Prevent Excess Gas

The human body produces between one and three pints of gas per day from food, drink and ingested air.[1] People then pass the gas either by burping or flatulence through the rectum. At times, though, people suffer from excess gas that can be painful and embarrassing. Understanding how to reduce excess gas can help your stomach feel normal. Keep reading to learn how to prevent excess gas.

Steps

Changing Your Eating Habits

  1. Identify foods that give you excess gas. You may already know what foods cause you to have excess gas, but if not, start keeping a journal of the foods you eat to determine what foods seem to be causing your excess gas.[2] Once you have determined what foods are causing your excess gas, limit your consumption of those foods or avoid them entirely. Some of the most common gas producing foods include:[3]
    • Vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and cauliflower.
    • Beans and other legumes.
    • Fruits such as peaches, pears, and raw apples.
    • Whole wheat products and wheat bran.
    • Eggs.
    • Carbonated drinks, fruit drinks, beer, and red wine.
    • Fried and fatty foods.
    • High fructose foods and drinks.
    • Sugar and sugar substitutes.
    • Milk and other dairy products.[3]
  2. Eat slowly. Eating too quickly causes you to swallow air, which may cause you to have excess gas. To prevent this side effect, take your time when you eat. Chew your food well and take breaks between bites to slow down your eating and reduce the amount of gas that you swallow.[2]
  3. Brush your teeth between meals instead of chewing on gum or mints. Chewing on gum or sucking on mints or hard candies can cause you to swallow excess air, which may lead to excess gas. Try brushing your teeth between meals instead to reduce the amount of excess air that you swallow. [3]
  4. Sip beverages from the glass, not through a straw. Drinking through a straw can cause you to swallow extra air, which can lead to excess gas. Instead of drinking through a straw, sip your drinks right from the glass.[3]
  5. Make sure that your dentures fit well. Ill-fitting dentures can cause you to swallow excess air when you eat and drink. If your dentures are not fitting well, schedule an appointment with your dentist to have your dentures adjusted.[3]

Using Supplements and Medications

  1. Use an over-the-counter medication to help prevent excess gas. There are many different medications that may help prevent your excess gas. Gas-X, Maalox, Mylicon and Pepto-Bismol are just a few of the many gas prevention medications available to you. Talk to your doctor if you are not sure what product to choose or if you have tried products with no success.[4]
    • When selecting a medicine, look for a product that contains simethicone. This ingredient provides relief for excess gas by dissolving gas bubbles.[5]
  2. Add Beano to foods to prevent excess gas. Beano contains alpha-galactosidase, which helps prevent excess gas. In a double blind study, people who consumed foods that contained the Beano had significantly less flatulence than those who did not receive food that contained Beano.[6]
  3. Try taking activated charcoal capsules. Some studies have shown that taking activated charcoal can help prevent gas but other studies have shown that there is no effect. Since activated charcoal is a natural supplement, you may consider trying them to see if they help prevent your excess gas.[7]
  4. Try taking chlorophyllin. Chlorophyllin is a chemical that is made from chlorophyll, but it is not the same as chlorophyll. Some studies have suggested that taking chlorophyllin may help prevent excess gas in older people, but there is not enough evidence to prove that it is effective. You may consider trying chlorophyllin to see if it helps prevent your excess gas.[8]
    • Do not take chlorophyllin if you are pregnant. Not enough is known about chlorophyllin to determine if it is safe to take while pregnant.

Making Other Lifestyle Changes

  1. Quit smoking. In addition to its other negative health benefits, smoking causes you to inhale excess air that may cause you to have excess gas. Stop smoking to reduce the amount of excess air that you swallow and help prevent excess gas.[3]
  2. Relax daily. Stress and anxiety can cause you to have excess gas, so it is important to incorporate relaxation into your daily routine. Try meditation, yoga, or deep breathing exercises to reduce the amount of excess gas that you have as a result of stress and anxiety.[3]
  3. Talk to your doctor about prescription medications if watching your diet or taking over-the-counter diet aids aren't helping your gas issues. Physical disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), diabetes, and celiac disease will cause gas symptoms despite your best efforts to reduce gas in your system. Your doctor can prescribe medications to help you deal with IBS and other such chronic conditions.[9]



Tips

  • Don't sleep after a meal.
  • Fresh vegetables & fruits can cause gas in those who usually eat only processed foods. This will usually subside after a few days. Do not avoid fruits and vegetables out of fear of excess gas. They are too important to your good health to leave out of your diet.

Warnings

  • Pain from a heart attack can also feel like gas pains. If you have severe pain in the chest or abdomen that doesn't go away or gets worse, contact your doctor, emergency room, or dial your local emergency phone number! Don't take a chance with your life!
  • If you have any of the following symptoms you may need to see your doctor.
    • Severe cramping type abdominal discomfort.
    • Sudden or prolonged change in bowel habits.
    • Severe diarrhea or constipation.
    • Blood in the stool.
    • Fever.
    • Nausea.
    • Vomiting.
    • Abdominal pain and swelling.
  • DO NOT stop taking any prescription medications without first consulting you doctor! To do so may be very dangerous and in some cases can lead to death!
  • When taking antacids or anti-gas medications, always read the label. Make sure that you are taking the correct dosage!
  • If you plan to take antacids or anti-gas medications and you are taking a doctor prescribed medication, always check with your doctor or pharmacist first! Antacids and anti-gas medications quite often effect the way prescription medications work.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases_conditions/hic_Gas
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-topics/digestive-diseases/gas/Pages/ez.aspx
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gas-and-gas-pains/in-depth/gas-and-gas-pains/art-20044739
  4. ↑ http://www.webmd.com/drugs/condition-3232-Gas%20%20Flatulence%20.aspx?diseaseid=3232
  5. ↑ http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/tc/gas-flatus-topic-overview
  6. ↑ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7964541
  7. ↑ http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-269-ACTIVATED+CHARCOAL.aspx?activeIngredientId=269&activeIngredientName=ACTIVATED+CHARCOAL&source=0
  8. ↑ http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-626-chlorophyllin.aspx?activeingredientid=626&activeingredientname=chlorophyllin
  9. ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gas-and-gas-pains/in-depth/gas-and-gas-pains/art-20044739
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