20 Useful Home Remedies for Gas and Flatulence

About one-fifth of the American population is plagued with intestinal gas, which can often cause discomfort and severe embarrassment. Excess flatulence is far from the funny after-dinner letting-one-slip scenario: you could feel the urge to pass wind so strongly at the most inopportune times, even around strangers, and have to excuse yourself from the company. It is estimated that most people pass rectum gas about ten times a day. When it’s more than this, and it happens frequently, you may have an excess flatulence related digestive issue or disease.

There are two main ways in which gas builds up inside the body. The first is swallowing air while eating or drinking – this causes oxygen and nitrogen to build up. Secondly, hydrogen, methane and carbon dioxide all build up in the digestive tract as food is being digested. This is the second source of gas.

But why do some people need to fire off gas rockets every hour while the rest of the population have placid systems? A build-up of lower intestinal gas can be caused by eating too much of certain kinds of foods, not being able to fully digest certain foods due to lacking certain enzymes, for example, or because the population of good flora in the colon is being overrun by bad bacteria. It could also be happening as part of the manifestation of a bigger disease, such as IBS.

Try these tested home remedies for gas – you may find that one, in particular, brings you relief or that you need to use a combination of remedies.

1. Minimize Milk And Dairy Products

You may have a dairy allergy that upsets your colon without you even knowing it because the symptoms are so mild. The challenge with dairy – especially whole milk products – is that it contains lactose which can be tough to digest naturally. If your body struggles to digest it, chances are you are missing the enzyme lactase which is required to break it down.

More specifically, dairy contains high, concentrated amounts of disaccharide lactose. This is made up of galactose and glucose linked by a beta-galactoside bond and explains why it isn’t the easiest of foods for the body to break down into easily absorbable nutrients.

If you have a dairy allergy, you may find signs of digestive discomfort such as gas, belching, upset stomach and bloating 30 minutes to 2 hours after consuming it. In addition, you may also experience non-digestive symptoms such as hives or a runny nose. Always read labels to make sure the foods are lactose-free.