It’s normal to get gas, or to put it the other way, air, in your digestive tract. Truth be told, most people produce one to four pints of gas on a daily basis. Even though it’s perfectly normal, gas still makes you feel bloated and uncomfortable, and can make you burp or pass gas from your other end. You do not even need to get IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) to experience this. And contrary to what most people say, beans are not the main culprits of an airy digestive tract. Here are the top five reasons why you are just so damn gassy.
1. Gas is gotten by swallowing air.
Each and every time you swallow, a tiny amount of air enters your stomach. This is usually transferred to your small intestine, where most of it is absorbed. The remainder is passed to your large intestine where it leaves your body through your rectum as flatulence. Some people are more prone to swallowing air than others, such as those people who wear dentures, smoke, eat too fast, or who are under a lot of stress.
2. Eating certain kinds of vegetables also affects how gassy you are.
Be constantly vigilant in your diet and eating habits, unless you are fond of emitting odorous clouds of air at inopportune occasions, usually resulting in awkward silences. Some common foods in your meals are not broken down completely in your small intestine. They are carbohydrates that are not absorbed well there. When they reach your colon, the bacteria contained in the large intestine digests it. This results in gas. The foods that cause this include: cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, dried beans, cabbage, and broccoli.
3. Gas is also produced when you drink water during your meal.
When you guzzle water too quickly while you are eating, you take in air as well, which can negatively affect your digestive health. If you don’t release this extra and unwanted air by burping, it will be transported to your intestines. This will make you feel bloated and gassy, which is never a good thing. To prevent this from occurring, only sip at water while dining, don’t drink it in large gulps, so you don’t swallow the extra air.
4. You also become gassy by exercising.
When you exercise, you sweat, and when you sweat, your body looses sodium, among other things. This can also make you feel gassy and bloated, which is quite uncomfortable. To prevent this, make sure to be well hydrated when working out, but don’t drink too much because this causes gas pains and bloating. Also, when you exercise, you might breathe harder, which will cause you to swallow more air, which in turn, makes you gassier. To thwart airs nefarious plan to make you produce gas at unwanted times, breathe slowly and evenly.
5. Drinking cough syrup and chewing gum also makes you produce more gas.
They both contain artificial sweeteners like sorbitol or xylitol. Your intestines have a hard time breaking down these sugars which causes bacteria to grow, which is why you pass gas and get stomach aches. On top of this, when you chew gum, you swallow air, which produces gas as well.
