Photo by Warren Wong on Unsplash
Does your gas problem ever make you feel like you just did this? Embarrassing.
Well I’m here to let you in on a little known secret….humans cannot make gas. It isn’t you, its the bugs in your gut! So next time you pass gas, you can actually say, “it wasn’t me!” and mean it.
Yeah, I get it, doesn’t really help but the rest of this will.
There are two types of gas — either habitual/chronic gas or severe/acute gas. Gas can be nothing more than a sign that you have swallowed some air but it can also be a signal that you are not properly digesting your food. Chronic gas is typically made up of methane. Methane has the unfortunate effect of depleting specific short-chain fatty acids that line a healthy colon. The chronic exposure to methane can increase the likelihood of disease in the colon such as polyps or even cancer.
SYMPTOMS OF GAS
• uncomfortable fullness after eating normal amounts of food
• distention in the abdomen
• abdominal pain
• excessive release of gas (i.e. farting)
• heartburn
FOOD TREATMENT FOR GAS
• slowly increase fiber
• consider removing all dairy
• soak beans and grains before cooking and/or cook with kombu seaweed
• avoid sugar alcohols (sorbitol and xylitol)
• consider a low FODMAP diet
• do a three-week elimination diet to detect food triggers
• introduce digestive herbs such as ginger, fennel, anise and cardamom
SUPPLEMENTAL TREATMENT TO CONSIDER FOR GAS
• probiotics (start low and increase slowly) – Like UltraFlora Synergy by Metagenics.
• digestive enzymes – SpectraZyme by Metagenics or Digestzymes by Designs For Health
• enteric coated peppermint oil
• activated charcoal
• fennel ½-1 tsp; 3x per day
• fermented apple cider vinegar with meals
If your symptoms don’t improve and you want to get to the root cause of your digestive symptoms you can do functional lab testing – here are some examples of functional labs, feel free to contact me for further information @ [email protected]
FUNCTIONAL TESTING FOR GAS
• IgG food sensitivity testing
• Comprehensive Stool Test for Candida and parasites
• Organic Acids Test for yeast, metabolic and overgrowth concerns
• Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) hydrogen breath test
