Passing gas 14 to 23 times a day is completely normal, but if you’re consistently above that range or dealing with uncomfortable bloating, there are concrete steps you can take to bring it down. Most excess gas comes from just two sources: swallowed air and bacterial fermentation of undigested food in your large intestine. Targeting both makes a noticeable difference.
Where the Gas Actually Comes From
Your gut bacteria are the sole producers of hydrogen and methane gas in your intestines. When carbohydrates escape digestion in your small intestine, bacteria in your colon ferment them and produce gas as a byproduct. The more fermentable material that reaches your colon, the more gas you make. This is why certain foods are far worse offenders than others.
The second source is swallowed air. You take in a few milliliters of air with every bite of food or swallow of saliva. Most of it gets burped back up, but some travels further into your digestive tract and needs to exit the other way.
Foods That Produce the Most Gas
A group of short-chain carbohydrates called FODMAPs are the biggest gas producers for most people. They’re poorly absorbed in the small intestine, which means they arrive in the colon intact and ready for bacteria to feast on. The major categories and their worst offenders:
- Vegetables: onions, garlic, artichokes, asparagus, mushrooms, green peas
- Fruits: apples, pears, watermelon, mangoes, cherries, peaches, dried fruit
- Dairy: cow’s milk, ice cream, yogurt, custard
- Legumes: beans, lentils, chickpeas (the biggest gas-producing food group overall)
- Grains: wheat, rye, and barley-based breads and cereals
- Sweeteners: high fructose corn syrup, honey, sugar-free candies containing sorbitol or xylitol
- Nuts: cashews and pistachios in particular
You don’t need to eliminate all of these permanently. The practical approach is to cut back on the worst offenders for a week or two, then reintroduce them one at a time to figure out which ones your gut handles poorly. Many people discover that just two or three specific foods are responsible for most of their discomfort.
How to Add Fiber Without the Bloat
Fiber is one of the most common gas triggers, but it’s also essential for digestive health, so cutting it out isn’t the answer. The key is how quickly you increase it. When fiber has been mostly absent from your diet, introducing it gradually gives the bacteria in your gut time to adjust. Research from UCLA Health found that people who added beans to their diet returned to normal gas levels within three to four weeks, once their gut microbiome adapted.
If you’re increasing fiber, add small amounts over several weeks rather than overhauling your diet overnight. Drink more water as you go, since fiber absorbs fluid and works best when you’re well hydrated. For beans specifically, soaking dried beans for at least 12 hours before cooking reduces the levels of raffinose, the sugar responsible for most bean-related gas.
Habits That Make You Swallow More Air
Some everyday habits dramatically increase the amount of air you swallow. Eating too fast is the most common culprit. Talking while eating, chewing gum, sucking on hard candy, drinking through straws, smoking, and carbonated beverages all contribute.
The fixes are straightforward: chew slowly and finish one bite before taking the next. Save conversation for after you’ve swallowed. Sip from a glass instead of using a straw. Switch from sparkling water or soda to still drinks. If you’re a frequent gum chewer, cutting that habit alone can reduce upper-GI gas noticeably.
Over-the-Counter Options
Simethicone (sold as Gas-X and similar brands) works by reducing the surface tension of gas bubbles in your digestive tract, making them easier to pass or absorb. It’s not absorbed into your body and is generally well tolerated. It won’t prevent gas from forming, but it helps move existing gas through more comfortably.
Products containing alpha-galactosidase (like Beano) take a different approach. They supply an enzyme that breaks down the complex sugars in beans, broccoli, and other high-fiber vegetables before bacteria can ferment them. You take it with your first bite of the problem food. It works best for legume and vegetable-related gas specifically.
Probiotics and Digestive Supplements
Certain probiotic strains can shift the balance of bacteria in your gut toward populations that produce less gas. The strain with the most direct evidence for bloating and gas relief is Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, which has been shown to significantly reduce symptom severity for bloating, gas, and abdominal discomfort. Look for products that list specific strains on the label, not just a genus name, since different strains of the same species can have very different effects.
Peppermint oil capsules (enteric-coated, so they dissolve in your intestine rather than your stomach) relax the smooth muscle in your intestinal wall by blocking calcium channels. This can ease cramping and help trapped gas move through. Ginger has a different benefit: it speeds up gastric emptying. One study found that ginger reduced the time it took the stomach to empty by nearly 85% compared to placebo, moving food along before it sits and ferments.
When Gas Signals Something Bigger
Persistent, excessive gas sometimes points to an underlying issue. Lactose intolerance and fructose malabsorption are both common and underdiagnosed. A hydrogen breath test can identify these. The test works because the only source of hydrogen in your body is bacterial fermentation in your gut. That hydrogen enters your bloodstream, travels to your lungs, and shows up in your breath, giving a clear readout of how well you’re absorbing specific sugars.
The same test can also detect small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), a condition where bacteria that normally live in your colon migrate into your small intestine and ferment food much earlier in the digestive process than they should.
Gas paired with bloody stools, unexplained weight loss, persistent diarrhea or constipation, changes in how often you have bowel movements, or ongoing nausea warrants medical evaluation. Prolonged abdominal pain that doesn’t resolve needs more immediate attention.