Gas & Irregular Digestion or 'Why Do I Fart So Much?'

AYURVEDA PERSPECTIVE ON GAS, IRREGULAR DIGESTION

Got a gassy gut? Frequent farting and flatulence isn't just embarrassing, it's also unhealthy. Prompt action is necessary. Passing gas is an important warning sign your body has weak digestion, metabolism, and compromised immunity. Gas is considered a disease in Ayurveda. A solution to your gas problems is one of the most important steps you can take to restore your health & vitality.

Although it may seem like everything you eat creates gas, or like your belly blows up like a balloon for unexplained reasons, resolving gas has been the cornerstone of health in Ayurveda for 5,000 years. Ayurveda offers a comprehensive perspective on steps you can take to restore happiness and cheerfulness to your tummy.

Breaking the Ice

Talking about farts can be uncomfortable and embarrassing. Given the importance of digestive health in Ayurveda, we've got to break the ice somehow. Let's start with some fart facts:

• A farting application on the iPhone raked in $10K first day
• Have you ever heard of a fartiste? Farting was the profession of Joseph Pugol ("Le Petomane"). Pugol was able to pass gas at will and at varying pitch, thereby playing tunes for sold-out shows at the Moulin Rouge of 'Paris'. Today, his torch is carried on by Mr Methane.
• A fart tax was passed in New Zealand for farmers owning cows, to offset environmental costs of bovine methane production. In California, several electric companies have created systems to capture methane gasses released from cows.
• World's longest fart recorded 2 minutes and 42 seconds!
• Despite the fart jokes, we're aiming for farts that smell like roses. We believe only Ayurveda can make it possible.
• Hippocrates - "Passing gas is necessary to well-being."
• Emperor Claudius - "all Roman citizens shall be allowed to pass gas whenever necessary."

All things equal, the amount of gas increases with age. The average person releases 1-3 pints of gas a day. Passes gas about 14 times a day. Up to 20-25 times is considered normal. Ayurveda believes those statistics could be lower.

The Significance of Gas to Your Health

Gas is formed when food ferments, i.e. rots, in the digestive tract. This happens when your body is too weak to digest and absorb nutrients from your food quickly enough. The small intestine is 22ft and the colon is 5ft long. Imagine there is a race in your gut between your intestines and the normal bacteria living in your gut. If you win the race, digest your food before the bacteria, and eliminate it, you nourish your body and have very little gas. If bacteria win the race, you'll have lots of gas, bloating and malabsorption.

When bacteria ferment the food in your gut, they not only produce gas, they also excrete other toxins, i.e. bacteria poop and piss. Your small intestine can start to resemble a raw sewage dump site. These toxins are poisonous and irritate the lining of the digestive tract. Some of the poison is absorbed into the blood, where it aggravates the liver and kidneys. If your liver can't process the poison, your body will purge it through the kidneys, skin, and breath, creating excess urine, bad breath, and acne. Toxic blood weakens all of your organs. That's why it is vitally important to address chronic gas conditions as quickly as possible.

The effects of gas on the nervous system and joints deserves special attention. Neurons are very sensitive to changes in blood chemistry. When the blood is poisoned, a person often feel scattered, ungrounded, nervous and anxious. Chronic gas can lead to poor decisions. Discomfort in the abdomen makes a person hyper and impulsive. They may lose their 'common sense' or 'street smarts'. Since joints have such poor circulation, any chronic toxic buildup tends to accumulate in the joint space leading to arthritic conditions. Since the immune system may be busy fighting gut bacteria, the immune system may become over stimulated or weak, depending on the constitution.

What causes gas, from a western medical perspective?

• Swallowing air (aerophagia) - Mostly passed as burping or belching. Chewing gum, eating rapidly makes worse, smoking, loose dentures. rapid drinking, chewing gum, use of tobacco products, sucking on hard candy, drinking carbonated beverages, loose dentures, and hyperventilation.
• Fermentation - The normal breakdown of certain undigested foods by harmless bacteria naturally present in the colon. Between 30 to 150 grams food remains undigested food each day, depending on diet and constitution. Malabsorption due to enzyme deficiencies, pancreatic insufficiency, etc can increase the amount of undigested food. The bacteria in your lower small intestines and colon feed on this undigested food.

  Carbohydrates, Fats & Proteins

  Foods that are high in sugar and carbohydrates are the most likely to cause gas. Fats and proteins tend to cause little gas only. Sorbitol and fructose are common offenders. Sorbitol is a sugar-alcohol that can be naturally found in some fruits. Blackberries and raspberries have a high sorbitol content, as do apples, apricots, pears, nectarines and plums. Lychees, cherries and avocado also contain small amounts of sorbitol. Short-chain ferment-able carbohydrate, also called FODMAPs.

  Fiber & Yeasted Products

  Soluble fiber produces more gas than insoluble fiber. Since some bacteria digest the hydrogen that others produce, the amount of gas you release is affected by the balance of your gut flora. Heavily yeasted products & probiotics may increase fermentation in the gut, as well as foods high in inulin and polysaccharides that feed bacteria in your gut.
• Peristalsis - Peristalsis refers to the rhythmic contractions that propel food through your intestines. When functioning properly, peristalsis helps you release gas as well. When peristalsis is uncoordinated or weak, it can trap food & air inside your gut. Food stagnation of the gut causes more gas. Gas stagnation causes bloating.
• High-altitude flight / outer space - Low atmospheric pressure makes gas more problematic.
• Other digestive disorders, including IBS, IBD, Diverticuli.

What is intestinal gas made of?

Abdominal gas is composed of oxygen; nitrogen; hydrogen; carbon dioxide; and methane. The oxygen and nitrogen come from the air. The other gases come from bacterial fermentation. The unpleasant odor of flatulence comes from bacteria that release skatole, indole, and sulfur. Intestinal gas may be flammable if the concentration of hydrogen and methane is too high, however only 1/3 of people produce methane. The noises of gas are produced by vibration of your anal sphincter, and occasionally closed buttocks.

Western Treatment of Abdominal Gas

• Digestive enzymes, Lactaid, Beano
• Anti-microbials and anti-biotics
• Surfactants help dissolve gas into liquids and stool
• Bismuth subgallate to reduce odor

Ayurveda Perspectives on What Causes Gas

Intestinal gas is generally considered to be a condition of weak digestion, fundamentally a Vata disorder in samana vayu, one of the five subtypes of Vata dosha. Many Vata people experience abdominal gas after cold and difficult to digest foods like beans or cabbage. Symptoms include lower abdominal pain and bloating, particularly in the cecum located in the lower right side of the pelvic bowl. Pitta people often have abdominal bloating after eating spicy or oily foods. Bloating is primarily in the small intestine around the belly button along with sharp pain above the belly button. Kapha people may become gassy from gooey foods like bread and cheese. They experience heavy, sluggish stomach. There are many types of imbalances that could lead to gas. The primary types are:

Vata Types

• Cold digestion
• Irregular routine or poor diet
• Deficient blood & dryness
• Colic / uncoordinated peristalsis
• Stress, tension, anxiety

Pitta Types

• Inflammation, irritation, or infection
• Food allergies & intolerances

Kapha Types

• Sluggish digestion, viscous mucus

Synonyms and Keywords

gas, abdominal gas, intestinal gas, farting, breaking wind, passing gas, bloating, belch, belching, aerophagia, flatus, lactose intolerance, abdominal pain, abdominal discomfort, flatulence

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