Passing gas 14 to 23 times a day is completely normal, so the goal isn’t to stop farting entirely. That’s neither possible nor healthy. But if you’re gassy enough that it’s uncomfortable or embarrassing, there are real, specific changes that make a noticeable difference. Most excess gas comes from two sources: air you swallow and food that ferments in your colon. Roughly 75% of flatulence is produced by bacteria in your large intestine breaking down food your body couldn’t digest higher up. The rest is mostly swallowed air that traveled all the way through.
Foods That Produce the Most Gas
Four sugars are responsible for most diet-related gas: raffinose, lactose, fructose, and sorbitol. Each one resists digestion in the small intestine and gets fermented by bacteria in the colon, which produces gas as a byproduct.
Raffinose is the big one. Beans are loaded with it, which is why they have their reputation. But cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, asparagus, and whole grains contain smaller amounts too. Lactose, the sugar in milk, is in obvious places like cheese and ice cream but also hides in bread, cereal, and salad dressing. Fructose shows up naturally in onions, artichokes, pears, and wheat, and it’s added as a sweetener in many soft drinks and fruit juices. Sorbitol occurs naturally in apples, pears, peaches, and prunes, and it’s the sweetener in most sugar-free candies and gums.
Starches are another major contributor. Potatoes, corn, noodles, and wheat all produce gas as they break down in the large intestine. Rice is the only common starch that doesn’t cause gas, which makes it a useful swap when you’re trying to keep things calm.
You don’t need to eliminate all of these foods. Start by tracking which ones seem to cause you the most trouble, then reduce those specifically. Many people find that cutting back on beans, cruciferous vegetables, and dairy handles the bulk of the problem.
Stop Swallowing So Much Air
Swallowed air, called aerophagia, is the other major source of gas. You can’t avoid swallowing some air, but certain habits dramatically increase how much goes down.
- Eat slowly. Chew thoroughly and swallow one bite before taking the next. Rushing through meals is one of the most common causes of excess swallowed air.
- Skip the straw. Sipping from a glass pulls in less air than sucking through a straw.
- Don’t talk while eating. Save conversations for after the meal when possible.
- Cut out gum and hard candy. Chewing gum, mints, and lollipops all cause you to swallow air repeatedly. Sugar-free versions are a double hit because sorbitol produces gas on its own.
- Drop carbonated drinks. The bubbles in soda, sparkling water, and beer are carbon dioxide gas that enters your digestive tract directly.
- Quit smoking. Each inhale pulls air into your stomach along with smoke.
Add Fiber Gradually
Fiber is healthy, but it’s also one of the top gas producers because your gut bacteria ferment it. If you’ve recently started eating more fruits, vegetables, beans, or whole grains, that’s likely why you’re gassier than usual. The fix isn’t to avoid fiber. It’s to increase it slowly over a few weeks so the bacteria in your digestive system can adjust. A sudden jump from low fiber to high fiber overwhelms your gut and produces a surge of gas.
Drinking plenty of water alongside fiber also helps. Fiber works best when it absorbs water, which keeps things moving through your system rather than sitting and fermenting longer than necessary.
Walk After You Eat
A short walk after meals helps your stomach empty faster, which reduces bloating and gas buildup. Movement stimulates your bowels and helps trapped gas pass more easily, so instead of building up pressure, it moves through. Some research suggests even five minutes of light activity is enough to make a difference. The ideal window is within an hour of finishing your meal, since that’s when digestion is most active and blood sugar peaks. It doesn’t need to be intense. A casual stroll around the block works.
Over-the-Counter Options
Two types of products are widely available for gas relief. Simethicone (sold as Gas-X and similar brands) works by breaking up gas bubbles in your stomach and intestines, making them easier to pass. It doesn’t reduce gas production, but it can relieve that uncomfortable, bloated feeling. It’s taken after meals and at bedtime.
Alpha-galactosidase (sold as Beano) takes a different approach. It’s an enzyme you take right before eating that helps break down raffinose and other complex sugars before they reach the colon. This actually prevents gas from forming in the first place, which makes it useful before meals heavy in beans, broccoli, or other high-raffinose foods.
If lactose is your trigger, lactase enzyme supplements work the same way for dairy. Take them before consuming milk products, and the lactose gets digested before bacteria can ferment it.
Do Probiotics Help?
The evidence for probiotics reducing gas is surprisingly mixed. A large review of probiotic strains tested in people with irritable bowel syndrome found that most popular strains had no significant effect on gas specifically. One strain, Bacillus coagulans Unique IS2, did reduce flatulence along with other digestive symptoms. But several well-known strains, including Lactobacillus casei Shirota, showed no meaningful improvement in gas or bloating.
Probiotics may still help with overall digestion, and individual responses vary. But if you’re buying a probiotic specifically to reduce farting, temper your expectations. The strain matters, and most haven’t been shown to target gas effectively.
When Gas Signals Something Else
If you’re consistently passing gas well over 23 times a day, or if the problem came on suddenly after years of normal digestion, something beyond diet could be at play. Lactose intolerance is extremely common and often develops gradually in adulthood. Celiac disease causes the body to react to gluten, leading to poor digestion and excess gas. Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) happens when bacteria colonize the small intestine where they don’t belong, fermenting food before it reaches the colon and producing significant bloating and gas. Conditions that slow digestion, including diabetes and Crohn’s disease, can also increase the risk of SIBO.
Gas paired with abdominal pain, unexplained weight loss, persistent diarrhea, or constipation is worth getting checked out. These combinations can point toward conditions that are treatable once identified.