Flatulence
Food is digested and should be expelled from the body as stools within fourteen to eighteen hours. If it takes longer than twenty four hours for the undigested food to be expelled we are constipated. If it takes less then twelve hours it means that intestine is moving the food along too fast and is often labeled as IBS or irritable bowel syndrome.
Flatulence is caused by the fermentation of undigested food in the small & large intestines. Putrefaction of carbohydrate and protein material occurs when the food is not properly digested leaving a residue which ferments.
Flatulence can indicate that the food is being inadequately absorbed and is staying in the intestine long enough for it to putrefy and decay. The process of decay, releases gas which can also be caused by bacterial, fungal or parasitic infections. Flatulence is also often due to food allergies commonly to dairy products and gluten (a protein present in wheat & corn). Lactose intolerance is a common cause of gas. People with a Vata constitution are also prone to gas. Diverticulitis often accompanies food allergies and leads to accumulation of undigested food in blind pockets. This food is unable to pass out through the digestive tract and can remain in these pockets for months till the decay is complete. The gas which accumulates in Diverticulitis is hard to pass and can be very uncomfortable.
Flatulence is often caused by by eating stale or gas forming foods. Bacteria grow quickly in all cooked foods and slowly in uncooked foods. Eating freshly cooked food makes the process of digestion easy. Eating stale foods causes flatulence and indigestion.
Some foods which cause flatulence are beans, pulses, soya, radish, fermented foods like bread and other foods made with yeast, beer, wine, cooked cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, cabbage and broccoli. However cauliflower, cabbage & broccoli & other members of their family do not cause gas when eaten raw and in fact give protection against some forms of cancer. A high fibre diet containing raw vegetables and fruits, prevents flatulence. These foods stimulate the walls of the intestine to contract regularly and move the food forward through the intestine at the correct speed so that it does not accumulate and putrefy.
It is easier to prevent flatulence by eating the correct type of food, than it is to treat it by drugs. As treatment with drugs is purely symptomatic the problem will continue to recur, whenever the drugs are stopped. Taking paprika 1/2 teaspoon (or red chili powder if paprika is not available, black salt 1 pinch and cumin seed powder 1 teaspoon dissolved in warm water helps to relieve flatulence. The paprika moves the gas along, while cumin seed powder and black salt help to break up the gas bubbles in the intestines. Caraway seeds (ajwain) can also help relieve gas.
Acupuncture can also help gas by stimulating the contractions of the intestines to move the gas along, and by stimulating the immune system help remove harmful bacteria and fungus from the intestines. It also helps improve the process of digestion.
Food is digested and should be expelled from the body as stools within fourteen to eighteen hours. If it takes longer than twenty four hours for the undigested food to be expelled we are constipated. If it takes less then twelve hours it means that intestine is moving the food along too fast and is often labeled as IBS or irritable bowel syndrome.
Flatulence is caused by the fermentation of undigested food in the small & large intestines. Putrefaction of carbohydrate and protein material occurs when the food is not properly digested leaving a residue which ferments.
Flatulence can indicate that the food is being inadequately absorbed and is staying in the intestine long enough for it to putrefy and decay. The process of decay, releases gas which can also be caused by bacterial, fungal or parasitic infections. Flatulence is also often due to food allergies commonly to dairy products and gluten (a protein present in wheat & corn). Lactose intolerance is a common cause of gas. People with a Vata constitution are also prone to gas. Diverticulitis often accompanies food allergies and leads to accumulation of undigested food in blind pockets. This food is unable to pass out through the digestive tract and can remain in these pockets for months till the decay is complete. The gas which accumulates in Diverticulitis is hard to pass and can be very uncomfortable.
Flatulence is often caused by by eating stale or gas forming foods. Bacteria grow quickly in all cooked foods and slowly in uncooked foods. Eating freshly cooked food makes the process of digestion easy. Eating stale foods causes flatulence and indigestion.
Some foods which cause flatulence are beans, pulses, soya, radish, fermented foods like bread and other foods made with yeast, beer, wine, cooked cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, cabbage and broccoli. However cauliflower, cabbage & broccoli & other members of their family do not cause gas when eaten raw and in fact give protection against some forms of cancer. A high fibre diet containing raw vegetables and fruits, prevents flatulence. These foods stimulate the walls of the intestine to contract regularly and move the food forward through the intestine at the correct speed so that it does not accumulate and putrefy.
It is easier to prevent flatulence by eating the correct type of food, than it is to treat it by drugs. As treatment with drugs is purely symptomatic the problem will continue to recur, whenever the drugs are stopped. Taking paprika 1/2 teaspoon (or red chili powder if paprika is not available, black salt 1 pinch and cumin seed powder 1 teaspoon dissolved in warm water helps to relieve flatulence. The paprika moves the gas along, while cumin seed powder and black salt help to break up the gas bubbles in the intestines. Caraway seeds (ajwain) can also help relieve gas.
Acupuncture can also help gas by stimulating the contractions of the intestines to move the gas along, and by stimulating the immune system help remove harmful bacteria and fungus from the intestines. It also helps improve the process of digestion.