Is Gas a Major Concern for You?

Imagine this… you lay out an elaborate dinner or lunch spread, and invite over dozens of people and you hear someone who says that her husband has gas and can’t stomach even a salad. You hear the pain in to voice and can imagine the expression on his face and have a great well of sympathy for them. This person is not alone. He is just one, one in the large company of people who suffer the same problem of “GAS”.

What exactly is gas and why do some people have it and other doesn’t? Gas is slang for flatulent dyspepsia. The most common source of gas formation in the human stomach is when gas is swallowed because of faulty eating habits like keeping irregular eating habits. Then there’s this valve between the stomach and the esophagus, which if lax allows the air to enter the canal. This is another source of gas buildup.

Thirdly, when pancreatic bicarbonate neutralizes the hydrochloric acid in the stomach and carbon dioxide is released, gas is caused. Finally a fourth source is when gas enters the bloodstream and diffuses into the stomach and intestine. Also, if some eatable cannot be digested, they get fermented by the colonic bacteria and get passed out as carbon dioxide.
In Asians, there is a tendency for gas formation from eating certain vegetables like cauliflower, cabbage and beans, besides certain foods that contain carbohydrates. Though cauliflower is a rich source of vitamins such as A,B and C and iron and other minerals, it is otherwise not so useful and should be taken in limited quantities to avoid gas.

Doctors have said that the very act of chewing could get gas to enter the GI tract. Sipping water in between bites is another way for gas to make an entrance. Fizzy drinks are also not the best option as they also cause gas. We are at particular risk from milk products because they generally lack in the enzyme lactose. Too much of any dairy product can cause gas to build up in the stomach.

What exactly happens from gas build up? Well, it actually differs from person to person depending on each individual’s accommodation reflex- the stomach wall tension as also the intestines. IN some people with wall tensions, their stomach will not be able to contain more than a certain amount of food. People who suffer from hypertension also find that they cannot stomach too much food. When such thing happens, that causes the buildup of gas.

The symptoms of gas and heart attack are very common and are often mistaken by people. Beware of vegetables and drinks which are mentioned above and should be taken in moderation as they cause gas and also other problems.