to take into account the fact that simethicone will not have the expected effect with increased gas formation occurring in the colon. In this case, espumisan or activated carbon is recommended.
For gastroesophageal reflux and irritable bowel syndrome, doctors prescribe: metoclopramide (Cerucal and Reglan), cisapride (Propulsid) and Dicetel.
Traditional treatment
Residents of the eastern regions of India after each meal chew a few pinches of flavored seeds of cumin, fennel, and anise, which helps eliminate gas formation. For the same purpose, a decoction of licorice root is brewed: so, 1 teaspoon of the root is poured into a glass of water and boiled over low heat for 10 minutes.Mint decoction
Mint is a carminative that prevents the increased formation of gases, any type of mint. The recipe for this decoction is simple: 1 teaspoon of mint is poured into one glass of boiling water, then simmered over low heat for no more than 5 minutes.
Slippery elm
This plant is rightfully considered an effective medicine that helps eliminate serious cases of gas formation. This plant is most often taken in powder form, and the powder is washed down warm water or tea. The decoction recipe has a normal taste, but has the appearance of a viscous mixture, which is why many people refuse to take the unsightly looking mixture. Slippery elm is a mild laxative that makes stools slippery. To make a decoction of slippery elm, boil one glass of water and add half a teaspoon of elm bark, ground to a powder. Boil the mixture over low heat for about 20 minutes. It is necessary to take the strained mixture three times a day, one glass.
Yellow fluorspar
This stone has a huge number of beautiful shades and different shapes. Spar has an extremely positive effect on the nervous system, while the yellow stone has an excellent effect on digestion. So, if problems with increased gas formation were to some extent caused nervous tension, then it is enough to place yellow fluorspar, shaped like an octagon, on the painful part of the body, lie down and breathe deeply for five minutes. You will feel much better.
Prevention
As you know, it is easier to prevent the occurrence of a disease than to treat it. Here are some preventive measures that will help you forget about the problem of increased gas formation.Diet
Adjust your diet by eliminating foods that cause fermentation or gas production.
These products include:
Constant lack of sleep untimely appointment food, smoking and stress are the main reasons causing disturbance bowel function, which, in turn, leads to increased gas formation. For this reason, you should adhere to a certain daily routine, that is, sleep at least eight hours a day, eat properly and in a timely manner, limit the amount of alcohol, and walk in the fresh air.
Nutritional culture deserves special attention: for example, you need to chew food thoroughly, excluding conversations while eating, which provoke increased swallowing of air, leading to gas formation.
Replacement therapy
Excessive gas formation may occur due to enzyme deficiency or due to impaired bile circulation. In these cases, it is necessary to carry out replacement therapy, which involves the use of choleretic and enzyme preparations.
Flatulence is one of the most unpleasant phenomena that causes some discomfort to a person. Bloating, rumbling, a feeling of fullness in the stomach are symptoms familiar to many. But increased gas formation is not always associated with pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract. Very often the body reacts this way to the food a person eats. What products cause gas formation is the topic of the article.
Legumes
Peas, beans and beans are foods that cause gas. Without exception, all legumes are not only enriched with fiber, but also contain an increased amount of sugar - complex oligosaccharides. The human digestive tract is not able to completely digest and break down molecules of complex sugars. When oligosaccharides are digested, complex chemical reactions occur in the body, which leads to the formation of gases in the stomach.
But you shouldn’t deny yourself the consumption of legumes because of this, as they are very good for health and have a rich vitamin and mineral composition. Soaking the product overnight will help reduce the amount of complex sugars.
Another trick is to add a pinch of salt to the beans during soaking, which helps break down the oligosaccharides. Before preparing a bean product, you should rinse it thoroughly, as baking soda can give an unpleasant soapy taste.
Nutritionists offer another solution: it is recommended to include a small amount of legumes in your daily diet. The gastrointestinal tract gradually begins to get used to such food, “learning” to digest it, which subsequently eliminates the formation of excess gases.
Raw vegetables
The following category of plant products most often causes increased gas formation:
- White cabbage;
- potato;
- radish and radish;
- onion and garlic.
White cabbage contains a huge amount coarse fiber, sulfur and organic acids, which together help not only improve intestinal motility and cleanse it of toxins, but also irritate the intestinal tract, which leads to the formation of excess flatulence.
Boiled vegetables have a more “gentle” effect on the digestive tract than stewed or raw ones. Fans of this product can use it in first courses. Raw foodists may alternatively choose vegetables such as broccoli, zucchini or cauliflower, which also contain many useful substances characteristic of white cabbage (folic acid, vitamins B, K, D1, etc.).
Potatoes contain starch and fiber. In combination, these two elements have a so-called astringent effect, which impairs intestinal motility, leading to the formation of gases. But as a rule, the vegetable does not lead to excessive flatulence, so you can eat it in small quantities and not be afraid that your stomach will begin to swell.
Radishes and radishes, like white cabbage, have an excess amount of sulfur in their composition and also contain dietary fiber, which is only partially digestible. Together, these elements, irritating the digestive tract, can contribute to the appearance of terrible flatulence. But despite this effect, you should not refuse to eat these vegetables. They contain a whole complex of vitamins, macro- and microelements that contribute to normal functioning of cardio-vascular system, good digestion, maintaining youth and healthy skin, and also strengthen the body’s immune system.
To avoid increased flatulence, immediately after eating these types of vegetables you should take drugs from the group of defoamers or sorbents.
Fruits and berries
Fruits and berries that cause the greatest gas formation include:
- gooseberry;
- grape;
- pear;
- apples;
- cherries and sweet cherries;
- peaches;
- a pineapple;
- mango;
- dried apricots.
All of the above types of plant products are enriched with fructose, sucrose and acids, which irritate the digestive tract and cause fermentation processes. There is such a thing as fermentative dyspepsia (excessive flatulence, heaviness, spasmodic pain lower abdomen, rumbling, loose stool etc.). Unlimited consumption of these products leads to this syndrome. However, under no circumstances should you completely remove fruits and berries from your diet, since they contain a record amount of vitamins that accumulate in the body and activate immune cells body.
Yeast baked goods and bread
Products that cause excessive gas formation include brown bread and any yeast baked goods. These foods are classified as high-carbohydrate foods with a high gluten content. Carbohydrates, gluten and yeast together can cause not only fermentation, but also putrefaction. Yeast also promotes the formation of an oxidative process in the intestines. All this inevitably leads to bloating. Therefore, many doctors do not recommend overindulging in this type of food. As an alternative, yeast-free bread is offered, which is considered healthier.
Milk products
Milk and other dairy products contain large amounts of lactose, which is poorly absorbed by the intestines (especially in adults), which leads to bloating. However, you should not get excited and refuse healthy food. Dairy products contain large amounts of calcium, proteins, amino acids, B vitamins, etc. All these useful material have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the digestive tract, nervous system and immunity. To avoid excessive flatulence from consuming dairy products, it is recommended to reduce the portion consumed at a time.
Carbonated drinks and alcohol
Sweet drinks containing gases inevitably lead to flatulence, and the high amount of sugar they contain only aggravates the condition in the intestines.
The group of drinks that increase gas formation also includes kvass and beer due to great content there is yeast in them.
What factors contribute to excess flatulence?
Not only the foods themselves, but also the wrong approach to eating leads to increased gas formation. These factors include:
- rapid absorption of food;
- talking while eating;
- a large amount of food consumed at one time;
- combination of incompatible products.
Rapid absorption of food and talking during meals lead to the swallowing of a large amount of air into the stomach, which causes bloating.
Overeating causes digestive system does not have time to digest food in the quantity in which it was received. The habit of overeating contributes not only to flatulence, but also to putrefactive and fermentative processes in the intestines, where undigested food is retained.
The simultaneous intake of products that cause flatulence leads to a synergistic effect, that is, gas formation only becomes stronger.
Products that promote low gas formation
Any food leads to the formation of gases in the intestinal tract, but some of them, if they contribute to this process, do so only slightly. These include:
- buckwheat;
- dill;
- chicken;
- cod.
Buckwheat and rice are easily digestible foods and never lead to bloating. In addition, these cereals are quite healthy. Rice is enriched with amino acids and B vitamins that are vital for the body, so it is recommended to include it in daily diet. First of all, it has a beneficial effect on the health of the nervous system. In addition, it does not contain gluten and is endowed with adsorbing properties. For this reason, it is recommended to combine it with vegetables.
Buckwheat contains a large number of microelements, amino acids, vitamins and fiber, which improves intestinal motility.
Dill contains essential oils that have antispasmodic and antifoaming properties.
Chicken and cod, when consumed in moderation, if they contribute to the formation of gases, then in a minimal amount. These food products are enriched with proteins, amino acids and other microelements that are necessary for human health.
How to deal with gas formation after eating
You can get rid of excess bloating caused by food with the help of defoamers, which include Espumisan, Bobotik, etc. Also, enterosorbents can help in solving a delicate problem: Activated carbon, Smecta, etc. These drugs do not provide a 100% guarantee of getting rid of excess gases, but they can significantly reduce them.
Flatulence, or bloating, usually accompanies poor functionality of the pancreas and biliary system. In this case, not enough enzymes are released for active digestion of food in the small intestine.
Poorly digested food irritates and begins to ferment. This is where everything comes from discomfort that bother the patient. Therefore, patients are recommended to take various medications or folk remedies aimed at eliminating the problem. It is also extremely important to monitor your diet and eat foods that reduce gas formation.
Products that increase gas formation
Nutrition is the first and most common cause of flatulence. Normally, our intestines produce about 1.5 liters of gases per day. And there is no escape from this. They have to be released. But you’ve probably noticed more than once that after certain foods, gas formation increases significantly, for example, if you eat.
There are a number of products that not every person can digest. And this undigested food enters the intestines. There is a huge number of hungry microorganisms that attack it and begin to use it as their own source of nutrition. The result of this is an excessive concentration of gases in the intestines.
In addition to legumes, there are a number of products that everyone has to one degree or another. individual person can trigger this process:
- Food that enhances fermentation. This is beer, carbonated sweet drinks, kvass, milk.
- Products that initially have a lot of coarse fiber dietary fiber, irritate the intestines, are used by microflora for increased gas formation. This is cabbage and a number of other similar products.
In order not to limit your diet and consume all products, it is recommended to use heat treatment, and also add ginger, coriander, rosemary, Bay leaf. They reduce gas formation and provide it with a quiet, unnoticeable release.
Other causes of gas formation
A person who is accustomed to using chewing gum often experiences the effect of flatulence. Especially if you do it on an empty stomach. Our microflora really likes sorbitol, which is contained in chewing gum. And it processes it, releasing quite a lot of gas. In addition, when chewing gum, a person, as a rule, is talking at this moment, as a result of which air is swallowed.
Stress can cause increased gas formation. Our brain is connected to the intestines, which react to emotional shock with spasms and slowdown of activity. The microflora has more time and food, and it takes full advantage of its chance.
A sedentary lifestyle often leads to problems with increased gas formation. Office workers and housewives are at risk. The fact is that when we move little, our intestines become lazy. The blood flow to it is reduced, metabolic and digestive processes slow down, and the pressure inside the abdomen, that is, intestinal tone, decreases.
Sometimes flatulence can be a symptom of a dangerous disease:
Powders from plant materials
It is very useful for patients with chronic flatulence to take a flat teaspoon of psyllium seed powder with each meal. This remedy removes poisons and toxins from the intestines very well, neutralizes gases, and cleanses the blood.
It can be replaced with crushed fennel seeds, which have similar properties. In addition, they use powder from wild carrot seeds, elecampane root with honey, and angelica or medicinal roots.
Gas formation, also known as flatulence and bloating, often plagues the adult half of humanity. This problem is less common in children.
There are several reasons for this phenomenon, but the most common one is that people consume foods that cause gas in large quantities.
Causes of increased gas formation
The reasons leading to flatulence are different. Most often they are related to a person’s diet, what foods he consumes and how. But these are not the only factors that lead to gases beginning to accumulate in the digestive tract.
Factors contributing to gas formation are the following:
- A person consumes food by chewing it poorly and swallowing large pieces along with air.
- While eating, it is customary for adults to have conversations, this is especially noticeable during business dinners. And such a habit can cause gas formation due to air entering the esophagus and stomach.
- Lack of enzymes in adults is a common problem that causes increased gas formation. When there are not enough enzymes, the food in the stomach is poorly digested and enters the intestines in the wrong form. This causes fermentation and the formation of gases in the human intestines.
- Eating a large amount of food at once, or overeating, is also a reason that causes gas accumulation.
- Intense gas formation is also caused by fast eating and eating on the go - snacking on sandwiches and washing them down with coffee.
- Consumption of certain gas-forming products.
- Wrong food combinations are also a gas-forming cause. Some foods are well absorbed in the human body, but sometimes, if you add additional food to them, the body's reaction may be increased gas formation in the stomach or intestines.
- Intestinal dysbiosis often contributes to the formation of large amounts of gas, as well as bloating.
- Eating chewing gum causes air to enter the esophagus during swallowing, which causes it to remain in the stomach and try to find a way out, leading to gas in the human body.
- Smoking causes gas formation for the same reason.
One of the main causes of constipation and diarrhea is use of various medications. To improve bowel function after taking medications, you need to do it every day. drink a simple remedy ...
How does gas formation occur?
With gas formation, people often notice some symptoms, which will differ depending on which organ of the digestive tract the accumulation of gases occurs in.
| Symptoms of gas accumulation in the stomach | Symptoms of gas accumulation in the intestines |
|---|---|
| gases form burps, which can lead to heartburn in the future | bloating appears |
| there is a feeling of fullness in the stomach | flatulence |
| loss of appetite | accumulation of gas can cause constipation, especially in women during pregnancy |
| pain appears in the stomach area, at first acute, then becomes nagging | sometimes there are lungs paroxysmal pain in the left or right half of the abdomen |
To prevent the occurrence similar symptoms, gas formation is best prevented. To do this, you should adhere to simple rules, which we will talk about now.
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What foods cause gas?
People with increased gas formation should avoid eating certain foods that contribute to the accumulation of gases. Basically, these are foods that are rich in healthy, but difficult to digest fiber, that contain starch, as well as foods that are unusual for the body, which increase gas formation due to a lack of necessary enzymes for digesting new food.
Products that enhance and increase gas formation are as follows:
- legumes (asparagus, beans, peas, lentils);
- cabbage, especially white cabbage;
- vegetables and fruits that have not undergone heat treatment (corn, turnips, potatoes, garlic, radishes; apples, peaches, pears, prunes, grapes);
- carbonated drinks;
- flour products rich in yeast, Rye bread and bran, eating black bread also has a bad effect;
- milk (especially people with low amounts of the lactase enzyme will have to give up milk);
- eggs;
- fatty meats and fish;
- alcoholic drinks;
- chewing candies and chewing gum.
Such gas-forming products are not always bad for the human body, but if you have a tendency to flatulence, then they increase the likelihood of this. In this case, you will have to avoid foods that cause gas accumulation or reduce their consumption to a minimum.
Wrong food combination
Sometimes products that normally do not form an accumulation of gases can give such an effect due to the incompatibility of some components with others. And then, in combination with each other, the products are gas-forming.
The list of such combinations is as follows:
- eating flour and kefir at the same time;
- combination of eggs and fish in one dish;
- consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables with thermally processed ones;
- combination of dairy and fermented milk products.
Knowing what foods cause gas if consumed incorrectly, you can build your diet so that similar foods are not encountered at one meal. This will help a person normalize the functioning of his body.
What foods will not cause gas?
Heat-treated vegetables do not cause gas formation. To adjust your diet, you need to replace the above foods with those that do not cause gas or even reduce it.
The list of such products is as follows:
- rice and buckwheat;
- chicken meat, turkey meat;
- cod;
- fermented milk products (kefir, yogurt, only fresh, non-fat ones are allowed, hard cheese is allowed);
- boiled beets, carrots and other heat-treated vegetables;
- wheat bread;
- steamed egg omelet;
- vegetable oils;
- not strong teas and herbal teas to improve digestion.
Spices that reduce gas formation will come in handy in any dish. Therefore, try to add cumin, fennel, dill, marjoram, and ginger more often.
These are not only products that reduce gas formation, but also substances that relieve inflammation and abdominal pain.
What to do if you have increased gas formation?
If you are faced with a similar problem, then first review your diet and remove gas-forming foods from it.
- Food should be chewed thoroughly and eaten in small pieces.
- Snacking on the go is strictly prohibited.
- You should not drink large amounts of water with your food, as this will dilute it. gastric juice. Take a small sip if necessary.
- Observing the drinking regime (up to 2 l clean water per day), remember that you should not drink water 20 minutes before meals and 20 minutes after.
- Leave the consumption of protein foods in the morning, in the evening only easily digestible foods.
- Try to eat at the table in a comfortable position, do not talk much while eating.
- If possible, give preference to boiled and steamed dishes, and avoid fried ones.
- Do not drink drinks through a straw.
- Do not overeat - the optimal portion for one meal is 300 grams.
- Don't overeat before bed.
Once you know which foods to avoid, you can start keeping a diary. Eat healthy food, and sometimes add foods to your diet that cause gas. Record your body's reaction to them. This way you can set your individual diet. After all, maybe cabbage won’t cause bloating for you, while for someone else it will cause flatulence.
Remember that the health of your body depends entirely on you. If you succumb to temptation too often, then do not be surprised by belching, flatulence and abdominal pain.
It is best to stick to a diet and consume gas-forming foods extremely rarely.
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