Symptoms of trapped wind include:
• Bloated stomach or abdomen
• Flatulence
• Feeling uncomfortably full after eating
• Rumbling or gurgling noises in your stomach
Symptoms of trapped wind
Although the most obvious indications of trapped wind are flatulence and burping there are a number of other symptoms associated with trapped wind including;
• Stomach cramps
• Bloating
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal pain1
Why do we experience trapped wind?
We need our digestive system to break down foods into useable energy so that our body can carry out its processes and functions. However, some foods are more difficult to break down than others; these foods get sent to the colon which is full of gut bacteria. These bacteria ferment the undigested particles of food and gas is the leftover product.
Bloating and trapped wind can often be caused by an imbalance in the good and bad bacteria that live in the digestive system and intestines. It can arise by food, such as fructose sugar, sitting in the digestive system fermenting rather than being digested. So which foods are most likely to cause this?
Foods that cause wind
High fibre foods
High fibre foods can increase the amount of wind produced (beans, broccoli, cabbage, onions and brown rice). Beans are probably the most well-known food to cause flatulence, but why? Well, they contain a lot of raffinose, which is a complex sugar that the body has trouble digesting.
Increasing the amount of fibre in your diet is a good idea for better digestive health and bowel regularity however, excessive gas can arise as a result of this. Your body may take up to a week to adjust to this extra fibre and learn how to break it down.
The culprits:
• Beans
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Onions
• Lentils
Fructose
Fructose is a sugar that passes undigested into the colon and thus needs a lot of breaking down. When bacteria in the colon manage to break down this sugar, it is likely to cause bloating and wind. Fruit juice is rich is fructose so try to limit your intake and drink no more than 150ml at a time alongside food so that it is easier to digest.
The culprits:
• Fruit juice
• Fizzy drinks, energy drinks and sports drinks
• Low-fat and fat-free sweetened yoghurt
• Bread
• Cereal, nutrition and granola bars
Sorbitol
Sorbitol is a type of sugar-alcohol that can be found naturally in some fruits, because it contains fewer calories than regular sweeteners it is often found in sugar-free chewing gum or diet and slimming products. In small amounts sorbitol is fine however, large amounts of this sweetener can lead to chronic diarrhoea, malnutrition, bloating and gas.
The culprits:
• Fruits
• Sweeteners and processed foods
• Diet products, slimming products
Dairy
If dairy products make you feel bloated it is possible that you could be lactose intolerant. Gas can arise because the small intestine doesn’t contain enough of an enzyme called lactase. Lactase is responsible for breaking down lactose, the sugar that is found in milk and dairy products. If the lactose can’t be broken down the bacteria ferment the sugar which again leads to flatulence. Try swapping dairy foods for dairy-free alternatives such as Rude Health’s Organic Almond Drink that can be found with our friends at Jan de Vries.
The culprits: 
• Milk
• Cheese
• Ice cream
• Yoghurt
Starch
Starches, are one of the toughest food groups to digest, they are very high in carbohydrates and can produce gas as they are broken down in the large intestine.
The culprits:
• Potatoes
• Wheat
• Bread
• Pasta
Which foods are least likely to cause wind?
Not all foods will make you gassy, every person has a different diet and lifestyle and thus, will respond to food in different ways. Below I’ve listed some of the foods that will be least likely to cause gas:
• Meat, poultry, fish
• Eggs
• Lettuce
• Tomatoes
• Zucchini
• Grapes
• Berries
• Avocado
• Kiwi
• Kale
• Chia seeds
• Walnuts
How to prevent trapped wind
Eat regular meals at the same time each day to allow your digestive system to get into a routine. Eat smaller meals regularly throughout the day rather than three large meals and try to avoid eating 3 hours before bedtime. Eating more fats and proteins can help prevent trapped wind as these are among the least likely food groups to cause bloating and gas.
Eat and chew slowly and try not to swallow a lot of air as you eat, if you wolf your food down you are more likely to swallow air and send big chunks of food to the digestive system which are harder to digest than smaller pieces of food. If you eat fast your food doesn’t get properly coated with saliva which can slow down the digestive process because saliva contains important enzymes to digest food. A food diary is a great way to keep track of what you eat and is useful for identifying gas-causing foods.
Herbal remedies and supplements can also help to balance out the internal environment and prevent wind. I’d recommend our own Molkosan, which is a prebiotic rich in L+ lactic acid which creates a healthy internal environment for our friendly gut bacteria and can help to prevent the build-up of gases.
Trapped wind can be embarrassing, extremely uncomfortable, and sometimes quite painful. Certain foods create more gas in the digestive tract than others. Eating foods that are easy for your digestive system to process is a good way to help prevent trapped wind. Check out our blog on how to relieve trapped wind for natural, physical and dietary remedies to try! Physical exercise is another way to keep your digestive system moving and healthy, I’d recommend gentle exercise and specific poses that can help to relieve trapped wind.
http://www.health.com/digestive-health/sugar-free-gum-sorbitol-diarrhea
