Flatulence. Helps, help!!

[JurgaSala]

Has anyone know some natural ways to reduce flatulence? What shall I eat?? thanks!

There are some foods that can make flatulence worse.... beans & pulses in general, cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower), raw rather than cooked vegetables, extremely high fibre foods such as All Bran, very spicy foods. Excessive amounts of meat & fat can also cause gas because meat & fat take a long time to break down in the gut. Excessive amounts of fruit can do the same thing because it tends to be quite acidic. 'White' starches such as white bread, cakes, pizza, white pasta and white rice turn to a very indigestible, clogging 'glue' in the gut. So if your diet contains too many of the above, see if you can make some swaps.

To reduce flatulence beyond that try some or all of the following

1. Drink plenty of plain water and herbal teas rather than fizzy drinks. Peppermint tea is a good digestif
2. Eat light, plain, easily digested foods such as broths, simple soups, steamed/grilled foods, cooked vegetables, poached fish
3. Eat slowly, sat at a table, chewing food well between bites.... Slowing down the eating process and avoiding eating on the hoof helps with gas
4. Find time to unwind and slow down generally. Stress can cause excessive acid in the stomach and this can make gas problems worse.
5. Use over-the-counter preparations like Deflatine and/or Gaviscon moderately

If the problem doesn't seem to be getting any better then see your doctor.

I, too, suffer with insufferable flatulence but after seeing the list of "don't eat" comapared to the list of "do eat", I think I'll just put up with it

'Insufferable' obviously isn't as bad as you're making out then.....

Do you notice a link with any particular foods or with alcohol?

A good probiotics works wonders (as has been proven with both ds and dh).
The one they use is Dtecta Optibac (says "for daily wellbeing" on the pack) and I cannot recommend it highly enough!

What about charcoal tablets?

Chil1234 has some really good advice but might I add that different things work for different people...

Beans, lentils etc don't actually make me fart more but they do with alot of people (like my Dad, lol)
Onions and garlic, however seem to affect me.
Fibre is a funny one - you need enough to move everything along so it doesn't stick around, ferment, and give you gas, but not so much that it irritates the gut, which also gives gas.

If you don't much fibre, increase it very slowly and that will help move everything through, hopefully reducing gas. If you do eat loads of fibre, then maybe try reducing it for a bit and see how you are then, unless it causes you to get constipated of course.

I find anything with ginger or mint in it helps, so perhaps sip ginger or mint tea or nibble crystalised ginger after a meal.

Do you find that it's worse if you eat alot of milk products? Because lactose intolerance is really common and gives bad wind. Maybe cut out dairy for a week or two and see if it helps?

If you also get lots of bloating, pain, loose stools, then it's worth giving a sample to your Dr to rule out infections, malabsorption, or inflammation.
Good luck!

There's a good list on wikipedia if you search on flatus.

I have a medical condition which make me very prone to impressive trumpeting. If I'm going to go somewhere that really matters I eat very cautiously for a day or so and it does work.

I've discovered I'm probably lactose intolerant and things are a lot better. It's definitely worth trying. It doesn't necessarily mean no lactose for ever as it's intolerance, not an allergy.

Thanks guys! very helpful indeed! I have tried mint tea (by the way, I am sipping it write now ) and giger and I am mutch better!
The worst part is that usually i stick strictly to the plain light food only when I am already in trouble - it's just so difficult to eat it all the time..