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Flatulence is a natural problem and we all know it can be extremely embarrassing to pass wind in public. Gas and the pain that could arise from this problem is usually caused by breakdown of food by bacteria in the digestive tract, an endogenous source of the problem. Another cause can be swallowing air when eating or drinking, an exogenous source.

Symptoms of excessive gas are burping, passing gas and bloating.

Changing your diet and the way you eat can be great for the prevention of gas. Avoiding fizzy drinks and increasing liquid intake, eating and drinking slowly and partaking in mild exercise after meals are all good ways of reducing the problem.

Examples of foods that are known to cause gas and bloating include:

Most starches - potatoes, corn, noodles and wheat. Rice is the only starch that does not cause gas.

* Raffinose - beans contain large amounts of this complex sugar. It is also seen in smaller amounts in cabbage, sprouts, broccoli, asparagus and other vegetables.

* Fructose - naturally present in onions, pears and wheat.

* Sorbitol - another sugar naturally found in fruit like apples and pears.

But if these dietary changes just aren't giving the results you are comfortable with, it is good to know there are natural remedies on the market. It is important to note that sufferers of lactose intolerance, intestinal bacteria feeding on lactose can give rise to excessive gas production when milk containing foods are consumed.

Flatulence can be a sign of a more serious health problem, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). It is advised to seek medical attention if this is the case.

Do you often have really bad gas after eating or simply throughout the day for no known reason? If so then I will suggest some natural solutions you can try. I will also explain the #1 reason why people experience chronic gas that doesn't seem to stop or go away no matter what they do.

If you have Really Bad Gas, Try This:

Activated Charcoal: This supplement is able to very effectively reduce gas by absorbing the chemical reaction in the body that creates gas in the first place. A very good solution for when you're on the go and need gas gone fast!

Probiotics: Beneficial bacteria such as acidophilus is highly touted for its digestive benefits. One of the greatest being its ability to reduce gas down to virtually nothing in a very short period of time. The main reason for this is that beneficial bacteria helps destroy the micro-organisms in the body which can cause gas. One of the most common of which is a yeast known as Candida.

What's the #1 Reason for Chronic Gas and Digestive Trouble?

Candida. Far and wide is the most common occurring cause for chronic digestive complaints of all kinds including IBS. However it goes far beyond this also as Candida is a major cause for mental/emotional problems such as difficultly concentrating or depression and anxiety, chronic allergies and hypersensitivity are also a common complaint.

What Candida does essentially is destroy the balance of life inside your body, raising the incidence of digestive problems as a result and suppressing the good bacteria which would otherwise destroy it. The key is to destroy Candida and the factors that allowed it to develop, at which point not only will you digest much better but you'll also feel much better in general and best of all have no more really bad gas!

It's not exactly a favorite topic at cocktail parties, but everyone has experienced a problem with gas many times throughout their life. Although gas, or flatulence, is pretty common and most people know it can be caused by eating certain foods or drinking certain liquids, there are some things about it that are not generally understood by the public.

Gas Bloat Syndrome

Gas bloat syndrome is actually a medical condition, often resulting from a surgical procedure, that's frequently accompanied by flatulence.

It's natural for gas and air to build up in the stomach. It can be caused by a condition called aerophagia which occurs when air enters through the mouth. When this gas and air moves up the esophagus it is expelled through a process known as belching. Gas bloat syndrome is caused when gas that is built up in your stomach can't escape through belching. This gas trapped in your stomach will make you feel full and bloated.

This condition usually occurs when a person has a surgery called Nissen's Fundoplication. There are millions of people that suffer from acid reflux disease and many of them choose to have this type of surgery to relieve their symptoms. Acid reflux is also known as heartburn or GERD and it can completely disrupt your life. It's caused when the acid in your stomach travels up the esophagus. Nissen's Fundoplication will prevent this from happening and relieve the pain and discomfort.

Understanding Nissen's Fundoplication

To understand how this type of surgery can cause gas bloat syndrome you need to have an idea of how it works. This surgery is an elective procedure that involves narrowing the junction between the stomach and the beginning of the esophagus by wrapping stomach tissue around the opening. This prevents the acid from escaping the stomach but it also can prevent the gas from traveling up the esophagus and out the mouth. This causes cramps and a bloated feeling.

Since the gas can no longer escape that way, it will move down the digestive tract. This causes flatulence. Even though about twenty-five to fifty percent of the people who have this surgery will suffer from gas bloat syndrome it will normally go away after three to four weeks. Therefore, it's not considered to be very serious.

What Causes Flatulence?

There are different types of gas located throughout the body and flatulence occurs in the digestive tract, even though it technically begins in the stomach. The stomach and small intestine can't break down certain foods, we eat: usually foods that contain polysaccharides and sugars. These foods simply pass through the small intestine and stomach without being digested.

The next stop is the large intestine and the colon. Since these foods have not been property digested, bacteria sets in and this combination creates gas. As a result, hydrogen and methane are produced and these are released as vapors that contain hydrogen sulfide and partially the odor of flatulence.

Gas bloat syndrome and flatulence can be uncomfortable and even sometimes embarrassing but they don't normally cause any serious threats to overall health and well being.

Here. Pull my finger…

Blaaat! - The flatulence orchestra tunes up.

The rear-end musically inclined love to play that joke on kids. We’ve all laughed at farting jokes and suffered the unpleasant odour from someone’s released gas. You’ve probably felt the discomfort, even pain, of gas, bloating, and trying to hold flatulence in because someone is nearby.

And you’ve probably also felt the embarrassment of being caught out when you didn’t hold it in. It always happens … no one’s around so you think it’s safe to let it go … ahh what a relief! But two seconds later someone walks into the room. Sometimes it’s a bit hard to blame it on the dog.

Then of course there are the times when someone else does it and everyone looks at you! You can’t do much about theirs but you can do something about yours.

Follow these five ideas for minimizing the amount of flatulence gas your body produces.

1. Avoid laxatives

These can irritate the intestinal lining and cause bowel spasms which can trap gas and produce pain from the gas accumulation.

2. Soak and cook legumes

Legumes include peas, beans of all types, chickpeas, peanuts and lentils. Soaking and cooking reduces the concentration of alpha-galactosides (the substance apparently responsible for the gaseous distention associated with these foods.)

3. Try anti-gas agents

An anti-foaming preparation called simethicone, when swallowed, breaks down large gas bubbles into smaller ones.

A product called Beano contains an enzyme that, when added to food, can break down the complex sugars found in beans and other gas-forming foods. If milk and milk products are a gas problem you could try lactaid which assists the milk sugar to be absorbed.

4. Eat charcoal

Charcoal is a strong absorber of gas and can be effective at preventing gas accumulation.
And no, you don’t have to go out and chew on an old hunk of burnt wood. Nor do you have to raid your kid’s drawing supplies. Charcoal can be obtained in tablet form. If you like to chew them up though be prepared for a hideously black mouth.

5. Avoid gas-forming foods

Complex carbs, while great for long term energy, are frequent sources of gas. We need bacteria to digest complex carbs. A very high carbohydrate or fibre diet increases the bacteria in the small intestine thus increasing the fermentation processes.

Vegetables which are known gas producers include beets, broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, lettuce, parsley, spinach and squash.

The gas-forming grains include oat, rice and wheat bran, whole-wheat flour, sesame flour, rye and barley.

So even though to many, flatulence is an endless source of amusement, self-expression and male bonding the real truth is that it is simply a by-product of digestion. Normal though it is, unless you’re producing enough to run the stove and heating appliances in your house or you somehow earn money from farting, you’ll probably want to reduce production if you can.

Therefore, if you’re prepared to lessen your entertainment value among your mates, taking these few simple precautions could help you avoid painful gaseous bloating and having to blame that stink known politely as flatulence on the dog.