How to Stop Flatulence

Co-authored by Muhammad Khan, MD, MPH

Last Updated: June 2, 2024 Approved

Although passing gas can be embarrassing, everyone does it! It's normal for your body to produce gas as it digests food. ^{[1]
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Expert Source

Muhammad Khan, MD, MPH
Board-Certified Gastroenterologist

Expert Interview. 24 August 2021.} You can expect to release gas about 20 times per day by burping or farting, which is called flatulence. Gas is affected by both how you eat and what you eat, so making changes can help minimize flatulence. Though flatulence is totally normal and rarely related to a health issue, you can avoid excessive amounts of it by changing what you eat, altering how you eat, and seeking relief from digestive aids.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Changing What You Eat

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1
Eat fewer simple carbohydrates. Carbohydrates produce more gas than protein or fat because sugar and starch ferment the easiest. Simple carbs can be the worst culprit, as they break down easily in your body. ^{[2]
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Expert Source

Muhammad Khan, MD, MPH
Board-Certified Gastroenterologist

Expert Interview. 24 August 2021.} Not only does this spike your blood sugar, it also feeds your gut bacteria, which results in more gas. Simple carbs are usually more processed, such as baked goods, sugary snacks, and items made with white flour. Instead, choose complex carbs like carrots and potatoes, which are healthier. ^{[3]
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- You can recognize complex carbs because they're whole foods, such as carrots, potatoes, beans, and corn. Since many of these foods are high in fiber, they'll still produce gas, but less than with simple carbs.
- Fewer carbohydrates often means fewer breads and sweets, which is a healthy part of any diet plan.
2
To reduce the smell, eat fewer animal products. Though they don't fart any less, vegetarians tend to produce better-smelling flatus (the technical term for farts) than their omnivorous friends, who eat both plants and animals. That's because meat contains more hydrogen sulfides, which break down nutrients and omit an odor in the gas. ^{[3]
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- When bacteria in your colon breaks down hydrogen sulfides as your food is digested, your body produces gas that smells like sulfur. This means stinky farts! Foods that typically create a sulfur smell include eggs, meat, fish, beer, beans, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage.
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3
Know what foods your body is sensitive to. ^{[4]
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Expert Source

Peter Gardner, MD
Board Certified Gastroenterologist

Expert Interview. 25 August 2020.} Discover (mostly through trial and error, unfortunately) which foods cause problems and should be limited for your body, as everyone is different. What makes your body tick may not even be a blip on the radar for someone else. That being said, there are some foods which are known culprits to many of us:
- Apples, apricots, peaches, pears, raisins, prunes
- Beans, soybeans, popcorn, nuts
- Bran
- Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, eggplant, onion
- Dairy products ^{[5]
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  Expert Source
  
  Peter Gardner, MD
  Board Certified Gastroenterologist
  
  Expert Interview. 25 August 2020.}
- Tuna
- Carbonated drinks ^{[6]
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  Expert Source
  
  Muhammad Khan, MD, MPH
  Board-Certified Gastroenterologist
  
  Expert Interview. 24 August 2021.}
- Simple carbs, such as baked goods
- Sugar alcohols, including sorbitol, xylitol, and mannitol ^{[7]
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  Expert Source
  
  Muhammad Khan, MD, MPH
  Board-Certified Gastroenterologist
  
  Expert Interview. 24 August 2021.}
4
Puree your veggies and soak your beans. Galacto-oligosachharides (GOS) are essentially indigestible carbs and beans and legumes (like chickpeas and lentils) are full of them. The more GOS in your food, the more likely you'll experience flatulence. However, GOS is water-soluble. If you soak your beans before cooking, up to 25% of the GOS can disappear. ^{[8]
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- A similar thing can be said for vegetables. However, GOS levels can be got around by pureeing. It increases the surface area of food particles, in turn increasing contact with digestive enzymes, making the food more readily absorbed. As a result, there's less residue in your colon to feed your gut bacteria – and therefore less flatulence on your end.
5
Eat more fennel. Fennel seeds are a natural flatulence-fighter used in South Asia for centuries – if you see a bowl of seeds at your favorite Indian restaurant, that's fennel. Just a pinch after a meal or brewed into a tea can help prevent oncoming flatulence. ^{[9]
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- Fennel seeds can be a topper to any salad. You can also use the rest of the plant for just about anything!
6
Keep a food diary to look for patterns. Write down every food you eat, both for meals and snacks. Record what you drink, as well. For each meal or snack, write down how the food made you feel, as well as how much gas you experienced afterwards. When you do notice gas, record if it was smelly or not. This will help you identify which foods affect you the most so you can avoid or limit them.
- It takes up to 6 hours to fully digest food, so consider this when documenting how a particular food affected you.

Part 2

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Changing How You Eat

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1
Chew your food at least 20 times per bite. Chewing your food thoroughly can help reduce the amount of air you swallow and reduce the amount of food you eat overall – both being factors that can lead to flatulence. ^{[10]
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Expert Source

Peter Gardner, MD
Board Certified Gastroenterologist

Expert Interview. 25 August 2020.}
- Count out your chews in your head.
2
Eat at a slower pace. Eating quickly causes you to swallow more air. ^{[11]
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Expert Source

Peter Gardner, MD
Board Certified Gastroenterologist

Expert Interview. 25 August 2020.} The more air you swallow, the more gas your body will produce. You can avoid a lot of excess gas by slowing down your eating.
- Take your time. When you eat more slowly, you enjoy every bite more, and you give your body time to register that it's full. In other words, it's good for weight and gas reduction.
- Set your utensil down between bites.
3
Don't swallow air. ^{[12]
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Expert Source

Peter Gardner, MD
Board Certified Gastroenterologist

Expert Interview. 25 August 2020.} Sometimes flatulence has nothing to do with the food we eat, but how we eat it. And in some cases, it has nothing to do with food at all. It could be just from air bubbles getting stuck in your GI tract, from poor swallowing habits and eating quickly. Here's a few tips to keep in mind:
- Don't use a straw. Sipping through a straw allows you to gulp air without realizing it. You are inevitably taking in the air that rests in the top of the straw with each drink.
- Don't chew gum. ^{[13]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Muhammad Khan, MD, MPH
  Board-Certified Gastroenterologist
  
  Expert Interview. 24 August 2021.} Chewing gum gets our mouths open and active, resulting in incidental swallowing of air.
- Don't smoke. When you inhale smoke, you inhale air, too.
4
Don't eat too much in one sitting. ^{[14]
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Expert Source

Peter Gardner, MD
Board Certified Gastroenterologist

Expert Interview. 25 August 2020.} Simply put, the more food you intake, the longer it takes your body to digest it and the more gas your body will produce. With less food in your stomach, there will naturally be less gas. Keeping the food in your stomach to a minimum keeps everything else to a minimum, too.
- This goes double for foods that are on the trigger-list and foods that are spicy or produce other gastrointestinal issues, like heartburn or upset stomach.
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Exercise more. Exercising can be helpful in two ways: it increases how fast your body digests food and helps improve your metabolism. Keep a regular exercise routine, and the next time you're feeling bloated or gassy, go for a walk. You'll likely feel better shortly, as the walk will help your digestive tract move things along. ^{[15]
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- Any type of moment is good when you have stomach issues – it gets things moving and out of your system. You'll probably notice that starting up a regular exercise routine keeps you more regular, too.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Finding Relief

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1
Turn to anti-flatulence medications, like Beano. Over-the-counter digestive aids, such as those found in Beano, taken before a meal may help your stomach digest many foods without the flatulence associated with them. Beano is available at most pharmacies and grocery stores.
- Beano can affect people differently, so it may not work for you.
- Talk to your doctor before taking any type of medication.
2
Use charcoal tablets or products like Mylanta. Maalox and Mylanta are two products that contain simethicone, a medicine that dissolves gas bubbles. These are for gas relief after the meal or at any time you find you need them. Extreme cases that do not react appropriately to over-the-counter medications should be discussed with your doctor.
- Charcoal tablets (Charcoal Caps) are similar in that they absorb sulfuric gases in your GI tract. These tablets can cause side effects like nausea, vomiting, and black stools.
3
Experiment with alternative medicine, too. Chamomile, peppermint, sage, marjoram, and other herbs can alleviate flatulence. After a particularly risky meal, brew yourself a cup of tea with one or more of these herbs to calm your digestive system.
- You can combine these herbs with other treatment options to make them more effective. They work best if you also make dietary changes.
Sometimes excessive flatulence can be caused by a medical condition or a medication you are taking. If dietary changes aren't helping, then you may need to talk to your doctor to rule out other causes. They may be able to prescribe a treatment that works.

Expert Q&A

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Question

What is excessive gas a sign of?

Peter Gardner, MD
Board Certified Gastroenterologist
Peter W. Gardner, MD is a board certified physician who has practiced Gastroenterology and Hepatology for over 30 years. He specializes in diseases of the digestive system and liver. Dr. Gardner earned his Bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina and attended Georgetown Medical School. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine and then his fellowship in Gastroenterology at the University of Connecticut. He is a previous Chief of Gastroenterology at Stamford Hospital and remains on the staff. He is also on the staff of Greenwich Hospital and New York (Columbia) Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Gardner is an Approved Consultant in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology with the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Peter Gardner, MD

Board Certified Gastroenterologist

Expert Answer

Gas is usually caused by swallowing air or something you've eaten. Things like lactose intolerance can cause gas. If you can't digest milk, the sugar lactose will get broken down and fermented in the colon, which causes tremendous gas and bloating. People with celiac disease are very sensitive to one of the constituents of gluten, gliadin. They cannot digest it, so gases form.

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Question

My farts smell. How do I prevent that?

Marsha Durkin, RN
Registered Nurse
Marsha Durkin is a Registered Nurse based in Waukegan, Illinois. With over 15 years of professional experience, she works both as a nurse and a Laboratory Information Specialist for Insight Hospital and Medical Center. Marsha received her Associate's Degree in Nursing from Olney Central College in 1987.

Marsha Durkin, RN

Registered Nurse

Expert Answer

Keep a detailed food diary so you can identify which foods are causing your farts to smell. You can then avoid those foods, which can help improve the smell of your farts.

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Nothing works. What do I do if l have gas constantly?

Marsha Durkin, RN
Registered Nurse
Marsha Durkin is a Registered Nurse based in Waukegan, Illinois. With over 15 years of professional experience, she works both as a nurse and a Laboratory Information Specialist for Insight Hospital and Medical Center. Marsha received her Associate's Degree in Nursing from Olney Central College in 1987.

Marsha Durkin, RN

Registered Nurse

Expert Answer

You need to talk to your doctor about your excessive gas to find out the cause of it.

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Things You'll Need

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Tips

Don't stress about it. Emotional stress can worsen any physical condition, flatulence included. ^{[16]
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Warnings

Consider that a medical reason could be causing the flatulence. Some prescription medications can have this effect on your digestive system. Antibiotics are among them and can be countered with probiotics such as yogurt. Talk to your doctor if you suspect this might be the case.

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[1]

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Muhammad Khan, MD, MPH
Board-Certified Gastroenterologist

[2]

[3]

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Peter Gardner, MD
Board Certified Gastroenterologist

[5]

[6]

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[11]

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How to Stop Flatulence

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Changing What You Eat

Changing How You Eat

Finding Relief

Expert Q&A

Things You'll Need

Tips

Warnings

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