[Home] [Headlines] [Latest Articles] [Latest Comments] [Post] [Sign-in] [Mail] [Setup] [Help]
Status: Not Logged In; Sign In
|
Health See other Health Articles Title: Why do some foods (like beans) give you intestinal gas? Flatulence (intestinal gas) is usually the result of many combined factors-not simply a food all by itself. Yet, sometimes flatulence can be the result of a food that is mismatched for our metabolism. Gas resulting from the lactose in cow's milk would be a good example in this category. Some individuals cannot break down milk sugar (lactose) very effectively because their bodies do not contain sufficient quantities of the enzyme, lactase, which is needed to break down milk sugar. Instead of being enzymatically broken down into simpler sugars (glucose and galactose) and then absorbed, milk sugar may end up passing most of the way through the intestine until bacteria in the lower intestine break it down. But those bacteria do not break down milk sugar into glucose and galactose. Instead, they break it down even further into gases (like carbon dioxide) and water. The result is intestinal gas. Beans and other high-fiber foods can work in this exact same way in some individuals. Fibers in food aren't easily broken down in the digestive tract. Under certain circumstances, high-fiber foods end up undergoing extensive breakdown by bacteria lower down in our digestive tract (mostly in the large intestine), and the result, once again, is intestinal gas. Oligosaccharides form part of the digestion-resistant substances in beans, and for this reason they can be a source of potential intestinal gas. Soaking beans before cooking them can help to reduce the oligosaccharide levels of beans. I also recommend draining your soaked beans, discarding the soaking water, and then refilling your pot with fresh water before cooking. If you are eating canned beans, I would suggest rinsing them well before consuming or cooking them. There is anecdotal evidence that cooking beans with kombu (a type of sea vegetable) and plenty of spices can also improve the digestibility of beans. Adding kombu to your beans will also increase their nutritional value by adding trace minerals to your dish. Cumin, fennel, and ginger are among the spices that are especially effective in preventing the formation of gas, but any of your favorite aromatic spices will help by inhibiting bacteria and stimulating digestion. Also, products like Beano ™ have been found to help many people by reducing the formation of the intestinal gas that they experience. WHFoods
Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread
|
||
|
[Home]
[Headlines]
[Latest Articles]
[Latest Comments]
[Post]
[Sign-in]
[Mail]
[Setup]
[Help]
|
||