A Wind of Another Kind!

Getting to the Bottom of those ill Winds!

Now that ex-hurricane Ophelia has been and gone, it would seem that we, in Dingle, dodged the worst of it.  For some people, however, the matter of  internal wind can be an endless torment and a great source of discomfort and embarrassment.  Flatulence is very common and normal with every human being experiencing it, even the ladies, up to 25 times a day!  It is the body's way of expelling gas (via the rectum) produced during the digestive process - of eating and breaking down food for the assimilation of nutrients. Beneficial bacteria residing in the small intestine are responsible for most of the gas passing as flatulence.  These bacteria are involved in completing the digestion of certain foods such as complex carbohydrates, sugars and starches.  This gas is made up of carbon dioxide, methane and hydrogen and is predominately odourless.  Foul-smelling gas is caused by gases containing sulphur which is found in protein foods such as meat and eggs, as well as some cruciferous vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage).  For most, flatulence does not cause problems but if it is becoming a nuisance there are some measures you can take to improve digestion and reduce your own personal emissions!
 

1. Eat slowly with your mouth closed, chew your food well and avoid large volumes of liquids during meals.  Swallowing air while eating is responsible for most gas coming back up and out as burps, but some air can take the low road too!  Give your digestive system a helping hand by chewing  food until it is liquid - particularly protein foods to reduce bloating and extra gas being produced by over-worked bacteria dealing with poorly masticated foods.  Too much liquids taken at mealtimes may dilute stomach acid and digestive enzymes resulting in more gas and incomplete breakdown of foods leaving the stomach.
2. Air can also find its way to the intestines in food and beverages.  Bubble trouble is found in fizzy drinks, beers, sodas, milk shakes even sponge cakes and soufflés!
3. Beans and lentils are a great source of nutrition but have garnered a bad name when it comes to gas!  Instead of ditching your good intentions to eat more of these foods- improve their digestibility by soaking them for at least 12 hours and boiling them slowly for about 2 hours.  A strip of Kombu (kelp seaweed) will also make beans easier to digest and reduce the windy factor associated with eating beans!  Remember, the benefits will outweigh the negatives on this one! 
4. Foods sweetened with high fructose corn syrup (found in almost all processed foods) can also contribute to bloating and flatulence because the small intestine cannot absorb large amounts of fructose. Sorbitol, maltitol and xylitol can also have similar effects.  The same applies to fruit juices which contain imbalanced fructose and sorbitol levels without the fibre of the original fruit.
5. Digestive aids such as bitter herbs (herbal apertifs) and digestive enzymes can aid digestion by improving the breakdown of certain foods.  Our ability to produce the necessary enzymes required for digestion can be impaired by stress, age, medications and illness.  Taking an enzyme supplement can help boost and replace diminishing enzyme levels - another possibility in bloating and flatulence.
6. Call in the army with the assistance of broad spectrum probiotics.  An imbalance of gut bacteria is almost always involved with excessive flatulence.  Our healthy bacteria are often either underfed through a poor diet lacking in essential fibres or outnumbered by an overgrowth of the bad guys.  Antibiotics or bouts of gastroenteritis can leave us particularly vulnerable by wiping out healthy bacteria leaving some foods only partially digested, rotting and stinking in our guts!
7. Activated charcoal has been used for centuries for the treatment of poisoning as it absorbs toxins and toxic gas in the intestines.  Nowadays it is used as a supplement to help reduce gas and bloating.  This is fine as a short-term remedy but discovering the underlying cause is always a better option.  Interestingly, there are charcoal underwear and cushions available that are said to absorb the fart as it exits - not too sure about these either, but worth a mention for imagery alone!

 
All in all, excessive flatulence is more symptomatic of a poorly functioning digestive system.  The cause can be wide-ranging but will most likely come down to diet and gut flora.  Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), constipation, lactose intolerance, food intolerances, coeliac disease, gastroenteritis and malabsorption issues often are accompanied by excessive flatulence and may warrant consideration.  But for most of us, rather than throw caution to the wind, pay a little more attention to it!

Written by Irene Ní Fhlannúra, Nutritional Therapist