Which Fruits & Veggies Will Give Me Gas?

Beans, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, asparagus, onions, artichokes, pears, apples, pears, peaches and prunes are the main fruits and vegetables that may cause gas. Any food that contains carbohydrates has the potential to cause gas.

Identification

• Carbon dioxide, oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen and sometimes methane make up the vapors found in gas. You have this unpleasant symptom when you swallow too much air and have undigested food in your large intestine. Chewing gum, eating hard candy or having bad fitting dentures cause you to swallow more air.

Considerations

• Some foods do not cause gas in some people. Not everyone has the same response to the foods they eat. Everyone has gas and passes it about 14 times a day. Cutting fruits and veggies from your diet may not be the answer.

Types

• Gas has four types: raffinose, found mostly in beans; lactose, found in milk and milk products; fructose, found in onions, artichokes, pears and wheat; and sorbitol, found naturally in fruits or artificially in dietary foods and candies.

Treatment

• Changing one's diet by knowing what foods causes you to have gas is necessary. Over-the-counter supplements may help reduce the discomfort and embarrassment from gas. For extreme cases, doctors prescribe medications for irritable bowel syndrome. Not swallowing air while eating or drinking can prevent gas.