# Gassiness **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 3, 2003, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gassiness/211136 "2003-11-03T12:07:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Improv\_Geek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b3f665/32.png) [@Improv\_Geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Improv_Geek)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gassiness/211136/1 "2003-11-03T12:07:12Z")
So I have to admit it, I’m gassy. I know the main cause of it is probably my college student diet, but even when I’m home eating ma’s home cooking (which is healthy and balanced) I still find myself rather uncomfortable. How can I combat gassyness? And damnit is it with an i or y. Gassyness… Gassiness… I dunno ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gassiness/211136/2 "2003-11-03T13:23:53Z")
Try eliminationg Dairy for a few days and see if that works. You may be lactose intolerant. Lactaid will help this when taken with food. ---
**Author:** ![ChoosyChipsAndCeilingWhacks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c77e96/32.png) [@ChoosyChipsAndCeilingWhacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChoosyChipsAndCeilingWhacks)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gassiness/211136/3 "2003-11-03T13:28:50Z")
It’s with an ‘i.’ But I don’t know how to combat it. ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gassiness/211136/4 "2003-11-03T13:37:42Z")
Try eliminationg Dairy for a few days and see if that works. You may be lactose intolerant. Lactaid will help this when taken with food. ---
**Author:** ![chorpler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chorpler/32/2888_2.png) [@chorpler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chorpler)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gassiness/211136/5 "2003-11-03T14:16:39Z")
I’ve always found **Beano** [sup]TM®©∞[/sup] (we’ll see how well those superscripted circled-R circled-C infinity-symbol characters show up) to be pretty effective for this kind of thing. I believe the active ingredient is an enzyme called alphagalactosidase or something along those lines, which breaks up long carbohydrates in beans and whatnot so you can digest them instead of having the bacteria in your gut eat them and release lots of gas as a result. I don’t know if it works with foods other than beans, though. So maybe combining it with Lactaid and other helpers would be best. Or best of all, there’s always the old predigested nutrient liquid on an IV drip! ---
**Author:** ![El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Elvis_Rojo)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gassiness/211136/6 "2003-11-03T14:32:30Z")
I’ve always been rather gassy as well. I’ve been told I’m lactose intollerant, but even when I eliminate lactose from my diet, I still manage to store more iar in my intestines than anything else. I don’t drink many carbonated drinks anymore either, so my guess is that some people are just predetermined to be gas bags. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gassiness/211136/7 "2003-11-03T15:30:38Z")
You might try an embargo first. I’ve seen many resort initially to a policy of slash and burn and that unfortunately usually leads to outright gorilla warfare. ---
**Author:** ![Yossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/9de0a6/32.png) [@Yossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yossarian)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gassiness/211136/8 "2003-11-03T16:03:00Z")
Yeast Sensitivity? [http://www.vegetariantimes.com/re/view.asp?article=528](http://www.vegetariantimes.com/re/view.asp?article=528) I was chronically gassy and bloated, went to a Gut Doctor, and took a poop test (I passed!). The poop test showed that my gut was full of bad bacteria and the good bacteria where almost absent. After a quick dose of antibiotics followed by a lengthy regimen of probiotics (acidophilus, etc.), my tummy went back to normal and I no longer have to take Gas-X four times a day. However, if I consume anything “yeasty” (especially breads), I’d better keep the Gas-X and a bathroom handy. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gassiness/211136/9 "2003-11-03T17:46:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lieu \* > \*\*You might try an embargo first. I’ve seen many resort initially to a policy of slash and burn and that unfortunately usually leads to outright gorilla warfare. \*\* Or monkey business, even. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bumbazine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbazine/32/362_2.png) [@Bumbazine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbazine)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gassiness/211136/10 "2003-11-03T19:01:06Z")
I read in the Oregonian just the other day that if you put a teaspoon of ‘bruised’ fennel seeds into a cup of hot water and drink the resultant ‘tea’, it’s good for gas. I don’t know how one would ‘bruise’ fennel seeds (smash 'em I guess) and I haven’t tried this concoction, but I thought I’d pass it along anyway. Wouldn’t cost much to try.