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Wind tends to appear at the most embarrassing moments, so you would rather not have it. But why do you pass so much wind when you are trying to lose weight? Read on to find out.
Food and gut flora
Your intestines are home to countless micro-organisms, including bacteria — billions of them in total! Together, they form your gut flora. When you eat, food is first broken down in your stomach. It then moves on to your small and large intestines. Your gut flora breaks it down further and converts it into substances your body can absorb and use.
The exact bacteria present in your intestines vary from person to person. Depending on what you eat on a daily basis, certain bacteria are more useful to have in your gut so that the food you consume can actually be broken down.
What goes in sometimes comes out
Food is digested in different locations throughout your digestive system. Where digestion takes place depends on the type of food. Fibres and artificial sweeteners, for example, are broken down in the large intestine. The gut flora in your large intestine breaks these down so that your body can absorb the resulting substances. Unfortunately, the bacteria produce gases in the process: wind!
When you are actively losing weight, you change your diet and start eating more fibres and proteins. These unfortunately tend to produce a lot of wind.
Have you had bariatric surgery? Then your stomach is less able to begin the process of breaking food down. Certain bacteria in your intestines take over some of this work from your stomach. This leads to the release of more gases, which means you will inevitably pass more wind.
"Almost every evening I pass gas. At first I was very embarrassed about it, because it does feel awkward. But I also noticed that in my embarrassment I became a little giggly. And precisely because of the laughing, they got even worse and louder. A foghorn is nothing compared to it! And at some point that actually became funny, and then the laughter became contagious. So when my good friend is sitting next to me and I'm letting them rip again, we laugh about it together at the top of our lungs. And to be completely honest: I'd rather have those farts than my extra pounds."
Proteins do not smell like roses
It may sound strange, but the smell of wind also depends on what you have been eating. If you are on a diet or have had bariatric surgery, you tend to consume more protein to support your muscles. The bacteria that thrive on protein and break it down produce strongly smelling gases. The sulphurous odour of protein is therefore hard to miss.
What can you do?
Prevention is not always easy, but there are several things you can do to reduce wind:
1. Eat slowly and chew well.
By chewing your food thoroughly, you break it down with your teeth before it even reaches your stomach. Your saliva also helps knead the food into a soft, moist bite. This is much easier for your stomach and intestines to break down, which means fewer gases are produced. And if you eat very quickly, you take in a mouthful of air with every bite.
2. Pay attention to wind-inducing foods.
Some foods are broken down in the large intestine, which can lead to more wind. Try to limit your intake of: sweeteners, onions, leeks, beans, cabbage, and carbonated drinks.
Sweeteners often replace the sugars in a food product, so that it still has a nice sweet taste without you taking in a lot of sugars. That's why sweeteners are found mainly in light products. Think of soft drinks, sauces, lemonades, and sweets with the labels 'light' or 'zero'. Aspartame, sucralose, and saccharin are examples of well-known sweeteners.
3. Do not change your diet too quickly.
When you change what you eat, your gut flora needs time to adapt. By transitioning to a new diet gradually, you give your gut flora a better chance to find its balance.
4. Take probiotics.
Is it difficult for you to change your diet slowly — for example, following bariatric surgery? Then probiotics may help. Probiotics are also micro-organisms for your gut. They can help restore the balance of your gut flora.
5. Exercise regularly.
Did you know that everyone passes small amounts of wind unconsciously throughout the day? If you keep moving gently throughout the day, your intestines also stay active and your food is digested gradually. The gases are then released in small amounts at a time.
Do you have a lot of gas in your stomach and do you suddenly have to laugh hard? Laughing hard puts a lot of pressure on your stomach and intestines. Then that fart can suddenly pop out with a lot of noise. Luckily, you can sometimes laugh even harder about it. After all, something embarrassing happens to everyone.
