Most people don't want to talk about gas, either intestinal gas or gas that can produce belching. As a colonic therapist, gas is something I talk about at great length. Not talking about it won't make it go away, and knowing more about it may help a person to make simple changes that could improve health, as well as diminish some of the embarrassing sounds most of us emit from time to time.
The major gases of the intestinal tract are actually odorless: hydrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide and methane. Gas is a natural by-product of digestion; gas is released as chemical bonds that hold food molecules together are broken. Excessive gas, foul smelling gas and explosive gas are signs that the digestive system is over worked, and often congested with mucous and encrusted fecal matter. Treating your digestive system kindly with natural unprocessed foods will improve health and promote longevity.
The following is a list of some of the most common causes of gas:
Constipation
Eating too fast or too slowly
Poor (inadequate) chewing: each bite should be liquified and mixed well with saliva before swallowing. This reduces much stress on the the system beyond the esophagus.
Over eating
Eating meals too close together or off schedule
Drinking liquids with meals. Liquids dilute stomach acid and digestive enzymes, slowing down digestion. Cold liquids consumed with saturated fats, found mostly in animal-based foods, causes the fat to become thicker, slowing digestion. Sips of a warm beverage would not cause these fats to harden.
Tension, most often from negative or painful emotions, noise or other distractions at meals. Watching violence on TV or having arguments during a meal may impair normal digestion.
Eating under-cooked grains or legumes
Poor food combining
Lactose intolerance
Eating foods that a person is sensitive to. You can be sensitive to many foods without actually having a true allergy. A 3 week elimination diet can help you to learn what foods your body is reacting to.
Reclining after meals.
Insufficient pancreatic enzymes.
Candida and other parasitic microorganisms
Imbalance of intestinal bacteria. There are >500 types of bacteria and other microbes in the human gut. They must be approximately 85% friendly for normal GI and immune system function.
Many medications taken for symptom control contribute to gas
