Having gas in the stomach is normal. Excessive gas is called flatulence. You eliminate gas by belching or passing it through your rectum. However, having too much gas can make you bloated and miserable. Stomach and intestinal gas is composed of a combination of methane, oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen. The foul odor you smell when you break wind is caused by bacteria in the colon that release sulfur. Gas production in the intestines and stomach is normal, but when it becomes excessive, it can be humiliating and uncomfortable. These tips will show you how to reduce stomach gas naturally.
Take a short, slow walk after you eat. Walking enables the digestive system to process the food faster, allowing the intestines to push the food without making any gaps that cause air. Walk for 15 minutes after eating.
Take a natural antacid such as baking soda. Baking soda connects bubbles in the intestines and stomach so that the excess gas can be easily belched away. Add 1 tsp. of baking soda to a glass of water. Drink it only after a meal.
Take Beano before eating foods that cause gas. You don’t have to avoid foods that cause excessive intestinal gas, such as beans and broccoli. Taking Beano before meals will reduce the air produced by those foods. Beano is a natural food supplement that digests carbohydrates effortlessly. See website in resource section of this article.
Lessen the amount of air you swallow. The medical term for swallowing air is aerophagia. Chew your food slowly. Avoid chewing gum or drinking soft drinks, which can cause bloating. You can avoid swallowing air by eating more slowly and chewing more, avoiding bubble gum and hard candy and cigarette smoking. Sipping some fluids after swallowing food can also help prevent excessive air intake.
Drink 10 glasses of water a day. Drinking water helps move food into the digestive system faster, filling up any areas that can trap air. Drink a glass of water after meals to help reduce excessive air intake.
You can buy Beano at your local drugstore.
Frank Dioso is a trained medical technologist working for prominent research institutions such as Quest Diagnostics and California Clinical Trials. He has, for many years, ghostwritten clinical trial reports for confidential pharmaceutical drugs and is currently contributing his clinical laboratory science knowledge to online how-to articles.