Why does porridge cause so much flatulence?!
Why does porridge cause so much flatulence?
I eat wholewheat pasta, stoneground wholemeal bread and wholegrain brown rice. I never peel vegetables and rarely eat processed food. None of this gives me any problems but when I have porridge for breakfast, I have terrible wind during the afternoon. So, instead of eating porridge I eat Rice Crispies which don't have any substance to them at all. Why does porridge affect me like that?
Answers:
here's 2 answers for you that I found online
source : http://www.flat-d.com/flatulence.html...
"Flatulence occurs when a food does not break down completely in the stomach and small intestine. As a result, the food makes it into the large intestine in an undigested state. Most lower intestinal gas is produced when bacteria in your colon ferment carbohydrates that aren't digested in your small intestine. The body does not digest and absorb some carbohydrates (the sugar, starches, and fiber found in many foods) in the small intestine because of a shortage or absence of certain enzymes.
This undigested food then passes from the small intestine into the large intestine, where normal, harmless bacteria break down the food, producing gases such as hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and, in about one-third of all people, methane. As much as 80 to 90 percent of rectal gas (flatulence) is formed by bacteria. Eventually these gases exit through the rectum. Certain foods produce more flatulence than others because they contain more indigestible carbohydrates than others. Beans are well known gas producers. The beans pass through the small intestine and arrive in the large intestine without being digested, which causes flatulence to occur.
Unfortunately, healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, oatmeal and legumes (beans and peas) are often the worst offenders. That's because these foods are high in soluble fiber. Soluble fiber dissolves in water forming a gelatinous substance in the bowel. Fiber has many health benefits, including keeping your digestive tract in good working order, regulating blood sugar and cholesterol levels, and helping prevent heart attacks and other heart problems. But it can also lead to the formation of gas. In the colon the bacteria thrive on the undigestible fiber. These bacteria are harmless but for those who have an intestinal gas or flatus problem it is probably best to avoid or carefully test soluble fibers to see if they are contributing to intestinal gas.
On the other hand, insoluble fiber as found in wheat, rye, bran, and other grains does not dissolve in water. It is not used by intestinal colon bacteria as a food source, so these bacteria generally do not produce intestinal gas. Both soluble and insoluble fiber should be eaten on a daily basis."
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Fiber, Cholesterol and Gas
source :
http://www.gicare.com/pated/edtgs01.htm...
Insoluble fiber is found in wheat, rye, bran, and other grains.
It is also the fiber found in most vegetables. Insoluble fiber means it does not dissolve in water. It also cannot be used by intestinal-colon bacteria as a food source, so these beneficial bacteria generally do not grow and produce intestinal gas.
Soluble fiber, on the other hand, does dissolve in water forming a gelatinous substance in the bowel. Soluble fiber is found in oatmeal, oat bran, fruit, psyllium (Metamucil, Konsyl), barley, and legumes. Soluble fiber, among its other benefits, seems to bind up cholesterol allowing it to be eliminated with the stool. If enough is removed it can lower the blood cholesterol 10-15%.
The down side of soluble fiber is that it can be metabolized by gas forming bacteria in the colon. These bacteria are harmless but for those who have an intestinal gas or flatus problem it is probably best to avoid or carefully test soluble fibers to see if they are contributing to intestinal gas. Whenever possible, both soluble and insoluble fiber should be eaten on a daily basis. "
If you have Irritable Bowel Syndrome this can also irritate you more. This info is also on the above site.
Source(s):
1) http://www.flat-d.com/flatulence.html...
2) http://www.gicare.com/pated/edtgs01.htm...
Maybe it is not the cereal, but milk causes your gas and you are lactose intolerant!
Porridge doesn't cause this, I think its just you - farty pants! wahahahaha
I have porridge every day for breakfast but I make it the Scottish way by soaking it overnight and add a pinch of coarse sea salt. In the morning, I just heat it up and pour over it a Muller Vitality pre and pro biotic. I like the strawberry but any of the flavours would do according to your taste. I never have flatulence unless I eat lots of cheese later in the day, so perhaps the person who said that maybe you have a lactose intolerance has the right idea. I don't put milk on my porridge though, just the Muller Vitality.
Delicious and very healthy. Oats are the new superfood apparently.
I hope this helps.