Getting Fiber Without Excessive Gas, By Diana Rodriguez

Getting Fiber Without Excessive Gas A high-fiber diet offers many health benefits, but unfortunately it also comes with an unpleasant side effect. Here's how to fit fiber into your diet without all that intestinal gas. By Diana Rodriguez Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH Many people have an image of bland, tasteless foods when they think of fiber. And according to the American Dietetic Association, the typical American eats only about 11 grams of fiber a day, even though most adult women should shoot for over 20 grams and men should aim for over 30 grams. But fiber doesn’t deserve its dull rap — in fact, when you eat a balanced diet that’s rich in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, you’ll likely get most of the fiber you need. Fiber has also been shown to help manage weight and lower your risk for diabetes and heart disease. Unfortunately, when you start to include more fiber-rich foods in your diet, you may start to notice an undesirable side effect: excessive gas. Flatulence and bloating can result, which can be embarrassing and uncomfortable, to say the least. Foods That Cause Gas Many carbohydrates can cause stomach gas, as they can be tough for the digestive system to process. Some common high-fiber foods that can cause excessive gas include: Beans Whole-wheat products, such as cereals, breads, and pastas Bran products Oatmeal and oat bran Vegetables, especially asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage Fruits, especially pears, peaches, prunes, and apples Fortunately, you don't have to eliminate these healthy, tasty foods from your diet to get relief from excessive gas. Ease Into High Fiber Converting to a high-fiber diet is a great idea, but you can have too much of a good thing when it comes to fiber. One way to prevent uncomfortable intestinal gas is to slowly increase the fiber in your diet. Rather than adding high-fiber foods all at once, add just one or two servings a day to your regular diet for a week — maybe switching from white to whole wheat bread for your sandwich at lunch, or adding a salad at dinner. Let your body adjust, then add another serving the following week, and so on. Giving your body a chance to get used to processing the increase in fiber will make the transition easier and reduce the amount of intestinal gas you'll have to deal with. Ward Off Excessive Gas There are a few other things you can do to prevent a gastrointestinal protest as you introduce more high-fiber foods to your diet: Eliminate other foods that cause gas. If you're already overwhelming your gut with fiber, cut out other foods that create gas. Try limiting or avoiding sugar-free candy and gum that contain sorbitol and gassy carbonated beverages. Load up on water. Staying hydrated and drinking plenty of water will help to prevent uncomfortable intestinal gas and bloating. Watch your air intake. When you eat, drink, and chew gum, you swallow a lot of air, which can result in excessive gas. Eat slowly, avoid smoking, and spit out the gum to cut down on how much air gets into your belly. Keep a list of what you eat and when you experience excessive gas. Maybe some foods affect you more than others, and simply cutting out those specific items can help reduce intestinal gas. Keep a journal of the foods that you eat, and write down when you get a bad bout of stomach gas — look for patterns that tell you which foods to avoid. Most importantly, just give your body a chance. Once you’ve had time to get used to digesting all of this bulky fiber, you'll probably notice that your excessive gas symptoms subside. Don't give up on your healthy, high-fiber diet — know that this gas too shall pass.