dear asking for a friend,
i recently started to eat healthier, and by that i mean, i have spinach every day and have cut out sugar and wine. i feel great, except that i have a lot of gas. particularly very stinky gas. i don’t think spinach is known for raunchy toots, but could my diet change have something to do with it?
signed, bloated and gassy
dear bloated and gassy,
an average person passes gas
multiple times a day
, and whether you call it flatulence or farting, it’s a normal part of the digestive system’s process.
“gas is produced as your body digests food,” explains dr. talia zenlea, gastroenterologist at
women’s college hospital
in toronto and assistant professor of medicine at the
university of toronto
. “certain foods are higher gas producers than others and what you eat determines how much gas you have.”
zenlea says that fruits, vegetables and legumes are some of the highest producers of gas and that everyone’s body tolerates these foods differently. that means, it’s possible for you to experience more gas with foods like spinach, while others may seem unbothered by it.
similarly, snacking on raw cabbage, broccoli or asparagus may also produce gas, which is why
experts
recommend you cook these vegetables instead. and just because some fruits and vegetables might make you more gassy, that doesn’t mean you should stop eating them. instead, try to
slowly introduce
fiber-rich foods into your diet, such as adding a couple of servings a day and seeing how your body reacts over the course of the week and adjust accordingly.