# Attn: Vegetarians, please! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 19, 2005, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attn-vegetarians-please/304656 "2005-05-19T23:44:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attn-vegetarians-please/304656/1 "2005-05-19T23:44:32Z")
To combat my gouty arthritis and cut down on purine-containing foods, about a month ago I adaopted the vegetarian lifestyle, and it really is helping, but… …I have gas. A **lot** of gas, and it escapes at some very inopportune times. Scraping my sneakers on the floor isn’t working, because once it passes, everyone knows it for what it is: A FART! THERE! I SAID IT! :o I have tried Phazyme, but it doesn’t work, so what do y’all recommend? Thanks! Quasi ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attn-vegetarians-please/304656/2 "2005-05-19T23:50:51Z")
WHAT are you eating? And what were you eating before? A big change in diet can alter your system for a while. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attn-vegetarians-please/304656/3 "2005-05-19T23:56:47Z")
Veggie Burgers, mostly, and all the different varieities which taste like meat and pork, but really aren’t. Just Morningstar Farms stuff, basically… I am a bachelor and not much on cooking… ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attn-vegetarians-please/304656/4 "2005-05-19T23:58:18Z")
Sorry! _BEFORE_ , I was eating low-carb stuff. Lots of red meat, chicken, pork and anything with a low carb count. Thanks for your answer! Q ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attn-vegetarians-please/304656/5 "2005-05-20T00:15:08Z")
I ain’t a nutritionist, yaddayaddayadda…hopefully one can stalk in here with some solid facts and keep us in GQ. I went in & out of the veggie diet a couple different times. I found that the easiest transition was made when I just deleted meat from the diet without attempting to substitute for it. After a couple weeks & got into the faux meats somewhat, but essentially just ate plants and some cheese & eggses on occasion. Going from high-protein (all meat) to high fiber (well, plants are full of it) is bound to call for some adjustment while your flora changes. The fake meats & stuff is typically soy BEAN based, by the way. I might try hitting the bananas & potatoes & pasta, just while your system learns how to recognize plant matter again and figures out what to do with it. But all this is anecdote, not facts. ---
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attn-vegetarians-please/304656/6 "2005-05-20T00:27:34Z")
Hubby does not avoid meat or chicken for a low purine and low purine builder diet. He does limit himself to one serving or less per day of: liver and other organ meats, fish, seafood, dark green leafy vegetables, beets, legumes of all types, gravy, and nuts. This works to control his gout along with his allopurinol. It would hard to be vegetarian without eating beans and still get enough protein. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attn-vegetarians-please/304656/7 "2005-05-20T00:46:11Z")
[Beano](http://www.beanogas.com/). Get some. Use it. Period. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attn-vegetarians-please/304656/8 "2005-05-20T04:42:37Z")
Tofu and soymilk have had the bean fiber (_okara_) removed. Therefore tofu is one highly proteinaceous soyfood that is _not_ fartastic. Works for me (a well-proteinated vegan). ---
**Author:** ![Danalan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@Danalan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danalan)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attn-vegetarians-please/304656/9 "2005-05-20T05:02:05Z")
I’ve had good luck with ‘probiotics’ – supplements for one’s intestinal flora. Acidophilus (lactobacilus) is the most common, but there are others. Some of them require refrigeration in the store, so you may have to ask. Refrigeration helps any of them stay potent after they’re opened. ---
**Author:** ![aeropl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f05b48/32.png) [@aeropl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aeropl)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attn-vegetarians-please/304656/10 "2005-05-20T05:04:02Z")
You can find the foods that make you have gas and either eat a substitute or use Beano. In the meantime, use Beano. A lot of people have said it works well. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attn-vegetarians-please/304656/11 "2005-05-20T06:09:10Z")
**Danalan** is right- Probiotics. Acidolpholus & it’s tiny relatives. Beano can help. At the same health food store you get Probiotics, you can get digestive enzymes, they also help. ---
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attn-vegetarians-please/304656/12 "2005-05-20T11:38:28Z")
Are you permitted any of those things I listed? I’m curious as to others’ gout diets.My husband had a different one at first that did not work so well. ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attn-vegetarians-please/304656/13 "2005-05-20T19:06:50Z")
I dearly love Morningstar Chik Patties, but sweet mother of Og, do they give me gas! Worse than beans by far! TMI, YMMV, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Birdmonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71e660/32.png) [@Birdmonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Birdmonster)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attn-vegetarians-please/304656/14 "2005-05-20T19:26:37Z")
[The Big Cheese](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/040924.html) chimes in. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attn-vegetarians-please/304656/15 "2005-05-20T19:56:19Z")
Thanks to everyone for your suggestions. I have been using Phazyme twice a day, but it hasn’t made a difference. Beano would be more expensive to use twice a day, but I’ll give it a shot. If I may, however, I would like to tell y’all that when I **do** let one rip (which I try to do in the privacy of my home and not in the elevator of the hospital where I work!), it is a not altogether unpleasant smell. Kinda like “down on the farm”, now that I think about it… 😃 And **Qadgop** , how very nice of you to appear in this thread! You are one of my favorite Dopers! Q ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attn-vegetarians-please/304656/16 "2005-05-20T20:22:16Z")
If your fiber consumption increased a lot, expect some intestinal issues for awhile. It’s best to increase fiber consumption gradually for that reason. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attn-vegetarians-please/304656/17 "2005-05-20T20:23:17Z")
> [@Quasimodem](#): > > Thanks to everyone for your suggestions. I have been using Phazyme twice a day, but it hasn’t made a difference. Beano would be more expensive to use twice a day, but I’ll give it a shot. Hm, let’s see. Phazyme doesn’t work, but it _is_ cheap! You sound like our Pharmacy and Therapeutics committee reviewing which meds to put on our formulary! 😃 Use Beano. Beano has allowed us to keep our dog in the house. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Bird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Little\_Bird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Bird)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attn-vegetarians-please/304656/18 "2005-05-20T20:31:22Z")
> [@Qadgop the Mercotan](#): > > Use Beano. Beano has allowed us to keep our dog in the house. What, didn’t the dog like the smell of your farts? 😕 As a dog owner–I keeed, I keed! ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2005, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attn-vegetarians-please/304656/19 "2005-05-21T03:01:07Z")
I’m a vegetarian, and I have had this problem when I started to lose weight (read: eating more fruits and vegetables and a lot more fiber). It’s pretty much bottoming out, no pun intended, but it’s taken my system about 4 months to really get in the swing of things. Certain food, like one generic vegetable soup I love, seem to just cause it either way.