Everyone has at some point experienced gas or bloating after eating – it’s simply a part of life. Sometimes, however, it can be rather uncomfortable and even a bit overwhelming.
Certain foods can trigger gas and bloating worse than others, too. Those garlic fries, your coworker’s prize-winning chili, or even a simple bowl of cereal can lead to gas-related pains.
Of course, there are obvious reasons why some foods are worse than others when it comes to making you gassy.
Sure, you can blame it on the dog, but there’s actually a very logical explanation for why we fart. Gas and bloating occur when undigested carbohydrates pass through your digestive system and into your colon. Once there, bacteria ferment these poorly digested starches and sugars, producing gasses like hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and methane.
Gas can also sometimes be caused by swallowing too much air – but that’s exogenous gas. What we’re talking about here is endogenous gas caused by the foods you consume.
Certain types of foods can significantly increase the amount of gas we produce. Those that fall into the group of carbs called FODMAPs can be especially influential in gas production.
So, what are FODMAPs? The acronym is derived from “Fermentable Oligo-, Di-, Mono-saccharides, and Polyols.” These are short-chain carbohydrates that aren’t well absorbed in the small intestine.
Cutting back on FODMAPs can help in the short term, especially for sufferers of irritable bowel syndrome. However, long-term avoidance can have a negative impact on your gut microbiota. FODMAPs aren’t the cause of intestinal inflammation, they just happen to sometimes cause digestive discomfort.
It’s worth noting that many foods that cause gas are actually healthy foods. Often, when making dietary changes – like increasing your fiber intake – gas can be a common side effect. This is typically temporary and should improve once your body adjusts in a few weeks.
In fact, a high-fiber diet can even decrease how gassy you are and lessen how smelly it is as well.
