Flatulence

Flatulence is part of life!

Flatulence (gas) - we all have it, it is part of life. It is a natural result of good digestion. Passing gas is a more familiar term to many people. Most of us try to make light of it so we are not so embarrassed by its occurrence. Gas pains can be uncomfortable for many people but you can reduce the symptoms and find relief.

The average person expels gas 14 times every day. The amount of gas released ranges from as little as one cup to as much as one half gallon per day. Gas is made primarily of odorless vapors such as carbon dioxide, oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, and sometimes methane. The unpleasant odor of flatulence comes from bacteria in the large intestine that release small amounts of gases that contain hydrogen sulfide.

Contrary to popular belief, women have just as many passages as men, and older people have no more gas than younger individuals. Flatulence occurs when a food does not break down completely in the stomach and small intestine. As a result, the food makes it into the large intestine in an undigested state.

The majority of lower intestinal gas is produced when bacteria in your colon ferment carbohydrates that are not digested in your small intestine. The body does not digest and absorb some carbohydrates (the sugar, starches, and fiber found in many foods) in the small intestine because of a shortage or absence of certain enzymes.

This undigested food then passes from the small intestine into the large intestine, where normal, harmless bacteria break down the food, producing gases such as hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and, in about one-third of all people, methane. Eventually these gases exit through the rectum.

Foods that produce flatulence

Certain foods produce more flatulence than others because they contain more indigestible carbohydrates. Beans are well-known gas producers. The beans pass through the small intestine and arrive in the large intestine without being digested, which causes flatulence to occur.

Unfortunately, healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes (beans and peas) are often the worst offenders. That's because these foods are high in fiber which is indigestible cellulose. Fiber has many health benefits, including keeping your digestive tract in good working order, regulating blood sugar and cholesterol levels, and helping prevent heart attacks and other heart problems. But it can also lead to flatulence. By contrast, fats and proteins cause little gas.

Sugars are known to create gas. Fructose is naturally present in onions, artichokes, pears, and wheat. It is also used as a sweetener in some soft drinks and fruit drinks. Sorbitol is a sugar found naturally in fruits, including apples, pears, peaches, and prunes. It is also used as an artificial sweetener in many dietetic foods and sugarfree candies and gums.

Foods that may cause gas include:

• beans
• vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, onions, artichokes, and asparagus
• fruits such as pears, apples, and peaches
• whole grains, such as whole wheat and bran
• soft drinks and fruit drinks
• milk and milk products, such as cheese and ice-cream, and packaged foods prepared with lactose, such as bread, cereal, and salad dressing
• foods containing sorbitol, such as dietetic foods and candies and gums.

Medical conditions that cause gas

If you are "lactose intolerant," it means that you lack an enzyme (lactase) in your intestine. This is the enzyme that breaks lactose apart into two sugar molecules so they can enter the bloodstream. Without lactase, lactose passes undigested through the stomach and small intestine. Once it arrives in the colon, the lactose meets up with billions of hungry bacteria that are happy to digest lactose. They produce a variety of gases, in much the same way that yeast produces carbon dioxide to leaven bread.

Certain medical conditions such as Crohn’s Disease, Colitis, IBD, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and Celiac Disease cause people to have excessive flatulence because of their impaired digestion. A diagnosis of IBS has been reported by 10 to 20% of adults in the United States, and symptoms of IBS are responsible for over 3 million yearly visits to physicians. Research suggests that IBS is one of the most common functional GI disorders. IBS exhibits predominance in women, with females representing over 70% of IBS sufferers.

Possible solutions: medicine or natural cures

Doctors may tell people to eat fewer foods that cause gas. However, for some people this may mean cutting out healthy foods, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and milk products. Doctors may also suggest limiting high-fat foods to reduce bloating and discomfort. This helps the stomach empty faster, allowing gases to move into the small intestine.

Unfortunately, the gas caused by certain foods varies from person to person. Effective dietary changes depend on learning through trial and error how much of the offending foods one can handle. Many non-prescription, over-the-counter medicines are available to help reduce symptoms, including antacids. Digestive enzymes, such as lactase supplements, actually help digest carbohydrates and may allow people to eat foods that normally cause gas.

Activated charcoal tablets may provide relief from gas in the colon. Studies have shown that when these tablets are taken before and after a meal, intestinal gas is reduced. Beano, a newer over-the-counter digestive aid, contains the sugar-digesting enzyme the body lacks to digest the sugar in beans and many vegetables. The enzyme comes in liquid form. Beano has no effect on gas caused by lactose or fiber.

Natural things we can do to minimize gas is to eat slowly, chew thoroughly, sip rather than gulp liquids, minimize fizzy beverages, and not chew gum. Eliminate sugar-free foods containing sorbitol or xylitol - both are poorly digested and serve up a potent fare for our gas-forming bacterial friends.

Newest high-tech solutions

Personal product technology has introduced odor control for your armpits (underarm deodorant), feet (Odoreaters), body (colognes and washes), and mouth (mouthwash) to name a few. Now there is a simple, external solution to flatulence odors that uses activated charcoal technology.

Activated Charcoal Cloth (ACC) is 100% activated charcoal and produced in a flexible textile form. It absorbs more effectively than any granular form of activated charcoal because of its micro porous character and high internal surface area. This material absorbs odors more effectively, per unit area, than any other known agent can absorb.

A patented product called the Flatulence Deodorizer (www.flat-d.com) uses this high-tech filtering media, that was originally developed for the British Chemical Defense Establishment to provide protection to its soldiers against nerve gas and other toxic vapors associated with chemical warfare. This material can be washed and dried without losing its effectiveness.

This material is lightweight, extremely thin (1/16th of an inch), breathable, washable and reusable. It is placed in the underwear. When gas is expelled through the pad it effectively absorbs the odor associated with the gas. The sound is also attenuated because of the placement and density of the device.

The author of this article is the president of the company that makes the Flatulence Deodorizer device. Feel free to contact him at frank@flat-d.com. The Center for Functional GI and Motility Disorders has not investigated this device and is not in a position to endorse it.