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Avoiding Gas-producing Foods

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IMAGE Many gastrointestinal conditions can be aggravated by foods that cause gas. Everyone reacts to foods differently, so keep track of the foods you eat and your symptoms. Share this information with your doctor.
Foods that commonly cause gas include:
  • Certain vegetables, such as:
    • Asparagus
    • Broccoli
    • Brussels sprouts
    • Cabbage
    • Cauliflower
    • Corn
    • Cucumbers
    • Kohlrabi
    • Leeks
    • Onions
    • Peas
    • Peppers
    • Potatoes
    • Radishes
    • Sauerkraut
    • Turnip
  • Soda
  • Beer
  • Sugars: raffinose, lactose, fructose, and sorbitol (found in many fruits, vegetables, and dairy products)
  • Sugar substitutes, and sugar-free candies and gums
  • Beans and other legumes: baked beans, garbanzo (chickpeas), kidney, lentil, lima, navy, pinto
  • Wheat and wheat bran
  • Whole grains
  • Pasta
  • Certain fruits, such as:
    • Apricots
    • Cantaloupe and other melons
    • Peaches
    • Pears
    • Prunes
    • Raw apples
  • Milk and other dairy products, including highly fermented cheese
  • Undigestable fats such as Olestra (found in some potato chips)
Gas is also caused by swallowing excess air, which can be caused by rapid eating, chewing with your mouth open, gum chewing, drinking through a straw, and smoking.
Some medicines, particularly cholesterol-lowering medicines, are associated with increased gas production.
Cutting gas-producing foods from your diet may decrease gas, but could also mean fewer healthy foods in your diet. There are also prescription and over-the-counter medicines that can help. Talk to your doctor about the best way to treat gas.

RESOURCES

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics http://www.eatright.org/

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/

CANADIAN RESOURCES

Canadian Digestive Health Foundation http://www.cdhf.ca

Dietitians of Canada http://www.dietitians.ca/

References

Gas in the Digestive Tract. National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse website. Available at: http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/gas/. Updated February 21, 2012. Accessed June 18, 2012.

What I need to know about gas. National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases website. Available at: http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/gas%5Fez/. Updated October 25, 2011. Accessed June 18, 2012.

Revision Information

This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.

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