Weight Loss without Worry

I have often been asked about the three letter word G-A-S. For many this natural bodily function can result in embarrassment. I have even had a few clients who refused to eat vegetables because they thought they were the gas-producing culprits. Below I copied a brief article that appeared in The Million Dollar Body Newsletter, issue #46 that discusses how the foods we eat sometimes result in gas. I hope it helps build your understanding and settle some questions you have in your mind.

Gas is produced by foods that have indigestible or excess carbohydrates. Deemed, in more technical terms, “carbohydrate malabsorption.” There are some carbohydrates that the body does not digest and absorb in the small intestine because of a shortage or absence of certain enzymes. The undigested food then passes from the small intestine into the large intestine, where normal, harmless bacteria break down the food—thus producing hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and even methane (in about one-third of all people). Some simple and complex carbohydrates (or simple and complex sugars) that can cause gas include raffinose, lactose, fructose, and sorbitol. Gas-producing foods include: beans; cabbage; fruits (including pears, apples, and peaches); soft drinks; milk and milk products; and some dietetic foods and sugar-free candies and gums.

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