How To Stop Farting: Gassy Foods To Avoid And Tips For Quick Relief

6 Main Types of Food That Cause Gas and How To Avoid Those Embarrassing Farts?

Oohhhhhh! WHO was THAAAAT?

Who hasn’t been in that embarrassing situation when you just have to expel that build-up of gas inside you? You think you’ve gotten away with it unnoticed, but slowly the realization that the game is up dawns upon you; all eyes are on YOU.

What did you eat to put you in this situation; more importantly, how can you avoid it in the future?

For starters, don’t beat yourself up about it; farting is an entirely normal and healthy thing to do. Farts need to come out, but it can be inconvenient for others and embarrassing for yourself when they do.

Farts are caused by gas that builds up inside you for a couple of reasons.

• Firstly, as a result of the amount of air you swallow when eating.
• Secondly, because of the type of food you eat.

Different foods will cause varying levels of gas buildup in different people because not everyone has the same gut bacteria. However, there are some foods that are recognized as the usual suspects for us all:

1. Cruciferous Vegetables Can Cause Gas And Bloating

Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts are an examples of cruciferous vegetables. They all contain a high amount of fiber, which is utilized by bacteria to create energy. The bi-product of this metabolism, however, is excess gas.

2. Oats and Whole Grain Can Make You Gassy and Bloated 

Whole-grain foods like whole-wheat bread, oats, and other grainy foods cause gas for the same reason; their fiber content.

Of course, fiber is not bad to eat; it’s recommended for your heart, digestion, and weight control. Introducing it into your diet will gradually allow your body to adjust, and drinking plenty of water will also reduce the build-up of gas from the fiber.

3. Lactose in Dairy Could Be the Cause of Your Tummy Troubles

Dairy Products like Milk, cheese, and yogurt all contain lactose – a type of sugar. As you age, for many people (a survey conducted by the U.S National Library for Medicine suggests it is as much as 65%), it becomes difficult for them to digest this sugar.

This can cause a build-up of gas and constipation, but experiencing these symptoms does not mean you are totally allergic to lactose. You may just have some sensitivity towards it, and this can easily be remedied by opting for dairy that is low in lactose. Lactase enzyme supplements are also available to help people properly digest dairy products.

Symptoms are usually mild. You should contact your doctor if you experience any severe abdominal pain, as this could be a sign of a serious health issue.

4. Feasting on Fruit and Fructose Could Produce a Lot Of Gas

If you experience a build-up of gas after eating some fruit, it could result from the fiber. In the same way, as it happens with cruciferous vegetables, the bi-product of fiber metabolizing energy is gas.

High levels of sugar in fruit, fructose, can also leave people feeling bloated by gas due to their fructose intolerance. This is a lot less common than people’s intolerance to lactose.

The International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (Iffgd) lists the following as the main gas-producing culprits of the fruit world: apples, apricots, bananas, peaches, prunes, and raisins.

5. Beans, Lentils, Nuts, and Peas – Culprits for Flatulence

Beans, lentils, nuts, and peas are all high in fiber. We know what the bi-product of fiber’s transfer to energy is – more gas, right? The good thing is that a lot of the fiber is contained in the skins of these legumes, so washing them can reduce the amount of fiber you consume. Less fiber – less farting!

Check out some of the foods that contain very little or no fiber at all.

6. Sparkling Water and Carbonated Drinks Can Make You Fart

Fizzy drinks cause you to swallow extra gas, so it’s clear to say that some of this will get trapped and end up as a fart waiting to get out.

Many carbonated beverages contain Sorbitol, an artificial sweetener that is difficult to absorb fully, so ferments of it will cause more gas. The best advice is to avoid fizzy drinks and make them sugar-free if you must have them.

So, try avoiding these 6 types of foods that cause gas and see if it reduces the number of embarrassing situations you find yourself in.

Hopefully, that will do the trick, and your farting will be reduced, at least.

But I can hear you say:

I Am Always Farting; What Can I Do To Stop It?

Flatulence, gas, wind, farting; call it what you want, it can be both unpleasant and embarrassing.

So, what can you do if you are always farting? 

Here are just a few brief suggestions to help you:

• Take a tablet for gas and bloating relief or that aids food digestion.
• Maintain a ‘food and fart’ log to record which foods are most gas-producing for you. After a week or two, you should have identified the worst offending foods and perhaps altered your diet.
• Accept it. Farting is a natural bodily function. Although it may be embarrassing in some cultures, it is a sign that your digestive system is functioning correctly. If you were unable to fart, then you would be really uncomfortable.
• Record any irritable symptoms that you think are associated with your farting such as constipation, stomach ache, or heartburn. These actually may be something more serious, and it is important that your doctor is notified of them as soon as possible in order to rule these out.

On average, you will fart between 5-15 daily (which equates to around 1-3 pints of gas) and, although this may seem a lot, it is quite normal.

You may feel that you are definitely at the higher end of this scale, but that’s probably because you are aware of all your own farts and not all the farts of others.

Luckily, the majority of farts go unnoticed as they are noiseless and odorless. So, if you are always farting, what can you do? Maybe just be content; you are the only one who knows!

If, however, you are still paranoid about being caught in one of those embarrassing and awkward situations again, then below are some tips and tricks on how to reduce and control your flatulence.

15 Possible Remedies For Your Excessive Flatulence

Usually, you should have no need to worry about excessive flatulence – it is a perfectly natural thing for your body to do. 

OK, you might think you fart more than others, but that could just be down to what you eat.

If you feel that your farting pattern has altered for the worse or makes you feel overly embarrassed or awkward, try one or more of these 15 possible remedies to your excessive flatulence:

1. Eat slowly and deliberately

Racing down your food can cause you to swallow excess air, which can become trapped in your stomach. This is the most significant cause of gas build-up in your body and, although you cannot avoid it, you should try to reduce the amount of air you swallow. Eating slowly and deliberately; and taking time to sit down and eat your meal is one way to reduce it.

2. Avoid chewing gum

Chewing gum may be a good way to maintain fresh breath and reduce your snacking, but it is also a great way to swallow air. The whole time you are chewing your gum, you are also swallowing air, which gets trapped inside and increases your need to fart.

3. Be aware of food allergies and intolerance

You may be intolerant to certain foods or have a mild allergic reaction that you are not aware of, which could be causing your body to produce excess gas. Recording what you eat and when you fart, may help identify these sensitivities.

4. Avoid tight-fitting clothes

Wearing loose-fitting clothes helps in 2 ways. Firstly, it helps you remain comfortable when bloating does occur. Secondly, loose clothes will allow the gas to escape with more ease – restricting the gases from escaping is one of the causes of the farting sound.

5. Try an elimination diet

If you suffer from excess gas, you might find help from using an elimination diet. This works by you first eliminating all known gas-producing foods from your diet. You then introduce them, one by one, to assess those that are the leading cause of your gas. 

6. Reduce foods that are high gas producers

We’ve already discussed some of these foods earlier; foods that contain fiber, lactose, fructose, etc. Also, starch, which is found in all carbohydrates. These undergo fermentation in your intestines, and gases are released during this process.

I was very specific in using the word ‘Reduce’ because you do not want to cut these things out entirely as they are part of a balanced diet. So remember, consider reducing your intake of fruits, cruciferous vegetables, legumes, fizzy drinks, whole grains, and starchy foods.

7. Stop smoking

Smoking is not only bad for your health; it plays havoc with your farting. Why? Because when you inhale smoke, you also swallow some air. This is not just the case for tobacco smokers; the same principle applies to ‘vaping’ and other forms of smoking.

8. Increase your exercise levels

Exercising regularly will help you maintain a healthy digestive system. This does not have to be training for the next ‘Iron Man’; even a gentle walk after dinner will improve your digestion.

9. Stay hydrated

Drinking plenty of fluids (preferably just water and certainly not fizzy drinks) will keep you hydrated. This will help keep things flowing easily in your digestive system and reduce your chances of getting constipation and the gas that comes with it. Aim to drink a minimum of one glass of water with every meal.

10. Avoid fizzy drinks

With these, you are not only swallowing air by accident; you are actively drinking air. Each fizz is a bubble of air that goes straight into your stomach. It has to come out some way, and one of those ways is through farting. Remove these drinks from your diet, and you should notice a drastic decrease in your level of farting.

11. Try taking probiotics

These are supplements that are rich in the same bacteria that you have in your digestive system. They assist in the digestion process and even reduce the amount of gas produced during digestion.

It may take a while for your body to adjust to probiotics; during this initial period, you may even experience an increase in gas production. This will be temporary, and it will reduce as your digestive system adjusts.

Pro-biotics are standard and readily available via the internet. Just make sure you choose the right ones, here is how >>>

12. Try taking enzyme supplements

Results of testing conclude that enzyme supplements can assist in breaking down proteins and carbohydrates, thus helping counter many digestive diseases. A result of this breakdown procedure is that gas production is also reduced in the small intestine.

However, if they are not broken down before moving to the large intestine, it will be a different set of bacteria working on breaking them down. This can lead to an increase in gas production.

A typical enzyme supplement is Lactase, which can be used by people with Lactose intolerance to digest dairy products.

13. Try Drinking Peppermint Tea

Peppermint tea is a great drink to help settle your stomach and aid digestion. Try drinking it regularly, perhaps before sleep, to help reduce the amount of gas you are producing.

14. Try to avoid becoming constipated

The best way to avoid constipation is to stay hydrated. Increasing the amount of fiber you eat will also help, but this does increase your gas production, so there is a balance to be had.

Being constipated can lead to a build-up of gas. Because the stool’s escape route is blocked, it stays in the colon and continues the fermentation process – creating even more gas. This gas can have a particularly unpleasant smell.

As well as drinking and increasing fiber consumption, there are also various medications available to ease constipation.

15. Eat Non-Gassy Foods

So, we’ve spoken quite a bit about foods to avoid, but what about foods that you do not have to worry about?

Popular Food That Causes Foul-Smelling Flatulence

As there are some foods that can cause a lot of cases, then there are also some foods that can make your farts smell really bad. Although, there can be several reasons why your farts smell really bad. In most instances, foul–smelling flatulence is caused by the food that you eat. 

Watch the video below where I cover the Top 10 Popular Foods that are known to cause smelly farts.

Foods That Don’t Cause Much Gas

Of course, it is important to maintain a healthy, balanced diet, and this will include ‘gassy’ and ‘non-gassy foods. But, just so that you are aware and can make your choices accordingly, here are some foods that could help keep the gas levels down:

• Selected Fruit. Eating a large amount of ANY fruit can most certainly cause gas for most people. However, with these ones, you can consume them in moderation, and you could get away with minimal gas: berries, cantaloupe, clementines, honeydew melon, and kiwi fruit.
• Low-gas vegetables. Medical research indicates that sufferers of Irritable Bowel Syndrome should limit the amount of gas-causing vegetables in their diet. You too, can reduce the amount of gas you get from vegetables and still maintain your recommended intake of ‘5-A-Day”. Try these low-gas alternatives: asparagus, avocado, bell peppers, pak choi, carrots, cucumber, green beans, spinach, and zucchini. Also, most leafy green vegetables do not cause a build-up of excess gas. Cooking them will also help with the digestion process.
• Some whole grains. Pretty much all carbs will cause gas so if you choose to eat whole grains, opt for the ones that cause the least gas. These include rice, rice bread, and quinoa. Also, replacing regular and whole-grain pasta with chickpea pasta has worked very well for many people.
• Dairy alternatives. Some low gas-causing dairy alternatives you could try are non-dairy milk, soy milk, and probiotic yogurts. Also, many people find lactose-free milk very effective.
• Protein. High levels of fat from your meat can cause bloating because of gas. Stick to lean protein options like fish, skinless chicken or turkey, eggs, and tofu.
• Fermented foods. Sugar-free yogurt, fermented vegetables, kefir, and kombucha are all foods that pre-fermented. So, the gases that are usually produced because of the fermentation process in your gut do not have any means of production. However, initially, when starting out, probiotic fermented foods and drinks may cause some gas and constipation due to the “die-off” of candida, parasites, and pathogenic bacteria.
• Spreads. Some spreads like those made from avocado, hummus, and chickpeas, etc. are ideal to consume with your snacks, and you will not have to run the risk of an excess gas build-up. Look out for ones containing simple ingredients or, better still, try making some for yourself. Try using chickpeas, olive oil, lemon juice, and tahini as a simple recipe.

Many times it is not just the food types themselves that are the cause of gas and farting. You also need to consider the sauces, gravy, and glazes that accompany them. They can be rich in sugar and contain lots of onion, which is a high gas producer.

If, after adjusting your diet and replacing high-gas foods with low ones, you are still experiencing an excessively high level of gas, you should consult your doctor.

Summary

Farting can be embarrassing for you, but it is a perfectly natural bodily function and a sign of a healthy digestive system.

Being aware of the gassy foods that are likely to cause excessive “passing wind” will help you avoid it; cruciferous vegetables, legumes, whole grains, fruits, carbonated drinks, and dairy.

You can also try recording your food intake – your food and fart log; or taking some gas-reducing tablets. Accepting the fact that you fart might make the (perception of the) problem go away itself.

Trying one or two of the 15 possible remedies to stop farting might also lead to you achieving the results you want. There is plenty to choose from; from eating slowly to drinking peppermint tea.

Finally, know what you can eat and be aware of those foods that are lower gas producers. Remember that a balanced diet needs both types, so do not eliminate the high-gassy foods totally. You will at least now be armed with the information to choose more wisely.

Now you should be in a much better position and know how to avoid those embarrassing farts.

Read Also:11 Proven Ways to Get Rid of Garlic Breath.