Vegan Flatulence

[yemenmocha]

I was wondering if other vegans have had trouble with frequent and intense flatulence. I've sought remedy from sources such as "Beano" but it took me awhile to finally find a vegan one, and it isn't helping much - plus it tastes bad and is expensive.

I can't really take too much of the legumes out of my diet because they are one of my main sources of protein and I'm very active athletically, including weightlifting.

Is there some kind of G.I. cleansing or something I can do to get this out of me?

[Erin Pavlina]

Brenda Davis addressed this topic a while back. Here's the link:

http://www.vegfamily.com/brenda-davis/tip7.htm

[yemenmocha]

Ok, how do I "improve my bacterial flora" as it lists at the end? I think that's part of the issue. My wife and I eat the same food, but she has so little flatulence and mine is quite ferocious, both in frequency and pungency. I never used to have flatulence that smelled this bad before.

That Road's End Macaroni and Chreez is one culprit I've found out, so I don't eat much of that anymore. But it just doesn't make sense why my gut would turn out so much gas when my wife's doesn't. Also, they're so bad that you'd swear someone in the room had defecated in their pants. It's an embarrassing topic to raise and discuss but it's just such a serious problem for me.

Thanks for the article, I'll try to accommodate her suggestions.

[Erin Pavlina]

maybe it's a food allergy. I have a bad reaction to foods with nutritional yeast in them. And I know the Mac and Chreese is heavy on nut. yeast. Maybe that has something to do with it.

[Robin]

this thread interested me because i have the same embarassing problem. i read the response from brenda davis and will definitely give her tips a try but i was very offended that she recommended Beano, which is NOT vegan (or even vegetarian). THIS IS A VEGAN MESSAGE BOARD! sorry, i had to rant about that.

[yemenmocha]

Robin,

I had a similar response to reading that as well. And earlier too, when someone told me Beano would solve my problems. It defeats the whole purpose to just go buy beano to get rid of flatulence from non-meat sources.

Other brands include Ox bile and other funky stuff, so you have to be very careful. I found one brand that doesn't seem to work at all, but it's vegan, and it tastes terrible (and it's just a pill ! )

[Teejay]

If it's any comfort, it seems to be a very common vegan problem...

Watch out for garlic and other heavy condiments, they are often the culprits.

You can try eating vegan charcoal biscuits (that's what they sell in England -- do they make such things here?) but they are truly disgusting. That's an old-fashioned remedy.

I know this is small consolation, but the rest of the population, judging by ads and articles in magazines (!) seems to suffer from a near-opposite problem -- ie constipation! At least your bowels are working well. I am amazed at the level of constipation many non-vegans put up with. Isn't this a lovely delicate conversation? Common topic in our household... Sorry I'm not more help.

[reb_granger]

People who like Indian food might perhaps have noticed a few things about Indian-style lentils. They are generally garnished/cooked with ginger (which I hate) or asafoetida (hing), which, in my opinion, is a tastier option. I believe that cooking with ginger and/or asafoetida is effective in reducing the flatulence caused by beans and lentils. You might want to give it a try!

[inkiepoo]

Here are some things to consider:
l. Do you eat FAST? Do you swollow lots of air when you eat?
Do you chew gum a lot? These will cause your problems.

2. Do you eat inbetween meals? If you eat between meals, even a peanut, this will cause the food in your stomach to putrify and cause the smell problem. You need to have at least 4-5 hours between your meals.

3. Eat a light supper. Most people make the evening meal their BIG one but it is hard on the system. If you eat a light supper and BEFORE 6 p.m. you will sleep better because your digestive system is getting a rest that it deserves.

4. Some foods are absolutely poison to some people. I would try pinto beans for one day while following the above, and see if you have a problem. Then try lentils and see if this is the problem.

5. Another thing that causes terrible flatulance is if you are overeating! Try cutting back on the amount of food you eat. Not that you are dieting but if you overeat, get tooooo full, then you can have flatulance. I know that I do!!!

Hope this helps. Try these simple remedies and let me know if they make a difference!

[infinity]

I just read about drinking basil tea for gas. 1 to 2 tsp dried basil in a cup of hot water and sip many cups throughout the day. I haven't tried it yet I hope it works.

[Christa]

I, too, have had some problems with intestinal ails, but not so much gas. Although a gastroenterologist initially thought that I had ulcerative colitis, a food allergy turned out to be the culprit. I had RAST tests done to find the allergen, however RAST tests are quite expensive, but my symptoms were severe & I didn't want to take corticosteroids.

Anyway, supplementation with Acidophilus will help increase the healthy flora in your intestines. The refrigerated brands usually work better.

Also, the amino acid L-Glutamine works wonders for intestinal problems. I found a vegetarian pharmaceutical grade powder at my health food store & take it whenever I am having any cramping or intestinal ill feelings. It basically is a metabolic fuel for the intestinal cells - it helps with absorption and maintaining healthy intestinal functioning. Be careful not to take large quantities, though, b/c I can cause constipation if you over do it. A teaspoon or so every day or two should be enough.

Finally, I do not know if you have any symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, but you may want to look into some remedies for this if so. Sx include abdominal pain, bloating, change in bowel habits (constipation or diarrhea), flatulence, nausea, and sometimes mucus in your stools.

Good books include "Listen to Your Gut" by Jini Patel Thompson, and "Prescription for Nutritional Healing" by Phyllis and James Balch. Listen to Your Gut addresses Irritible Bowel Syndrome and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Colitis, and Crohn's) - it sounds like you probably don't have anything this severe. Prescription for Nutritional Healing is a very good overall health book for dealing with health issues from a natural standpoint, but it is not entirely vegetarian as it does recommend Beano, etc as well for dealing with gas.

Good luck -sorry that this is so long!

[VOW]

I had a friend tell me about Kombu! This is a dried seaweed product that you place in whatever you are cooking (such as baked beans, chili, stew...). It is supposed to make beans and legumes more "digestible" and therefore render you more sociable.

For long-cooking foods, the Kombu will eventually disintegrate. For other foods, buzz the cooked Kombu with some of the cooking liquid in the food processor or blender, and return it to the dish. Kombu has virtually no flavor of its own, and is loaded with lots of nutrients!

Use about a three-inch long strip in whatever you cook.


~VOW

[alexis]

My grandmother used to use ginger and fennel for gas. Ginger is used in cooking or as a tea but i;'m not sure about fennel. Maybe you could chew fennel seeds like chewing gum or something...watch out for garlic and onions.

[Sheree]

My dad, who's vegan, just told me that he's used acidophilus as well for his flatulence and it worked wonders.

[sun_flower]

Well you guys are gonna laugh at my response.......

My Husband said to me one night all serious......

"Honey, how the heck can your farts smell so bad when you don't eat meat!"

I was laughing so hard that I nearly peed my pants!

Girls, I just let nature take its course, I know it isn't always the most favorite topic but I let it out and don't hold back. I always find a quiet spot so as not to offend anyone.

Listen on a Vegan diet you have GOT to expect some gas. Hey and have you ever smelt anyone who ate a hamburger and let fly, I would rather be in the same room with a Vegan anyday!

Smiles

Katherine
Toronto, Canada

[edamame]

When I was in high school, a chemistry teacher once told us that if we had gas we should drink tea with burnt toast. She said the combination took care of it.

maybe that is worth a shot.

[PikkuMyy]

The reason your teacher said burnt toast is because the charcoal created by the burning helps to absorb the gas.

BTW - My husband and I have been cutting down on our soy consumption after a lot of research and since I've cut it down to not more than one serving per day, I have a LOT less gas than I do if I eat more soy.

Emily

[Lady]

Work's pretty good for me I take it every day 500mg, it has helped me alot, I get it at my healh food store in the refrigerated
section.

[duckie1978]

Oh I used to get the strawberry flavored ones. They were great tasting!