Belly swelling and flatulence are often embarrassing disorders that depend on lifestyle. Not only the type of diet, but also how you chew, what you drink or if you are used to smoking cigarettes, can increase the amount of intestinal gas – explains Dr. Beatrice Salvioli, consultant in the Operating Unit of Clinical Gastreonterology in Humanitas. In addition, if we eat without chewing properly or talk while eating, we ingest amounts of air that can increase to the point of causing discomfort. In fact, the intestine normally produces an amount of odorless gas that escapes from the digestive tract about 20 times a day; when the intestinal gas takes on unpleasant odors, it depends on intestinal bacteria that release small quantities of emissions, in addition to odorless substances such as oxygen and hydrogen. To avoid annoyance and embarrassment, those who suffer from intestinal gas, belly swelling and flatulence often benefit from changing their lifestyle, starting with the habits that induce the intestine to produce excess gas. Therefore, it is important to know what increases intestinal gas:

• Carbohydrates plus proteins and fats
• Beans and brassicaceae (broccoli, cabbage and horseradish), but also onions, artichokes and asparagus
• Fruit if consumed after meals
• Milk and dairy products, in people intolerant to these foods
• Dietary or sugar-free foods containing sorbitol, baked goods, beverages, sweets and chewing-gum
• Eating quickly and poor chewing
• Incorrect table posture