Which common foods are beneficial for reducing flatulence and bloating?

The wrong diet is the chief reason why most people suffer from excessive flatulence and stomach bloating. Consequently, it is imperative that we appreciate which foods we should avoid completely and which foods we should try our best to incorporate in our diet. Also, we must be aware of the different effects, different cooking methods have on our flatulence problem.

Below are some of the main foods which are not gas producing and which can reduce flatulence and bloating.

Fruit

As far as flatulence is concerned fruit can be divided into 2 categories:- those which are high in soluble fiber and those which are high in non-soluble fiber.Those which are high in soluble fiber are preferable because they are easier to digest and do not generate much gas.

Fruits from the citrus family such as oranges and lemons are best avoided as they are high in non-soluble fiber and are therefore flatulent. It is also worth noting that fruits such as prunes, bananas and apricots can be highly flatulent unless you are used to eating them. Because they are so high in fiber, if you are not accustomed to eating them or do not drink adequate amounts of water along with them, you run the risk of adding to your gas problems.This does not mean that you should avoid them entirely as they are a good source of many beneficial vitamins and minerals.

It is the rapid increase in eating these fruits that is the problem. If you permit your body to adapt by introducing them slowly to your diet then the problem can be avoided.

A very interesting group of fruits is kiwis, papayas, and pineapples. This group is particularly rich in enzymes which aid better digestion. Pineapples, for example, are rich in bromelin which breaks down protein and which eradicates parasites and micro-organisms which are harmful to our guts. The removal of these parasites and micro-organisms helps purify the digestive system. It also helps the removal of bacteria which cause putrefaction in the intestines. This has the result of prevention and/or the reduction of pain and diarrhea.

Papayas are rich in something called papain. Papain performs similar functions to trypsin which occurs in pancreatic juices and pepsin which occurs in the gastric juices. Like these enzymes, papain helps the break down of proteins.

Another significant group is known as proteolytics and this includes pineapples (bromeline),kiwis(actidin) and figs(ficin) Once again these enzymes help the processing of poteins and improved digestion which leads to the reduction of gastritis and excess gas.

Yogurt

As mentioned earlier, putrefaction is one of the main causes of flatulence and bloating. Eating yogurt helps increase good bacteria in the intestines which neutralizes bacteria which are responsible for putrefaction. Regular consumption of yogurt will reduce your flatulence. If you are unable or unwilling to eat yogurt, you can take acidophilus in the form of a tablet. This will also ease flatulence and cut down on the smell.

Herbal teas.

Herbs in the form of teas can be very beneficial because they help reduce excess gas, sooth intestinal inflammation and stop the production of excess flatulence. Gas produced by fruits and vegetables can be reduced by the introduction to the diet of teas made from fennel, sage, rosemary, peppermint and coriander It is also of great benefit when eating flatulent foods to include these herbs in your meal in their leaf form. Taking a herbal tea after each meal is thought to be of huge benefit to those suffering from excessive flatulence and bloating.

In this piece, I have included only a small cross section of those foods which are of benefit to flatulence and bloating sufferers.