Feeling bloated after that last meal you ate? It might be gas. Everyone experiences gas throughout their lives. While most often not serious, it can be annoying and oftentimes downright embarrassing. Thankfully, this condition is easy to treat at home.
Treating gas is all about treating the root cause of the problem. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most common remedies…
12. Changing Your Diet
Your diet is one of the most likely causes when it comes to excessive gas. Depending on what you are eating, you can be inadvertently setting yourself up for an unpleasant experience.
Certain foods contain hard-to-digest compounds that can create gas problems. We all probably know the old adage about beans, but did you know that beans are common gas culprits because they are high-fiber foods? Other foods include fruits that contain sorbitol (glucitol) like apples and blackberries, carbonated beverages, and dairy products.
You can avoid these foods to mitigate gas problems. However, the issue might not be what you eat (and it’s never wise to stray from otherwise healthy foods unless your doctor specifically says so), but how much you eat…
11. Eat Smaller Portions
Your gas problem might have more to do with the quantities of those common gas-causing foods than the foods themselves. Rather than getting rid of certain foods entirely, you can experiment with smaller portion sizes and different preparations to lower the amount of gas you are experiencing.
Another dietary change you can make to fend off gas troubles? It has something to do with what you drink…
10. Drink Before Meals
The next time you’re getting ready for a meal, drink some water before you chow down. Many of us eat and rehydrate at the same time, but this process can cause problems for people prone to excessive gas.
When we drink and eat at the same time, we run the risk of swallowing too much air. This event can cause trouble for people with gas issues. By drinking beforehand, you reduce the likelihood of consuming as much air in one sitting.
If these dietary changes don’t do the trick, it might be time to try an over-the-counter remedy…
9. Alpha-galactosidase
Alpha-galactosidase might sound a little intimidating, but it is just the technical name for a variety of over-the-counter gas medicines. Each of these remedies works to combat a specific cause of gas.
Alpha-galactosidase helps the body to break down carbohydrates. These carbs can be found in bread and vegetables like beans. Taking alpha-galactosidase before a meal thereby helps the body to digest these compounds and consequently reduces gas.
Sometimes when you need to relieve gas symptoms, it’s best to try and combat the gas itself…
7. Lactase Supplements
Lactase helps people break down the sugar lactose. People with lactose intolerance have trouble breaking down this dairy sugar on their own. When they eat dairy products, they can experience a variety of digestive problems, including gas. Lactase helps to reduce these symptoms.
If you are looking for other natural treatments, there are options for you…
6. Activated Charcoal
Activate charcoal is a fine carbon powder, usually made from charcoal, that has a greater surface area for absorbing chemical compounds. Proponents of activated charcoal cite its abilities to remove toxins from the body, but researchers are still working to verify these claims.
Taken either before or after a meal, activated charcoal may help the digestive system calm down. This calming reduces the production of gas. It’s worth pointing out that activated charcoal can interfere with the absorption of other medications, though, so it is advised to discuss this supplement with your doctor first if you take other medications.
If taking medicine isn’t right for you, there are lifestyle changes you can make to reduce your gas troubles…
5. Herbal Remedies
There are several different herbs that can help with digestion. The most commonly known one is ginger, which speeds up the digestive process. This speed-up thereby reduces the chances of gas building up. Peppermint oil and chamomile tea are two other herbal sources of gas relief. (Note that chamomile should be avoided during pregnancy, as some species of chamomile may induce miscarriage.)
This next treatment option involves something you should avoid…
4. Quit Smoking
The tobacco plant is a species of herb in the genus Nicotiana. Most people encounter this plant today through smoking cigarettes. It’s no secret that smoking is bad for our all-around health. One of the under-discussed problems that comes from smoking, though, is excessive gas.
Smoking lowers our overall health, which in turn hinders our body’s digestive powers. This event can make gas more likely. Smokers also have a much higher chance of inhaling air into their stomachs, which leads to discomfort and gas. Quitting smoking is not only one of the best things you can do for your health, it might also help you reduce your gas.
Another lifestyle change you can make is changing how fast you eat…
3. Eat Slowly
When we eat too quickly, we run the risk of getting air into our stomachs as well as giving our digestive system a hard time. Slowing down our food intake helps give the digestive system more time to break down the meal. This fact means a better digested meal and a lower chance of gas forming.
Unlike eating slowly, though, sometimes we need to pick up the pace to combat gas…
2. Exercise
When we start to exercise regularly, our bodies begin to digest better. One of the biggest ways this helps is by reducing constipation. This event frees up the digestive system to function smoothly. In other words, when food is able to pass through your digestive system at a healthy rate, it has less time to form uncomfortable gas along the way.
Another thing you can do combines lifestyle changes, diet, and supplements…
1. Probiotics
Our bodies are home to countless bacteria and many of those microbes are actually good for us. However, certain conditions like illness, poor diet, and certain medications can throw these good bacteria out of balance.
Probiotics restore the balance of good bacteria in our digestive system. These are foods or supplements that are naturally cultured with helpful bacteria. When some people first start taking probiotics, they may experience increased gas for a few weeks, but this event usually subsides and leads to lower overall gas.
