(CNN) — Just like everyone poops, everyone gets gas. But the reasons why you have gas can vary, and sometimes they can be a cause for concern.
“As a pediatric gastroenterologist, I get asked about this all the time,” says Dr. Mark Corkins, chief of the division of Pediatric Gastroenterology at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. “There are two sources of ‘gas,’ and not all gas is gas. Some of what we expel is air. We all swallow some air, and some people swallow a lot of air. That seems odorless.”
Actual gas, on the other hand, is primarily the byproduct of food fermentation in the colon, said Corkins, who is also a professor of pediatrics. “Our colon has (billions of) bacteria living in it. … If we don’t digest (food), the bacteria will.”
Regarding the amount of space that gases occupy, the actual volume is usually greater and is produced when food moves through the colon, he adds.
Passing gas “five to 15 times a day… is totally normal,” says Dr. William Chey, H. Marvin Pollard Professor of Gastroenterology at the University of Michigan. “This is because people are different in how their (gastrointestinal) tract works, the microbiome that lives within the gastrointestinal tract, and what they eat. All of those things are really key factors in determining how often how much you pass gas, how much you pass, and what your gas smells like.
Some odors are more pungent than others for these reasons, experts say, but no odors are red flags.
Gas is not as much an indicator of intestinal health as the frequency and texture of bowel movements. But dietary choices can cause more or less gas, and there are certain points where it’s worth mentioning gas to your doctor.
Flatulence factors
Gut flora is important because it helps the body make vitamins and produce some of the short-chain fatty acids that feed the lining of our colon, so a little gas (from those processes) is good, says Corkins. “Otherwise, we are not feeding our flora, which is actually a symbiotic relationship,” he added.
But what can especially cause gas, or excessive amounts of it, is eating foods that are harder to digest and therefore more likely to ferment, experts said.
“The classic one is beans, where there is a protein that tends to be difficult to digest,” explains Corkins.
Beans are a source of FODMAPs (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols). These are short-chain carbohydrates or sugars that, in some people, are poorly absorbed by the small intestine, causing digestive problems such as gas, cramps, diarrhea, constipation or stomach bloating. High-FODMAP foods include some vegetables, fruits, starches, and dairy products such as cauliflower, garlic, apples, peaches, milk, wheat, and high-fructose corn syrup.
“Many of us eat a lot of FODMAPs without knowing it, but each person has a different pattern in their ability to absorb and metabolize them,” explained Dr. Rena Yadlapati, professor of medicine in the department of Gastroenterology at the University of California, San Diego. .
“Some people, alternatively, will have problems when they eat a lot of red meat,” Chey said. “In fact, (for) almost everyone, if you eat enough red meat, you won’t be able to digest or absorb it all properly, and it will reach the colon, where it will ferment producing gases and chemicals.”
The same can happen with excess carbohydrates that are not absorbed and end up fermenting in the colon, he added.
“The other thing is to make sure your bowel habits are regular,” Chey said. “Constipated people are much more likely to suffer from bloating and flatulence. The reason is that if things move very slowly through the gastrointestinal tract, they have more time to interact with the bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract, especially the colon. And that “It’s going to produce more gases.”
How to treat uncontrollable gas
If gas causes you discomfort or interferes with your daily life, you should see a doctor, according to experts. There are other things you can try.
“We’ll question patients about each of those different factors — diet, microbiome, and gastrointestinal tract function — and try to correct some of those things that we think may be contributing to problems with flatulence,” Chey said. “If someone is eating a typical Western diet that contains a lot of processed foods and carbohydrates, sugars, reducing that and eating a healthier diet can be really helpful.”
A low-FODMAP diet “is probably one of the biggest interventions I’ve talked to patients about,” Yadlapati said.
You should also visit your doctor if you are having unintentional weight loss, blood in your stool, or changes in bowel habits — especially frequent diarrhea — in addition to excessive flatulence, Chey and Yadlapati said.
“That can be a sign of infection, inflammation or enzyme deficiencies, all of which can be identified and corrected with the help of a healthcare provider,” Chey said.
While you wait for your doctor’s appointment, keep a “gas diary” in which you write down when you have gas and what types of physical activities and foods surround it, so you can start to identify patterns, Yadlapati said.
Your doctor may also advise taking over-the-counter remedies, Chey said, such as simethicone, activated charcoal, enteric-coated peppermint oil, or probiotics.
