# Anti-gas treatments **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 28, 2007, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-gas-treatments/389808 "2007-01-28T04:56:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2007, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-gas-treatments/389808/1 "2007-01-28T04:56:00Z")
What happens when you take something like GasX? It’s supposed to eliminate gas, but how does it work? ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2007, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-gas-treatments/389808/2 "2007-01-28T05:28:07Z")
["It [reduces] the surface tension](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simethicone) of gas bubbles, causing them to coalesce into larger bubbles that can be passed more easily by belching or flatulence." ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2007, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-gas-treatments/389808/3 "2007-01-28T05:49:15Z")
Then there are the gas preventitives, such as Beano, which employ [alpha galactosidase](http://www.nutriteck.com/galactosidase.html): > [@](#): > > …an enzyme derived from the fungus Aspergillus niger. It hydrolyzes the a 1-6 nun-reducing galactocide residues from poly and oligosaccharides in an exo-fashion. These poly-saccharides (primarily raffinose, stacchiose, and melibiosc) are typically found in legumes and are not digestible in the small intestine. As these sugars are not absorbed, they pass into the large intestine. In the large intestine, these sugars are fermented by native microbial flora anti produce gas resulting in bloating, pain and general discomfort. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2007, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-gas-treatments/389808/4 "2007-01-28T05:50:13Z")
It doesn’t really do much to stop flatulence, but it _may_ help gas pains. Charcoal will help with flatus, but it’s constipating. Chlorophyll will help with odor. Many find thast adding Probiotics (live-culture yogurt is a good source) to their diet helps with gas. Dudes may be slightly lactose intolerant which can cause gas. “Lactaid” will help. Or cut back on drinking milk, etc. “Beano” will help with beans, broccoli and such-like. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-gas-treatments/389808/5 "2007-01-29T12:53:14Z")
[QUOTE=DrDeth] Chlorophyll will help with odor. [/QUOTE] Does this mean that if I eat plenty of dark leaf veggies, my farts won’t smell? Or would that take unnatural amounts of clhorophyll? (what about those Clorets gums with chlorophyll?) ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-gas-treatments/389808/6 "2007-01-29T20:30:41Z")
I meant the concentrate, sold as pills or liquids at the “Health food store”, but yes, your solution might work also. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-gas-treatments/389808/7 "2007-01-29T20:32:45Z")
the veggies or the Clorets? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-gas-treatments/389808/8 "2007-01-29T20:45:01Z")
Veggies. I don’t know how much chlorophyll is in Clorets. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2007, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-gas-treatments/389808/9 "2007-01-29T20:55:22Z")
[QUOTE=DrDeth] Dudes may be slightly lactose intolerant which can cause gas. “Lactaid” will help. Or cut back on drinking milk, etc. [/QUOTE] Just to nitpick: Lactaid is the brand name of the leading supplier of lactose-free (or -reduced) dairy products and of lactase pills. While Lactaid, like Kleenex, is often used as a generic, there are numerous competitors. You can find branded and store name lactose-free dairy products and dozens of brands of lactase pills. (Lactase is the enzyme that digests lactose.) Virtually every supermarket chain, pharmacy chain, and big box discounter will have a store name version of lactase pills. They should work just as well.