Most of us pass gas anywhere from 12 to 25 times a day, according to Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and surveys show that abdominal bloating affects up to 30% of Americans.“Having a perfectly flat stomach all the time isn’t normal,” says Health contributing nutrition editor Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD.“After you eat and drink, food and liquids take up space inside your stomach and intestines, and that means some expansion.”.Kale, broccoli, and cabbage are cruciferous vegetables, which contain raffinose — a sugar that remains undigested until bacteria in your gut ferment it, which produces gas and, in turn, makes you bloat.“Consistently eating nutrient-rich, high-fiber foods leads to having a stronger, healthier digestive system that’s less prone to bloating,” Sass says.These little guys are basically bursts of protein in a pod, but they also contain sugars and fibers that our bodies can’t absorb.The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) also suggests the use of lactase tablets like Lactaid, which help people digest foods that contain lactose.High in fiber, apples also contain fructose and sorbitol, sugars found in fruits that many people can’t tolerate, Sass says.Apples are a great snack, however: One fruit provides an average of 4.5 grams of protein and around 10% of your daily vitamin C requirement, so don’t give up on them altogether.“Eating apples specifically has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease and respiratory problems, including asthma, bronchitis, and emphysema,” Sass says.Foods rich in potassium—like bananas, plus avocados, kiwis, oranges, and pistachios—prevent water retention by regulating sodium levels in your body and can thus reduce salt-induced bloating.The enzyme contained in papaya (papain) helps break down proteins in your GI system, which makes digestion easier.Finally, the vegetable contains soluble and insoluble fibers, which helps promote overall digestive health.The seeds have a compound that relaxes GI spasms, which allows gas to pass and relieve bloating, says Sass.Fresh ginger can be added to smoothies and salad dressings, and it adds tons of flavor to recipes like these.Both kinds relax GI muscles to help dissipate the gas that causes your stomach to bloat.Aside from improving digestion, chamomile can also soothe and relax, which can help ease any sort of stomach discomfort. .
3 Reasons Why Cabbage Can Cause Stomach Pain
First, the good news: Cabbage is packed with nutrients like fiber, vitamin C and potassium, according to the Cleveland Clinic.Including cabbage and other cruciferous veggies (like broccoli, Brussels sprouts and arugula) in your diet can also help lower your risk for developing conditions like cancer.The leafy green contains a complex sugar called raffinose, which can be difficult to digest and cause gas, bloating and stomach pain as your body breaks it down, according to John Hopkins Medicine.While fiber is an essential nutrient that supports good digestion, eating too much too quickly can lead to gas, bloating and cramping, per the Mayo Clinic.Fix it: To avoid gas from excess fiber, slowly work cabbage and other high-fiber foods into your regular diet over the course of a few weeks, according to the Mayo Clinic.Cooking raw cabbage can also help offset some digestive troubles, per a still-relevant October 2009 review in Cold Spring Harbor Symposia on Quantitative Biology.But if eating even cooked cabbage gives you digestive issues, limit or avoid the vegetable.But if your cabbage stomach pain is accompanied by symptoms like diarrhea or vomiting, you may have food poisoning, per the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM).Tip Talk to your doctor if you have food poisoning that causes diarrhea for more than five days, have bloody stools or can't keep fluids down, per the NLM.If you have an underlying digestive disorder like irritable bowel syndrome or SIBO, eating difficult-to-digest foods may lead to unpleasant symptoms like gas, bloating, nausea or heartburn, according to the Cleveland Clinic. .
10 Foods That Cause Gas
Gas is caused by swallowing air and the breakdown of food in your digestive tract.Share them here » If you’re experiencing a lot of gas and bloating, making changes to your diet can help.Beans contain a lot of raffinose, which is a complex sugar that the body has trouble digesting.If you suspect you’re lactose intolerant, you might reduce your symptoms by trying nondairy replacements such as almond milk or soy “dairy” products, or taking a lactase tablet before eating foods with lactose.Swapping soda for juice, tea, or water (with no carbonation) may help you reduce gas.Sorbitol and soluble fiber must both also pass through the large intestines, where bacteria break them down to create hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and methane gas.Like raffinose and sorbitol, fructose contributes to gas when bacteria in the intestines break it down.Many sugar-free gums are also sweetened with sugar alcohols that are harder to digest, such as sorbitol, mannitol, and xylitol.If you burp a lot, your doctor may recommend that you stop chewing gum to reduce gas. .
7 Foods That Reduce Bloating—and 5 That Cause It
Getty Images If you feel uncomfortably bloated after meals, it might be time to look at the types of foods you are eating.It won't eliminate or prevent bloating altogether, but it may make your veggies easier to digest.03 of 14 Worst: Legumes Getty Images It's probably not news to you, but beans, along with lentils, soybeans, and peas, are gas-causing foods.These little guys are basically bursts of protein in a pod, but they also contain sugars and fibers that our bodies can't absorb.So when legumes reach the large intestine, your gut bacteria take the lead and feast on them.The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) also suggests the use of lactase tablets like Lactaid, which help people digest foods that contain lactose.High in fiber, apples also contain fructose and sorbitol, sugars found in fruits that many people can't tolerate, Sass says."Eating apples specifically has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease and respiratory problems, including asthma, bronchitis, and emphysema," Sass says.Sass says that the tropical fruit also has anti-inflammatory properties, as well as fibers that support a strong digestive tract.Eat papaya whole and fresh or blended into a smoothie 20 Healthy Meals for Dinner That Are Perfect for Weeknights.This helps maintain a healthy balance in your digestive system to prevent and/or reduce gas.Finally, the vegetable contains soluble and insoluble fibers, which helps promote overall digestive health.The seeds have a compound that relaxes GI spasms, which allows gas to pass and relieve bloating, says Sass.The compound potentially helps food be digested more easily, reducing bloat, gas, or constipation. .
Why You Should Think Twice Before Eating Cabbage
Gibson tells Mashed this vegetable is "a great source of vitamin C, which is essential for iron absorption, immune health, and collagen formation.".She adds that cabbage also provides about 10 percent of the recommended daily amount of folate, a nutrient that helps produce red and white blood cells and assists in over 250 other bodily functions, Cabbage can also be a significant source of sulforaphane, a substance that Gibson says has "great detoxification and heart health benefits.". .
Doctor's Orders: These Are the 6 Foods Behind Your Belly Bloat
Even though bloat makes you feel uncomfortable and renders it just about impossible to zip your skinny jeans, it’s usually not serious.Yes, you are supposed to eat cruciferous vegetables—these veggies are the workhorses of promoting our health and are high in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants.Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, kale, and turnips contain a non-digestible carbohydrate (trisaccharide) called raffinose.The way to avoid belly bloat and still be able to enjoy cruciferous veggies is to let your digestive system adjust over time.Any beverage containing carbonation—soft drinks, beer, energy drinks—can give you that uncomfortable belly bloat feeling as a result of swallowing too much air.To combat bloat cause by carbonated beverages, reduce the number of these drinks you intake and opt instead for water with lemon, lime, or cucumber for a refreshing and healthier treat.If you read the ingredient list, you may see the words sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, isomalt, and hydrogenated starch hydrolysates—these are different types of sugar alcohols.Common products that use sugar alcohols include sugar-free chewing gum, hard candy, frozen dairy desserts and baked goods.If you suspect sugar alcohols are contributing to your belly bloat, start reading the ingredient list and avoiding products that contain them.The reason is that fat takes longer to digest, which slows down the rate at which your stomach empties into the small intestine.Certain ethnic groups have a much higher degree of lactose intolerance than others, namely American Indian, African-Americans, Asians and Latinos.Drink extra water as this can help move the process of digestion along quicker beating belly bloat. .
Negative Effects of Cabbage
However, eating large quantities of cabbage can cause negative side effects, such as flatulence, diarrhea, medication interactions and hypothyroidism.Other symptoms associated with flatulence that may result after eating cabbage include belching, abdominal discomfort and bloating.Green cabbage contains 5.8 grams of fiber per 1-cup serving, reports Michigan State University.Additionally, individuals undergoing cancer treatment may need to avoid eating cabbage, as this vegetable can exacerbate diarrhea often caused by chemotherapy. .
8 (sometimes surprising) foods that make you fart
Sulphur is broken down by your gut bacteria into hydrogen sulphide – that lovely rotten egg smell – and ‘enhances’ the odour of gas produced by other foods you eat as well as the meat.Beans and lentils contain lots of fibre, but they also contain raffinose, a complex sugar that we don’t process well.These sugars make their way to the intestine, where your gut goes to town using them for energy, resulting in hydrogen, methane and even smelly sulphur. .
Cabbage Recipes & The Ultimate Guide to Cabbage
I know cabbage isn’t exactly going to show up on the cover of any magazine winning the award for the sexiest vegetable alive, but to me it is one of the stars of eating seasonally in the wintertime.Plus I have expert information and details about why it’s so good for you but makes you, ahem, gassy, from a Registered Dietitian!All of the varieties we use today as row crops are thought to have originated from the wild cabbage Brassica oleracea var.As with most individual species of the brassica family, the exact origins of cabbage are difficult to trace but there is substantial evidence that its roots lie in the eastern Mediterranean and Asia Minor, although it is not known to have been domesticated before it reached central and western Europe.The word “cabbage” is an Anglicized version of the French word “caboche,” meaning “noggin” or “head.” As the crop spread to different parts of Europe, two distinct types emerged: the hard heading (in the colder northern regions) and the non-heading (in the more temperate southern regions).The following seasonality and growing section is made possible by High Mowing Organic Seeds.For a head start, seed transplants indoors or in cold frames 4-6 weeks before planting date.Plan your plantings accordingly for best results in the spring or fall seasons when temperatures are more moderate.Once a cabbage head has been harvested, if the plant is left to its own devices it will attempt to regrow more sprouts and leaves from where it was cut in order to grow and produce seed (i.e. reproduce).However, these secondary shoots will not form a second dense head of cabbage and are generally not as tender and suitable for eating.Cabbage is considered a heavy feeder, meaning the plants require high amounts of nutrients and fertile, biologically active soils to thrive.Cabbage plants prefer loose, well drained, fertile soil with a pH in the range of 6.0-7.5.This can occur when the plant has been damaged by pests in its early life, like the common cabbage moth and/or flea beetles.To avoid pest attacks in the early season, rotate your crops so you are not planting cabbage or any other brassicas in the same location two years in a row and use floating row cover to keep them protected from pests as soon as you transplant them in the spring.I asked Vicki Shanta Retelny, RDN, a lifestyle nutrition expert, book author and mom of two who blogs at Simple Cravings.A: Cabbage is a highly nutritious food as a member of the cruciferous vegetable clan with significant amounts of vitamin C – there’s over 60% of the RDA in ½ cup), vitamins K and the B-vitamin, riboflavin, and significant amounts of glutamine, the amino acid that gives it a savory quality.A: Cabbage contains sulphorous compounds, as well as a sugar called raffinose that when digested can cause gas and bloating.To minimize gas and bloating, eat smaller amounts at one time and drink water throughout the day to aid in digestion.A: From bright green to red/purplish varieties of cabbage the health benefits are stellar in all types.They contain different amounts and types of anthocyanins, which give the leaves their pigment, but the nutritional value is high regardless of the color of this crucifer.Green and purple cabbage can be found year round in all supermarkets and grocery stores, but certain varieties such as savoy are sometimes only available in the summer and fall.You can find cabbage at the Farmers’ Market in southern states in the spring (for example in May in Georgia) and in Northern growing zones like 5 or 4 in mid to late summer and into the fall.When very fresh, during the growing season or right after harvest, it is common to find cabbage with large loose outer leaves still attach.These leaves wilt quickly, and are tough to begin with, so they are best removed for longer storage and before cooking.If stored properly as mentioned above, raw cabbage can last from 3 weeks to up to 2 months in your refrigerator.Note that the thawed cabbage will be limp and a little translucent, making it suitable only for soups and sautees where a crunchy texture is not necessary.Make sure to check with the individual recipe, but for the most part they will freeze really well because the cabbage will only become more tender and palatable when frozen, thawed and reheated.Murdoc F1 (an arrowhead cabbage) from High Mowing Organic Seeds is a great option.They also have a pleasant texture and are not as crunchy as storage cabbage, which can lose a lot of moisture after being stored for many months.Red cabbage turns the whole ferment a beautiful deep purple and has additional nutrients.This brining step allows the napa to wilt in preparation for kimchi making without having to aggressively massage or pound it, which would possibly break it down too much.Next, lay each wedge, cut side down (for stability) and then thinly slice through into fine strips.After the core is removed, and the wedges cut into smaller section to make them easier to cut, take half of the wedge, and pull half off the leaves into two separate stacks so the leaves lay flat.If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my free weekly email newsletter where I share weeknight meal plans delivered right to your inbox.
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