It’s normal to pass wind around 14 times a day. But the intestinal gas produced in the course of digestion can become a real problem when it’s excessive, foul-smelling or causes bloating. Here’s how to get rid of it.
Bloating, feeling like your stomach’s swollen, nasty-smelling wind: all these non-serious but troublesome symptoms are caused by digestion. The digestive system is a complex, highly effective machine in which each cog (mouth, stomach, small intestine, colon) has its own specific function (1) :
It’s primarily during this last stage that intestinal gas is produced, since as part of the process of dispensing with any superfluous organic matter, fermentation of bacteria occurs in the colon. This fermentation produces potentially malodorous gases: CO2, methane, hydrogen sulphide.
These bacteria-derived gases account for on average 75% of intestinal gas volume (2). The remaining 25% comes from the air we take in when we eat this is called aerophagy (3).
Potentially painful gas occurs when too much gas accumulates in the colon without being able to escape. This happens for several reasons.
Drinking too many fizzy drinks (which along with gas, also contain sugar which is sometimes poorly digested) and chewing too much gum (which encourages autophagy) have been identified by doctors as a key factor in bloating and excessive flatulence.
Remaining in a sitting position can also cause bloating: working at a desk where you stay seated for hours, before, during and after eating, compresses the abdomen and encourages bloating.
Stools, or even blockages, form a ‘bottleneck’ which makes it difficult to pass gas, and causes painful pressure in the abdomen.
Certain foods are known to be highly fermentable, although the specific polysaccharides responsible have yet to be identified by scientists (4).
The foods primarily to blame are cruciferous vegetables (from the cabbage family), pulses (lentils, chickpeas, split peas, soya, etc.) and red meat. Eating a lot of crudités may also encourage production of gas.
Between 5% and 10% of the population may suffer from IBS, according to the French National Institute for Agricultural Research (5).
Behind this umbrella term, lies a diverse range of issues: proliferation of bacteria in the small intestine, disruption to the gut microbiota (which can however be nourished by ingesting the ‘good’ bacteria in probiotics), increased permeability of the intestinal barrier, gut infections, non-coeliac sensitivity to gluten, etc. (6)
You need to be aware of all these causes of flatulence so that you can employ the right strategies to combat them. It’s important to identify your particular triggers and then progressively apply measures until you find the right combination of remedies to help get rid of your intestinal gas problem:
This is easy if you know you regularly consume substantial amounts of the foods associated with flatulence, whether foul-smelling or not. The first step is therefore to reduce, bit by bit, or even exclude the foods that may be responsible: fizzy drinks, chewing gum, red meat, eggs, cabbage, pulses, lactose, gluten.
You’ll need to adapt this strategy to your own particular diet: obviously vegetarians may find it hard to exclude pulses from their diet, as their protein intake would then have to come almost exclusively from algae and nuts!
In the same vein, there’s no point following a gluten-free diet (which is particularly restrictive) without first eliminating the foods that are primarily causing your flatulence.
Finally, it may be help to take more exercise and/or sit on an ergonomic chair when working to reduce the time you spend ‘slumped’ over your desk.
Used for thousands of years in traditional medicine and phytotherapy, certain plants are invaluable for helping to reduce flatulence.
Indeed, grandmothers’ remedies for such problems very often centred around teas and tisanes made from plants such as camomile.
Peppermint is well-known for promoting good digestive tract function and for helping to eliminate digestive discomfort (7). Fenugreek, too, has a similar positive effect on digestion (8).
To benefit from an excellent intake of peppermint and fenugreek (among other useful compounds), a good option is the excellent supplement Digestive Enzymes.
Activated charcoal is a natural remedy recognised by European health authorities and doctors for helping to reduce excessive flatulence after meals (9).
Its use dates back to antiquity when it was recommended by Hippocrates as a way of purifying water. An entirely natural substance, activated charcoal comes from a carbonaceous material such as coconut shells and certain types of wood, which is then activated to increase its porosity and surface area, and consequently, its effect on the gut. When it reaches the intestine, activated charcoal captures molecules of gas or fluid around it: it is thus termed ‘adsorbent’. Activated charcoal can retain up to 100 times its volume in intestinal gas!
A note of caution: as charcoal remains in the body and has an indiscriminate action, it can also ‘adsorb’ certain drugs. It’s therefore important to consult your doctor before taking an activate charcoal supplement if you are on any medication.
So now you have all the information you need to get rid of your intestinal gas naturally.
References
Keywords
15 Hours
The address correction app put in the incorrect address and I missed it when I hit the accept option. I noticed it when the order was already in route and called customer service to request that they change it to the correct address as the shipper and they were right on top of it. They called me back right away and changed the address. They sent a new email with the tracking information and called me to let me know it was all taken care of. Really happy with the product and customer service.
B Ball
1 Days
Fast service good products.
PERCY
7 Days
GREAT HONEST COMPANY!! FAST SERVICE!
HENDERSON B.
9 Days
EVERYTHING!! NO ISSUES!
DOMINIC
10 Days
The service has been good. However, the telephone and email responses were better before. Most of the products are great. Returns are processed promptly, and I do believe this is an honest and caring company. I plan to continue to buy your products.
DANIEL FORD
13 Days
My order arrived when promised in the condition described
Lisa
22 Days
10/13/24 Y ou were a bit slow to respond, but still helpful.
David Rolston
27 Days
I received wehat I ordered in a tiomely fashion. Great job to the whole staff 👏
Monica P
27 Days
Pomises products that work.Fast shipping. Will recommend to family and friends.
NEW Virginia
28 Days
Excellent product. Timely delivery. Only had one issue over the last few years. Great. Thanks
LEGG Jennifer
32 Days
I trust this company and product as I tolerate the bacillus coagulans very well and feel better overall when I am taking it . Thank you for offerring this product as a company . And thank you for an easy ordering process.
Barbara J
32 Days
Always fast & quick service/delivery. Top products
Brett
34 Days
The peanut sugar free one was very rancid tasting… the nuts were old. Everything else was amazing
MOORE Jennifer
37 Days
I purchase hyaluronic acid from Super Smart because it's the highest Dalton rating I could find. Shipping could be a day or two faster.
Kathy
41 Days
Fast shipping; availability of products.
Paul