What’s Behind All That Gas Anyway?
Ok, I know, I know… who wants to talk about gas, or burping, or God forbid (and I’ll even use the proper term here), flatulence! I can see you all raising those hands high in the air right now! But let’s get one thing straight right here and now, everyone has gas, and usually from the day that you’re born!
So… what really causes all that air and noise to come from different body orifices? How about we take a look at that, shall we?
Gas of any kind is made of chemicals – five to be exact – nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide and methane. I can hear you now, “Ewwww, you mean I have all that in my body?” Well, if you eat or breathe you do! These gases are the result of air that you swallow and the process that digests the foods you eat.
If you consider that you swallow about 300 times a day, that’s a lot of air you’re taking in while you’re eating, drinking, chewing, etc., and that’s a lot of burping potential! Add to that what you’re eating, and that makes for a lot of farting potential. Lovely, right?
The food you eat is broken down into usable body fuel by the enzymes in your mouth, by stomach acids and by intestinal bacteria. Certain foods tend to produce more gas than others, including apples, broccoli, legumes (oh those famous beans!), cabbage, milk and raisins.
Why do some farts smell more than others? Well, that has a lot to do with the sulfur content in the foods you eat. Some foods, such as eggs, onions and meat contain more sulfur than others, so it might be wise to advise everyone to “Stand Clear!” whenever you eat those!
Keep in mind too that food intolerances and allergies can cause gastric upset. Some of the more common culprits include dairy, wheat, glutens, nuts, legumes (there are those beans again!), eggs, soy, corn and many others. Working with a nutritionist and keeping a food journal should help you identify foods you might need to eliminate from your diet.
Hopefully, this has cleared up some of the mystery that surrounds gas and its emission from your body, no matter what form it takes! If you have any additional questions, please be sure to ask us when you come in for your next chiropractic adjustment! And just remember… everybody has gas!
Dr. Tim Asks...
