Flatulence and aging: What’s normal, and what’s cause for concern?

Some experts believe that as you get older, you fart more because your metabolism slows down. The food sits longer in your digestive system, creating more gas. Also, your stomach makes less of the acid needed to digest food well.

What’s more, your digestive system is made up of muscles. These muscles lose strength as you age, further slowing down your digestive system and possibly leading to more gas.

Other reasons for you might pass more gas as you age could be:

•  Lack of digestive enzymes. As you get older, your body makes less lactase, the enzyme needed to digest dairy products. So, over time, you may have more gas when you eat cheese, milk, and other dairy products.
•  Medications. Some prescriptions cause constipation or bloating, which can also lead to more flatulence.

“Although having gas is common, it can be uncomfortable and embarrassing. Understanding causes, ways to reduce symptoms, and treatment will help most people find relief,” says Dr. Julie Gatza (Dr. Julie) of the Florida Wellness Institute. 

Sources of Gas

Gas comes from two main sources: swallowed air and the normal breakdown of certain foods by harmless bacteria naturally present in the large intestine. Fats and proteins cause little gas. Foods that often cause gas include the following:

• Beans
• Vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, onions, artichokes, and asparagus
• Fruits, such as pears, apples, and peaches
• Whole grains, such as whole wheat and bran
• Soft drinks and fruit drinks
• Milk and milk products, such as cheese and ice cream, and packaged foods prepared with lactose, such as bread, cereal, and salad dressing
• Foods containing sorbitol, such as dietetic foods and sugar-free candies and gum

Tips for Reducing your Gaseous Emissions

Avoid known gas-triggers: Several vegetables including mushrooms, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, along with certain fruits (cherries and grapes), and beans contain raffinose. When this complex sugar ferments in the digestive tract, it can cause gas and bloating.

Digestive enzyme supplements: Digestive enzyme supplements, especially amylase and lactase, can help digest foods that normally cause gas.

 Proper food combining: Basic food combining principles that enable proper digestion requires the separation of protein foods and carbohydrate foods, and the consumption of raw fruits separately.

Probiotics: These beneficial bacteria may improve gas symptoms by replacing putrefactive intestinal flora that is responsible for producing some of the gas.

Proper food timing: The digestive system can more completely digest proteins and fats early in the day (7am – 2pm), preventing undigested food in the gut from nourishing gas-producing bacteria throughout the rest of the day.

SAMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

1. What causes flatulence?
2. At what point is flatulence considered excessive?
3. Which foods trigger the most flatulence?
4. How do digestive enzymes help reduce flatulence?
5. Which enzyme(s) do most flatulent persons lack?
6. What does chronic flatulence say about one’s digestive health and overall health?
7. In addition to their ability to reduce gas, can you explain how digestive enzyme supplements contribute to overall good health?
8. Explain the basics of food combining and how it can help digestion and reduce gas.
9. What can listeners do today to help reduce their gas and bloating?
10. How can listeners get a free sample of the digestive enzymes you recommend to your patients?

ABOUT DR. JULIE GATZA, DC, Co-founder of the Florida Wellness Institute. Health educator Dr. Julie Gatza is one of the nation’s top chiropractic physicians with more than 30 years of clinical practice during which she assisted thousands of patients to resolve a wide variety of physical ailments. Using her understanding of the nervous system, nutrition, and alternative therapies, Dr. Gatza’s mission with each patient is to enhance their body’s potential to heal itself. Dr. Gatza regularly lectures and educates audiences on how to achieve optimum health with a focus on the role that digestion plays in maintaining a healthy immune system.