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What Can Be Done About Irritable Bowel Flatulence?
Flatulence is a common problem among people. But for those with a hypersensitive intestinal tract, like irritable bowel, flatulence can trigger the IBS symptoms.
Flatulence is the act of expelling intestinal gas from the anus. The gas that is produced within the gastrointestinal track is either swallowed air (usually taken in when a person drinks or eats) or gas produced by bacteria present in the intestines, primarily the colon.
Sometimes, flatulence is also linked to conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome. However, there will be other associated symptoms if this is the case, such as abdominal pain, bloating, and abnormal bowel habits such as diarrhea or constipation.
Flatulence is a normal part of life and a result of good digestion. An average person can expel gas about 16-20 times every day and the amount of expelled gas may range from as little as one cup to as much as one half gallon per day.
The main components of the expelled gas include odorless vapors such as carbon dioxide, oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, and sometimes methane. However, the unpleasant odor is due to the hydrogen sulfide that is released by bacteria in the large intestine.
Flatulence occurs when the digestion of food is not completed in the stomach and small intestine. This undigested food, primarily sugars and polysaccharides, comes to large intestine and is digested by the bacteria present in the large intestine.
Different gases are produced in the process. The amount of the gas produced varies from individual to individual. Some people with more gas-producing bacteria in their colon experience more flatulence. Some people have more of the particular bacteria that produce more gas. Other people suffer from incomplete digestion of food in the small intestines, which can lead to an increased amount of undigested foods reaching the colon.
Some conditions, which interfere with digestion, like lactose intolerance and celiac disease can lead to excessive gas. With these conditions bacteria have more undigested food in the colon thus resulting in more gas. In some people, gas producing bacteria can spread from large intestine into the small intestine. Due to availability of undigested food in the small intestine, bacteria produce more gas.
There are foods, which cause more flatulence than others do because they contain more indigestible carbohydrates. These foods pass through the small intestine and arrive in the large intestine without being fully digested. This results in more flatulence.
Foods such as fruits, vegetables, oatmeal and legumes are often the worst offenders. These foods have high quantity of soluble fibers. Generally, fibers have many health benefits. They keep your digestive tract in good working order, regulate blood sugar and cholesterol levels, and help preventing heart problems. However, soluble fiber dissolves in water forming a gelatinous substance in the bowels, which can result in the formation of gas.
Bacteria in the colon thrive on the indigestible fiber. People who have a flatulence problem should avoid or carefully test soluble fibers to see if they are contributing to intestinal gas. Sometimes people who have constipation as the main symptom in irritable bowel syndrome experience more flatulence and pass more gas compared to other persons.
While evaluating the problem of irritable bowel flatulence or excessive flatulence in a patient, the physician may ask the patient to count the number of times he/she passes gas in a day. This count helps the physician in confirming the presence of excessive flatulence. However, determining the amount of passed gas is not always easy, but an estimate can be made when the results are checked and compared to the diet eaten.
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July 12th, 2007 at 3:45 pm
This is totally contradictory to what Heather Van Vorous suggests in her Eating for IBS book and website. Interesting.
She stresses Soluble fiber in the diet.
It’s both interesting and confusing to read an opposing suggestion to help prevent gas.
Maybe this is why the Eating For IBS diet gives me so much more gas!
July 12th, 2007 at 6:53 pm
Does this mean soluble fiber supplements, which are recommended by most physicians, really isn’t a good idea for IBS since soluble fiber increases gas?
July 13th, 2007 at 8:44 pm
Yes, it is a bit of a contradiction. Soluble fiber IS good for IBS because it forms a soft gel-like substance that moves easily through the intestines reducing episodes of both diarrhea and constipation. The downside is this substance can cause an increase in flatulance.
Here\’s a quote from the The National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC) website - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/gas/index.htm about soluble fiber and gas.
\”Many foods contain soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber dissolves easily in water and takes on a soft, gel-like texture in the intestines. Found in oat bran, beans, peas, and most fruits, soluble fiber is not broken down until it reaches the large intestine, where digestion causes gas.\”