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Foods that cause flatulence
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025

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Flatulence is a phenomenon in which gases accumulate in the gastrointestinal tract after digestion of food. Flatulence is a fairly common phenomenon. It is not considered a disease, since it occurs only as a consequence of digestion and hence - increased gas formation in the stomach.
But if there is a violation of the ratio in the process of gas formation, absorption and digestion of nutrients in the intestinal tract, we can talk about a pathological phenomenon. In this case, it is necessary to identify which foods cause increased gas formation, exclude them and create a diet that will minimize gas formation.
What causes flatulence?
In fact, when you eat all foods, the process of gas formation occurs in the body. Only after eating some you will not notice the process of gas formation, while others will lead to severe symptoms of flatulence.
- Legumes. The human stomach does not have enough strength to digest beans. And the intestinal bacteria "cook" it, hence the gases. But not all legumes have such a strong gas-forming effect. Lentils have a more gentle effect on the human body.
- Cabbage. White cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli have a gas effect both cooked and raw. Boiled cabbage, which is then stewed, is easily absorbed by the body.
- Some dairy products, such as milk, cream, kefir, fermented baked milk and cheeses. Yogurt, sour milk and ice cream can form gases – but to a lesser extent. In order to check how dairy products affect your gastrointestinal tract, take fermented milk products in their pure form.
- Fruits, vegetables, greens with a high level of complex carbohydrates and fiber. To reduce the effect of flatulence, vegetables should be processed - carcass, blanching, boiling reduces the amount of fiber. Try dressing salads with simple dressings - oil or sour milk.
- Cereals, flour products and whole grains – this includes freshly baked bread and cereals. If you like porridge, try boiling the cereal longer or replacing it with pudding or soufflé.
What foods cause flatulence?
- Salt and all products that contain a high percentage of salt - spices, seasonings. Since salt has the property of retaining fluid in the body, a feeling of fatigue and drowsiness appears.
- Carbohydrates. Muscles have the ability to retain and store glycogen, the ratio of which is one gram of glycogen to three grams of water. But it is impossible to artificially increase the glycogen reserve. Carbohydrate-containing products will send glycogen not to the muscles, but to the intestines. Accordingly, symptoms of flatulence will arise.
- Raw vegetables and fruits. Among the raw vegetables at risk are asparagus, young corn, onions, artichokes, cabbage (any), potatoes. Fruits that contain sugar are grapes, apples, peaches, cherries, figs, prunes, pears and citrus fruits. If you do not want to lose the daily portion of vitamins that you can get from eating vegetables and fruits, try processing them. Fruits can be twisted into juice, and vegetables can be boiled or stewed. This way, they will take up less space in the stomach, but will bring much more benefit.
- Forget about chewing gum. Long chewing process causes air to be swallowed. It is the intake of excess air that provokes increased gas formation processes.
- Sugar alcohol. Products that contain xylitol and maltitol are cookies, some candies, soft drinks, energy drinks. Sugar alcohol gives a sweet taste, but a large dose will not be digested by the stomach, and bloating will occur.
- Fried food. Fried and fatty foods are digested slowly, hence the feeling of heaviness in the stomach.
- Hot spices. Cause irritation in the tract and bloating. Minimize the consumption of such products as nutmeg, black and red pepper, cloves, chili, garlic and onions, horseradish, ketchup, vinegar.
- Carbonated drinks. The abundance of gas balls subsequently settles in the stomach.
- Acidic drinks. Coffee, black tea, cocoa and hot chocolate, alcohol and fruit juices. High levels of acid can irritate the gastrointestinal tract.
One of the causes of flatulence may be dysbiosis of the large intestine. When you eat a large amount of food, but there are no special microorganisms in the intestine that absorb gases, excess gas leaves the body.
Another cause of flatulence is the deterioration of the motor function of the gastrointestinal tract, which occurred as a result of surgical intervention. Stagnation of fecal masses occurs, which provokes rotting and souring.
Apples and Flatulence
Fresh apples, regardless of the variety, contain a high percentage of fiber. This in turn leads to bloating. Even if you eat one apple, you may experience symptoms of flatulence.
But you can pay attention to baked apples. They are digested much faster, as they do not require such thorough internal processing. At the same time, unfortunately, baked apples contain fewer useful vitamins.
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Garlic and Flatulence
Garlic in its raw form causes unpleasant symptoms of flatulence. But you can use garlic to eliminate flatulence. Green leaves of young garlic, which must be thoroughly washed and finely chopped, will improve your appetite and help improve the digestion process. And mature cloves, finely chopped and dried, will help remove heaviness in the stomach and raise the overall level of immunity.
Peas and flatulence
Peas are one of those products that can cause flatulence. But you can reduce the impact of this product on the body if you use different types of processing and cooking. There is an opinion that peas will still "bloat". But if you soak the required portion of beans before cooking for several hours, then gas formation will not bother you later.
Flatulence and Bananas
Bananas, which are a treasure trove of nutrients and healthy vitamins, can harm your body if consumed in large quantities. In some people, the process of digesting a banana can cause fermentation in the stomach and, accordingly, flatulence. Symptoms of gastritis or stomach ulcers are aggravated.
Flatulence from water
Plain water, bottled or tap, that you drink to quench your thirst does not cause any harm. But if the water is carbonated, it can cause gases in the gastrointestinal tract. It is also not recommended to drink water during meals. Along with sips, a large amount of air is swallowed, which then interferes with the digestive processes. If you are thirsty, try drinking water after eating.
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Flatulence and bran
Bran is a product that will benefit you if consumed in moderation, but will be harmful if consumed in large portions. Thus, a person is recommended to consume no more than thirty grams of bran per day (regardless of the culture). Try mixing bran with other products to get all the necessary benefits.
Flatulence from milk
Dairy products can cause flatulence because they contain lactose. At the moment, the percentage of people whose bodies produce gases when digesting lactose is increasing. Therefore, try either reducing the amount of fermented milk products you consume or using those that do not contain lactose (substitutes).
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Flatulence and coffee
Caffeine, or rather its excess in the body, also leads to flatulence. In order for you not to suffer after every cup of coffee, it is not enough to give it up. Caffeine is also found in tea (especially green tea). To eliminate the possibility of flatulence, you should start drinking drinks with a low caffeine content or without it at all. But you should not switch to surrogates, the taste of which resembles real tea or coffee, but contain a minimal amount or do not contain caffeine at all. Such surrogates can be extremely harmful to your health, despite the similar taste to the "original".
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Zucchini and flatulence
When creating a diet to combat flatulence, special attention is usually paid to zucchini. This product, which has undergone heat treatment, helps with digestion and reduces gas formation. Zucchini can be part of the main dish, which will help the digestive process. But zucchini should be boiled, stewed or fried so that they really give the desired effect.
Flatulence from protein
Protein is one of the components of nutrition for athletes. But a large amount of protein leads to an excess of protein-containing substances and the processing processes produce a large amount of gases. But when you reduce protein in your diet, this problem goes away. As with all other products, protein should be taken in standardized quantities, and sometimes, depending on the characteristics of the human body, it should be completely abandoned to avoid acute manifestations of flatulence.
Flatulence after alcohol
Alcohol contains sugar alcohol, which negatively affects digestion and can cause bloating.
Flatulence after beer
Beer is a product that is formed as a result of fermentation. Accordingly, when it gets into the stomach, these fermentation processes continue. Problems with intestinal microflora, a weakened stomach lead to the fact that even a couple of sips of a refreshing drink can lead to flatulence and bloating.
In fact, not only food can cause symptoms of flatulence. This disorder of the gastrointestinal tract can also occur in infants. The cause can be both a disorder of the enzyme system and various diseases. The absence of certain enzymes in the human body leads to poor digestion of food. These processes produce gases.