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Flatulence, or digestive gas, is formed primarily by unwanted fermentation of foods we eat. This results from incomplete digestion due to an imbalance of digestive flora and enzymes, poor food choices, too much fibre and/or improper food combining. It can be an awkward problem but understanding a few basics about your diet could help you identify the source of the problem and take remedial measures.

A diet high in processed carbohydrates can provide the fodder for the candida yeast in the intestines to overgrow, producing gas as a by-product. This is especially true when "friendly" bacteria are in short supply.

The absence of the good bacteria can lead to several food allergies, especially lactose intolerance. A symptom of such allergies is excessive gas. Use supplements of digestive bacteria–like acidophilus–to help control yeast overgrowth. Replace all uncultured milk products with buttermilk, yogurt and kefir (containing live bacteria) and cottage cheese and ricotta. All contain little lactose. The lactic acid kills several types of harmful bacteria. Curd aids in the secretion of digestive enzymes pepsin and rennin.

Limit processed foods such as breads, pasta, alcohol and sugar products–particularly those made with non-fat milk solids. High-sugar dried fruits like raisins, dates, prunes and figs may also feed yeast in the gut and cause flatulence. Soak dried fruit overnight in a bowl of water before consumption.

Garlic contains elements that destroy harmful yeast and bacteria in the intestines without affecting the beneficial organisms. It eliminates the smell that results from the internal putrefaction of indigestion. Include at least two cloves of garlic in the daily diet. Grapefruit seed is another excellent remedy.

Cabbage, brussels sprouts, onions, cauliflower, radishes, peppers, apples, bananas and whole wheat products have high cellulose content which increases the undigested fibre that can ferment in the tract. This also goes for unsprouted beans. Take lemon juice with your vegetables. Lemon acts directly on the cellulose, helping to break it down to more manageable levels.

Gas is formed by substances called oligosaccharides present in beans, seeds and nuts. Sprouting reduces these by as much as 90 per cent, making sprouts among the most digestible of foods and the best way to consume legumes and many seeds. Nutrient levels soar, too. Overnight soaking improves the digestibility of many nuts (best eaten raw and enzyme-rich) by eliminating enzyme inhibitors.

Improper food combinations can cause food to stay longer in your tract and cause it to ferment. Keep meals simple. Proteins don’t combine well with starches, sugars or fruits. Non-starchy vegetables, such as broccoli, celery, cucumbers, zucchini, beans and spinach, combine well with protein. Fats and starches inhibit protein digestion. This is because the digestive juices needed to break down fats and starches in the body are alkaline whereas protein needs hydrochloric acid for digestion. Eating two conflicting food types delays digestion and causes food to ferment. For the same reason, citrus fruits, although they leave alkaline end-products, should not be mixed with starches, since initially the citric acid in these fruits neutralizes the alkaline digestive juices.

Water dilutes digestive enzymes and should not be taken with meals. And fruit should never be taken soon before or after a meal because it ferments if held up by other foods.

Carminatives are the herbs that are rich in volatile oils that stimulate the digestive system to work properly, soothe the gut wall, reduce inflammation and help remove gas from the tract. Anise, cardamom, clove, fennel, the mint family, parsley, rosemary, sage and savory are popular carminatives.

Add fresh mint leaves to your meals or combine the juice of mint leaves with a teaspoon of lime juice and a bit of honey in water thrice a day. Taken after meals, a tea made of a third of a teaspoon of valerian root, camomile and fennel seed combined is an effective carminative remedy.

Exercise improves colonic flexibility and tends to stimulate peristalsis. After meals, kneel face down with thighs pressed against the abdomen. Walk briskly 15 minutes after a meal. Don’t run or perform vigorous exercise. The stomach requires all the blood supply it can get immediately after a meal.

Shanti B. Rangwani is a general practitioner in India who writes on integrative medicine.

Source: alive #224, June 2001