Farting is a very unethical act especially when done in public. Farting that results from eating beans is more intense and uncontrollable. This makes people desist from eating food like beans.
Beans are seeds which belong to the Fabaceae family, commonly know as legumes. Beans are affordable sources of protein, fibre, iron and vitamins which make it a highly nutritional food, but most people dread eating beans despite its nutritional importance.
This is solely because of the frequent flatulence or farting that results from eating beans. Proper knowledge of what causes the farting and measures to avoid such act is necessary to ensure that beans is eaten regularly and all nutritional benefits is obtained from eating it.
Beans can be cooked in many different ways, like boiling, frying and baking and they are used in preparation of various traditional food around the country.
Beans make us fart because they contain unabsorbed short-chain carbohydrates called oligosacharrides which our body have a hard time digesting. Our body does not produce enough alpha-galactosidase enzyme which is needed to break down the oligosaccharides.
During digestion, the beans go from the small intestine into the large intestine where the gut bacteria attempts to break down this problematic sugar molecules. This process creates carbon dioxide which results in gases and this makes us fart.
6 Ways to Reducing Farting
There are certain ways to prevent yourself from farting after consuming beans, such ways include;
- Boiling: When beans is boiled properly in water, the oligosaccharides tend to leach out into the water. This is because the oligosaccharides are highly water soluble and are removed from the beans during boiling. Ensure to cook beans well till they are very soft. This will help reduce the gas production. Even canned beans can be cooked before serving.
- Soaking: When beans is soaked in water for few hours before cooking,the oligosaccharide contained in the bean seeds are leached out into the water, making the beans less prone to cause farting when consumed. If you are using dried beans, soak for 48hours and drain well, then rinse properly before cooking. Use fresh water for cooking and not the soaking water. If you are using canned beans, rinse properly before cooking.
- Eat beans with vegetables: Beans contain high oligosaccharide content, and when this is mixed with vegetables that have low oligosacharride content like lettuce and cucumber, it makes the digestion easier. Easier digestion will reduce the amount of carbohydrate produced in the gut.
- Do not eat sugary foods or fruits within 3 hours of eating beans: The sugars in beans do not digest, they just ferment in the gut and produce gas. So adding other sugars in the gut will only escalate the problem and lead to more production of gas.
- Use digestive spices when cooking beans: Cooking beans with ginger or tumeric helps to make the beans more digestible leading to less gas production.
- Eat the beans slowly and carefully: Most of the gas produced in the body are formed when you swallow air. Eating to quickly can cause excess air to enter you body.
Eat slowly and with closed mouth to reduce the amount of air you swallow when eating beans. Also try to eat only one protein in the same meal, this is because protein requires a specific type and strength of digestive juices.
Flatulence or farting can also be an indication of a larger digestive problem. Excessive flatulence can be due to number of reasons, including;
-swallowing air
-consumption of carbonated beverage
-fibre intake
It is also important to note that different people are susceptible to different foods. So understanding your personal response to certain foods is important and advised.
