[toc]The formation of gas occurs in the digestive track of every human being. However, people find it embarrassing to admit this simple fact. When there is gas, people either burp through the mouth or pass it down the anus as flatus. This gas is in fact a mixture of some gases like hydrogen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, oxygen, methane and sulfur. The flatus sometimes has an odor. This happens when the sulfur content is more.
We all swallow air and gas is formed due to accumulation of this air and its composition depends mainly on what we eat and how their bacterial fermentation takes place. When gas remains trapped in the colon or small bowel, it may cause bloating, abdominal pain and uneasiness.
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This often makes the abdomen fuller and inflated just like a balloon filled with air. Moreover, it is often accompanied by some other factors like constipation, diarrhea, headache or nausea. We can prevent the formation of gas and bloating with some excellent home remedies and healthy eating habits.
7 Excellent Ways To Prevent Gas And Bloating
Ginger
Ginger is a culinary herb which is full of medicinal properties. The anti-bacterial and antioxidant properties present in it soothes the digestive tract and provides relief from gas, flatulence and bloating. According to Norman Farnsworth, a WHO scientist, ginger is one of the three most thoroughly investigated plants in the history of the world.
Apart from providing relief from constipation, it enhances the growth of friendly bacteria like lactobacillus. Ginger also kills the harmful bacteria that causes stomach disorders like food poisoning. Chewing raw ginger is the best way of benefiting from it, although including it in cooked food or tea is also beneficial.
Garlic
Garlic, apart from adding taste to food, works as an ultimate home remedy for stomach related problems and the list of its benefits are just endless. It helps in providing relief from gas and bloating by stimulating the digestive system and removing harmful toxins from the body.
The anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties present in garlic helps in fighting any infection of the stomach and intestine. It aids in killing worms and in curing the problems that are responsible for gas and bloating like diarrhea and colitis. A clove of garlic taken every morning , empty stomach prevents the formation of gas and bloating. It also helps in expelling the gas already formed if taken raw and not in combination with any other spice.
Peppermint Tea
Peppermint tea is extremely beneficial for dealing with stomach disorders like gas and flatulence. It soothes and helps in relieving spasms in the digestive track, gall bladder and bile duct, with the help if its antispasmodic properties. It also relaxes the stomach muscles and helps the body to expel bowel and swallowed air.
To make peppermint tea, boil one teaspoon of dried peppermint leaves in a cup of water for ten minutes. You may sip it few times in a day, in between meals. However, refrain from giving this drink to small children and infants due to the burning sensation it creates in the mouth.
Black Salt (Kaala Namak In Hindi)
Black salt occupies a very important place in ayurveda. It is a type of volcanic stone salt mostly found in India and Pakistan . Rich in sulfur, sodium chloride, iron and vitamins, black salt is beneficial for stomach and digestion related disorders like constipation, flatulence, gas, bloating, etc. It is very suitable for Indian cooking especially vegetarian delicacies like pickles, yogurt, chutneys, fruit salads, Indian street food and juices.
For instant relief from gas and bloating, add half a tea spoon of black salt in a glass of warm water. Mix it well until the entire salt is diluted and drink it. Do not drink it more than twice in a day because it may raise the blood pressure or cause loose motion.
Lemon juice
Lemon helps in the digestion of food and provides relief from indigestion, gas, bloating, etc. The acid component in lemon induces the production of hydrochloric acids, which is responsible for breaking down the food particles. The water along with lemon juice, flushes out harmful toxins from the body, cleanses the digestive track and increases the efficiency of the enzymes.
Drinking lemon juice every morning, empty stomach, keeps the digestive system healthy and free from stomach disorders like, bloating, gas, flatulence, etc. Squeeze in half of lemon juice in a glass of warm water and sip it empty stomach.
Asafoetida (Hing in hindi)
Asafoetida is used in asian cuisines, especially Indian, Pakistani and afgani cuisines due to its digestive properties. An organic sulfur compound found in it, which gives it a distinct odor which helps in preventing the formation of gas and indigestion. Besides, it helps in curing flatulence, spasms, gas and bloating.
It also helps in killing worms and other intestinal parasites which can cause prolonged stomach disorder. Take a glass of warm water and add a pince of Asafoetida to it. While using it for cooking, it should always be fried, which can otherwise cause nausea and vomiting.
Healthy Eating
Our digestion depends what we eat and how we eat, and also how our body reacts to it. It is important to understand that we all have a digestive system that is different from each other. What may be difficult fore one person to digest, may not be so for another person. Therefore, it is always good to be a little aware about our eating habits.
For example, there are some vegetables like cabbage, beans and radish, which are hard to digest. Similarly, too spicy, oily or fried food can easily cause gas and flatulence. Moreover, it is also essential to be careful about the combination of one food with another. Consuming dairy products like citrus fruits, sipping water along with fries, eating different fruits at the same time are some of the common eating mistakes we often commit, and can be harmful for our digestive system.
There are some healthy eating habits which can go a long way in keeping our digestive system free from disorders like gas, bloating, acidity, etc. We should eat and drink slowly, in order to allow salivation which is the first step of food digestion. Another benefit of eating slow is that we are likely to swallow less air through the mouth which can save us from gas formation and bloating.