(dailyRx)

Who hasn't laughed at a fart joke at least once? But who also has never suffered just a moment's embarrassment at passing gas at the most inopportune time?

Whether you find it uproariously hilarious or excruciatingly mortifying, flatulence happens to everyone and is perfectly normal. For some people, though, gas and gas pain are no laughing matter.

Believe it or not, but the typical person passes gas some 10 to 20 times a day. That number is strongly affected by diet and personal habits. From all those fart jokes we've heard (and told), we know that eating beans can lead to flatulence, as well as other high-fiber foods. Other dietary causes of gas include fructose, the naturally occurring sweetener in honey, tree fruits, berries, melons and some root vegetables, as well as lactose, a form sugar of sugar that occurs in milk and other dairy products. In fact, you don't have to be lactose intolerant to have difficulties digesting dairy products.

As you can probably guess, carbonated beverages can contribute to frequent flatulence. Hey, those same bubbles that make your soda fizz in the can also work their magic in your gut. But even the act of drinking from a bottle can make you gassy; so too can eating fast. Why? Because often when we guzzle, chug or shovel, we're breathing rapidly, often through the mouth, and wind up swallowing a good deal of air along with whatever you're forcing down your gullet. That air either comes back up as a belch or out the other end.

We also swallow air when we chew gum and suck on hard candy and lollipops. If you're a smoker, guess what? You're also ingesting air that can contribute to excessive flatulence.

Letting the Air Out
The first and most obvious way to reduce flatulence is to cut back on or avoid foods that make us gassy. That can be problematic since a leading culprit of flatulence--high-fiber foods--are also beneficial: They've been found to help prevent cancer and lower cholesterol, not to mention stave off constipation. The form of sugar in many of these health-promoting foods, raffinose, isn't digested well, thus it tends to cause more gas. Here are some common food choices high in raffinose:

  • Asparagus
  • Beans
  • Broccoli
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Cabbage
  • Cauliflower
  • Whole grains

If you're concerned about malodorous flatulence, be mindful of the amounts you consume of these items:

  • Beer
  • Broccoli
  • Cabbage
  • Cauliflower
  • Eggs
  • Meats

These food items are high in sulfur, which isn't the sweetest-smelling substance known to humankind.

Also, change the way you eat. In other words, slow down. Remember the old tip to chew whatever's in your mouth 35 or so times before swallowing to help promote weight loss? Well, at least chewing consciously can help you avoid the heavy feeling that comes with gas. Sit down when you eat, chew each bite thoroughly and drink your beverage from a cup, not a bottle or can.

If you suspect something you eat gives you gas more so than other food choices, then test your theory. Eliminate that particular food or drink for, say, a week or two and observe how your body responds to its absence. Then, add that item back to your diet and, again, see how your body responds. If you notice you experience less flatulence when you were consuming the food or beverage but experience more when you start eating or drinking it again, then that item is probably something you're body has problems digesting and should be consumed sparingly.

Of course, the pharmaceutical industry has developed a number of gas remedies over the years, and many such products are available on the shelves at your local pharmacy or other drug retailer. Some gas-relieving over-the-counter products contain simethicone, an antifoaming agent that causes gas bubbles in the stomach to combine, forming larger bubbles your body can more easily expel by burping. Recognize that simethicone does not prevent or decrease gas formation in the digestive tract; instead, it increases the rate at which it exits the body.

Some folks seeking relief for their gas might be surprised to see a bottle of charcoal pills on store shelves in the area for gastrointestinal products. After all, you wouldn't ever nosh on a barbeque briquette, would you? Charcoal has actually been used for centuries for medicinal purposes. Ancient Egyptians used the stuff as far back as 1500 BC to absorb odor from rotting wounds. The Greek fathers of medicine, Hippocrates and Pliny, both used charcoal to treat such conditions as epilepsy and a type of anemia.

Today, activated charcoal's used in ERs to help patients who've ingested various toxins. In the stomach, it condenses gas molecules into the pores on the surface of the charcoal, which then carries the gas out of the body. Before using an OTC charcoal supplement, however, speak with your pharmacist or doctor about any other medications you take. Activated charcoal can inhibit the body's absorption of some medications, making them less effective.

(By the way, charcoal briquettes and medicinal activated charcoal are two different things. Don't seek out that bag of Kingsford from last summer if you find yourself in need of gas relief.)

A third OTC treatment option is a product that contains the enzymes your body needs to break down gas-causing foods and beverages. Perhaps the best known of these products is Beano. It contains alpha galactosidase, the enzyme that breaks down raffinose and other oligosaccharides. Another popular product in this category is Lactaid, a dietary supplement that contains lactase, the enzyme the body needs to digest lactose.

Aside from modifying your diet and personal habits and taking OTC products to address flatulence, you do have one more inexpensive means of beating the bloat: exercise. Think about it--the gastrointestinal tract moves what you ingest through your body, and a body at rest tends to stay at rest and a body in motion tends to stay in motion. Therefore, if you want your digestive system to do its job more effectively, you have to move to keep it in shape. Walking is a great way to encourage healthy digestion, especially after larger meals.

Another way to encourage good gastrointestinal health is yoga. Certain asanas (poses) stimulate the organs of the GI tract, promoting their work: