In my practice as a gut health dietitian I love talking about digestion including passing gas! On Instagram @AndreaHardyRD, I talk all about gas and what causes it!
Everybody passes gas (lol though I’m sure sometimes you wish they wouldn’t).
The average person passes flatulence about 13-21 times per day- but can vary greatly based not only on what you’re eating, but other things too! This process is TOTALLY NORMAL and is a healthy part of digestion.
🤔 But what causes gas?
There are 3 contributors to gas:
– Swallowed air. This can happen with eating/drinking (such as carbonated water, straws, eating too fast) or without eating/drinking (such as an ill-fitting CPAP machine!)
– CO2 produced in the stomach from stomach acid and certain foods.
– Gases produced in the colon from bacterial fermentation. Remember our talk about FODMAPs? These fermentable compounds travel to the colon where they are broken down by microbes, and gases are produced.
While often times (especially with IBS!) we focus on the gases from fermentation, we OFTEN forget about swallowed air!
So here are some top tips to reduce air swallowing (and air swallowing doesn’t just cause burping, it can travel through your gut and cause flatulence too!)
Although gas is normal, for some people gas may cause discomfort or pain. If this sounds like you, check out the tips above to reduce gas by reducing the amount of air you swallow!
If you are still experiencing pain from excess gas, work with a dietitian on individualized strategies to reduce it – our team @ignite.nutrition.inc is awesome at this!
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