Certain popular foods act like real time bombs once in our intestines and cause significant flatulence.
Who has never felt bloated at the end of a meal to the point of having gas, sometimes noisy and smelly? The subject can make you laugh or embarrass you, yet digestion and flatulence are a real health issue. In France, nearly 50% of the population is affected by digestion problems, a figure that has stagnated for several years.
Intestinal gas is part of the job of digestion and occurs when bacteria in the gut use fermentation to break down food. First surprise: they are generally odorless. In reality, the bad smell that accompanies flatulence is due to the presence of sulfur in the diet. If consumed in excess, it can cause bloating as well as significant stomach aches and sometimes complications such as intolerances, infections and even in certain cases illnesses.
According to nutritionist Aline Becker, there are four foods that cause flatulence in significant quantities. In its list, the best known are obviously lactose-based products. Products like milk and yogurt are made from lactose, a complex sugar that in the body must be broken down by an enzyme called “lactase.” However, “some people are born without the ability to produce lactase,” explains the specialist in an interview with Sport life. The lactose present in the intestine is therefore poorly digested, which leads to excess gas in the body which must, sooner or later, be evacuated.
Another cause of flatulence: gluten-based foods. Protein, present in many foods, transforms into a paste which sticks to the walls of the intestine and blocks the absorption of nutrients, thereby complicating all digestion. Lactose and gluten are the two main types of food intolerances that medicine has detected in recent years.
Two other foods that cause flatulence are perhaps more surprising, according to Aline Becker. Red meat, for example, is one of the foodstuffs that cause the most gas in humans. For several years, red meat has been increasingly contraindicated in the implementation of a healthy diet due to the harm it has for the body. But above all, it is heavy for the body and, like any product rich in protein, it slows down digestion.
Finally, lesser known, chewing gum is particularly conducive to the creation of gas. Firstly because like any sweet product, it acts as a brake on digestion. Then because it contains sweeteners like sorbitol that the body has difficulty digesting. In addition, the chewing produced when chewing gum certainly has the effect of suppressing hunger, but it also causes a large quantity of air to be swallowed.
To relieve yourself, without risking asphyxiation to those around you, it may therefore be recommended to pay attention to your consumption of gluten, lactose, sugar, and fatty products very rich in protein. Certain vegetables rich in fiber can also create a lot of intestinal gas. There is no quick fix since it is part of the digestion process. But to prevent the onset of flatulence, it is better to eat sensibly.