Gassy stomach, burping or flatulence once in a while is considered normal, but some people suffer such complaints from any food they eat and they have discomfort in sitting or lying down after food with a rumbling in the stomach. There might be some relief from a bowel movement, but they are never very enthusiastic to do any work and are unable to even rest well. some kinds of foods that we eat and the improper ways in which we eat them may lead to such excessive gassiness. All gas that enters or forms in the stomach is due to two main reasons. First one is the gas that enters through our mouth along with the food we eat or the water we drink and the second one is the gas formed excessively in the stomach during the digestion of food, especially the fibrous foods. This gas may be hydrogen, carbon disulphide, nitrogen, etc. Usually, these gases are formed and expelled out, but in some people these gases are formed in excess and get trapped somewhere in the intestines and they feel the pain or rumbling in the abdomen.
The entry of gas through our mouth is due to three reasons
1. If we talk while eating or drink something using a straw.
2. If we eat a lot of food in very short span of time.
3. If we continuously chew on something like a chewing gum or nibble on chocolates or candies.
The formation of gas in the stomach is mainly due to constipation. The stool in the intestines produces lot of gases like methane and hydrogen sulfide and if not expelled upwards or downwards, these gasses create trouble. These are foul-smelling gases and are usually passed as wind.
There are mainly 10 foods that lead to gas troubles. These need not be avoided completely, but may be consumed with some measures of caution to avoid the gassiness.
1. Pulses: peas, grams, lentils, beans, etc., have lot of fibers which do not digest in the stomach and move to the intestine undigested. The digestion of fibers begins in the small intestine. The fibers may be soluble or insoluble fibers. The insoluble fibers work like a broom inside our intestines and pass along with stool to relieve constipation. The fibers in these pulses are seen in association with the carbohydrates and proteins present in it. When the pulses are soaked, the carbohydrates and proteins separate from the fibers and then when we eat these, the carbohydrates and most of the proteins digest in our stomach and the fiber alone moves to the intestines. But when these foods are cooled down, the carbohydrates and proteins again stick back to the fibers and are made indigestible in the stomach and move to the intestines in undigested condition. The intestinal bacteria work upon these carbohydrates and proteins and produce excessive amounts of gas. This is why people who eat these pulses have gas complaints. Therefore, such foods must be eaten when hot, whereby the carbohydrates and proteins digest in the stomach and only fibers move to the intestine undigested.
2. Foods that contain milk. Milk is an essential part of our diet since childhood and even as adults, milk is consumed in tea, coffee, etc., or mixed with oats, or had as ice cream, puddings, etc. The stomach has an enzyme called lactase which digests the milk proteins and carbohydrates, but this enzyme is not seen in everyone’s stomach. It is usually seen in breastfed children and it gradually decreases as we grow older. If the lactase enzyme is reduced in our stomach, the milk or milk containing drinks that we ingest will not be digested well in the stomach and will move to the intestines. Often when the indigested lactose enters the intestines, it causes an allergic reaction in some people and is known as lactose intolerance. When these people have any food containing milk, they feel a rumbling in the stomach and excessive gassiness and an urge to pass bowels. They also have frequent problem of flatulence. Such people may avoid milk or milk containing drinks or products and find that their gas troubles are relieved to a large extent. The best way to get the goodness of milk is by using it in a fermented form such as curd or yogurt and this would also aid the beneficial gut bacteria. Curd, buttemilk, butter, ghee, paneer, etc. are all foods that are produced by fermenting milk and can be consumed by these people.
3. Apple is definitely good for health, but the fiber and fructose in apple is often not properly digested in our stomach and when we eat the apple with its skin, the fiber may not digest in the stomach leading to excessive gassiness. Apple may sometimes even cause loose motion in children. If there are gas troubles from apple, it may be steamed and consumed to avoid the problems.
4. Foods such as wheat, oats, and barley, which contain protein known as gluten. People who are allergic to gluten may have excessive gas troubles from these. Gluten-free diet is what these people can have to avoid such complaints. These complaints are together known as celiac disease and people with this illness must avoid gluten rich diet.
5. Carbonated drinks contain high concentration of carbon dioxide. When we drink these, the warmth in the stomach and the enzymes in the stomach cause separation of carbon dioxide from the liquid which will lead to burping in some people and the gas is expelled, but in some it moves to the intestines and causes excessive gassiness and discomfort.
6. Alcoholic drinks or beer create an inflammation in the stomach and people who consume liquor or beer regularly causes changes in the production of digestive juices and inflammation to all organs including the liver which produce the digestive juices. Thus, they are unable to digest even normal food properly.
7. Artificial sweeteners such as sorbitol, xylitol, manitol, high fructose corn syrup, etc. cause gas troubles in many people.
8. Leafy vegetables and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, etc., all of which contain lot of fibers that are not digested well by everyone. Some people may either be allergic to the fibers, or they may have complaints like irritable bowel syndrome, or may get an urge for bowel movement when they are tensed. It may not lead to loose motions in all, but may create excessive gas trouble. Therefore, these too must be had when hot. The reason why drumstick leaves cause excessive gas is due to the fibers and some chemicals present in it.
9. Tubers like yam, elephant yam, potato, sweet potato, chinese potato, tapioca, carrot, beetroot, etc., cause gas especially in people over 50 years of age due to the fibers present in these which are seen in association with the carbohydrates and so are good only when eaten hot as the carbohydrates are not stuck to the fibers when hot. Yam and elephant yam may also have some chemicals which cause allergy and irritation in the stomach.
10. Onion and garlic are beneficial in controlling cholesterol, preventing diseases like cancer, etc., and they contain increased amounts of fiber, sulfur, allicin, which may cause gas in many people. So, people who have such complaints must not eat raw onion and must chew well while eating cooked onion too whereby the allicin mixes with the saliva that contains a chemical called ptyalin and produces a chemical known as allidin. When allidin is formed in the mouth, it is digested easily in the stomach. Allidin is the factor that helps reduce the cholesterol and clears the blood.