Even though I am going to write about intestinal gas, normally an embarrassing subject, this is a serious article about belching and breaking wind, so the above title is the only pun involved. Body gas emissions mainly consist of five gases: nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen and methane. There can be a sixth gas, sulphur, present in tiny amounts.Although small, sulphur is mighty and when it combines with hydrogen to make hydrogen sulphide, the chemical that produces the odour of rotten eggs, it contributes disproportionately to the smell when gas is passed.The gas within our digestive system comes from a variety of sources. Most of the gas in the stomach comes from eating or drinking or talking too quickly, so babies and politicians tend to suffer unduly.Most of the gas in a belch consists of nitrogen and oxygen because you normally ingest air when you swallow your food. Many people belch because they also eat too much.When you overeat, the bubble of air that normally floats on top of the liquid contents of the stomach becomes pressurised because the stomach is too full and can only distend so much.
In order to relieve the raised pressure, some of that air bubble is released, under pressure, in the form of a belch. Some societies apparently value this, as a sign of good eating. I have never experienced this but Hollywood believes it.As women and politicians know, tight-fitting clothes can also cause pressure effects on the abdomen and cause trapping of flatus. This might explain the nonsense that comes out of various congresses.Babies who are allowed to cry before feeding also swallow large amounts of air, which then has to come up as a belch or uncomfortably remains in the stomach and is responsible for much of the "colic" or "wind" or "gripe" beloved of grandmothers, aunties and obeahwomen.Of late, a new disease, "reflux," has been added to the lexicon, and treatment with esoteric and expensive medications is offered by doctors who do not take the time to explain proper comforting and feeding practices to new and anxious parents.
Adults can reduce the amount of air being swallowed by chewing slowly and not bolting the food down.With politicians there is nothing you can do but run. This might be a good example of learned behaviour.Some gas is also produced in the stomach. Saliva reacts with hydrochloric acid in the stomach to produce carbon dioxide. Chewing gum can contribute to carbon dioxide production because of the continuous production of saliva associated with such chewing.
After the stomach comes the small intestine and then the large intestine or colon. Most of the food that we eat is absorbed into the blood stream from the small intestine.Most of the gases in flatus are produced by colonic bacterial action which ferment foodstuffs that have not been digested or absorbed by the time they get to the large bowel.The main cause of this is lactose intolerance. That includes most of the world's population. The ordinary adult lacks an enzyme in the small intestine that breaks down lactose, the principal sugar of milk products.The non-digested and consequently unabsorbed lactose travels on to the large intestine, where it is subjected to the action of certain bacteria.Carbon dioxide is produced, which then travels to the outside world via the anus, much to the discomfort of the people around.
In general anyone who suffers from a difficulties in absorbing foodstuffs tends to have excessive amounts of flatus.In addition, small amounts of these gases produced can actually be absorbed from the gut into the bloodstream, exhaled when we breathe and contribute to the phenomenon known as halitosis or bad breath.Another fascinating intestinal gas is methane. Methane is the gas that produces the flame-thrower effect so beloved by schoolboys, drivers of small cars who routinely break the red light and Trinidadians who believe that going to St Mary's or QRC entitles them to happiness.Coincidentally, methane production from cattle is a mighty contributor to global warming. In T&T, despite the imminent arrival of a couple dozen foreign cattle to produce more unnecessary and unneeded milk, the major contributor to local warming has to be Ariapita Avenue.There are a number of foods that produce gas when eaten. Beans and peas are at the top of the list.
That's because they contain large amounts of a complex carbohydrate, raffinose, which passes into the colon largely unabsorbed.Other noted gas producers, containing raffinose, are the vegetables of the cabbage family, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower. You can add to that mushrooms, asparagus, cucumber, onions, turnips, melons, garlic, pepper and spicy foods in general.Certain cheeses, Roquefort and Brie, apart from their lactose content, also cause lots of gas on their own. Some types of seafood such as prawns, crab and salmon may also contribute.
Finally, beware the vegetarian. Apart from feeling morally superior to us animal killers and eaters and having a longer lifespan than us, they produce more gas than meat eaters because of the higher level of non-digestible foodstuffs in their diet.
