Search articles from thousands of Examiners
Write for us
Washington DC Health Detroit Alternative Medicine Examiner
Detroit Alternative Medicine Examiner

Flatulence is not an answer blowing in the wind

November 4, 9:50 AMDetroit Alternative Medicine ExaminerVickie Jackson
1 comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe


Get alerts when there is a new article from the Detroit Alternative Medicine Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.
Email Address


  Include other special offers from Examiner.com
Terms of Use

Beans, beans, the musical fruit...
Beans, beans, the musical fruit...
Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain

Most people are familiar with the old rhyme about beans being "the musical fruit". Among other foods--especially the cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts, dairy products, beans and other legumes can produce musical notes evoking eye-watering responses. Such gaseous attacks normally only gag those in the line of fire--the producer is immune, much in the way skunks can tolerate their own spray. The embarrassment factor, however, is eqaually strong for some people. Others exist, unfortunately, who take perverse pride in gagging those around them.

For those wishing to avoid any chance of colonic cacophony, there are two routes to take: treat the food before eating it, or take measures post-digestion. For the first, soaking beans overnite, or adding a pinch of baking soda before cooking, will eliminate the gas before it gets into you. In the second instance, certain other foods and herbs can help dispel gas before it becomes disruptive. Probiotics in yogurt, such as acidophilus, help digest food that would otherwise break down more slowly, emitting methane as a result. Peppermint has been used for eons to settle gassy digestive tracts--hence the popularity of after-dinner mints (and you thought restaurants were just being nice!). Other herbs such as chamomile, cloves, ginger and sage, all help relax the gastro-intestinal tract's muscles that cause spasms. The more you cut the spasms, the less you cut the cheese.

Granted, there are some who will not take any measures to prevent their noxious emissions, thinking it's amusing. For the rest of us, when all else fails, blame it on someone around you. With any luck it'll be one of those who would like to take credit for it.

 

Comments

Name:


Comments:
characters left

NOTE: Do Not Alter These Fields:

Year in Review
What will you remember from 2009? See the Health Year in Review.
Holiday Guide
Examiners spread the seasonal cheer with the Examiner.com Holiday Guide.

Recent Articles

Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Suppose you've been feeling generally worn out lately: you're also experiencing trouble with a variety of allergies, dizziness, low blood …
Monday, December 21, 2009
Over the years the average diet in this country has undergone radical changes. (For one thing, the word "diet" itself, since the '60s, …