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Gas, flatulence, passing wind, bottom burp… there’s plenty of names for it! How can we deal with gas or bloating on a plant-based diet?

Are you on a plant-based diet or transitioning and having issues with bloating or gas? Or perhaps you have heard about this and want to make sure that by adding more plant-based foods to your diet you do not have a similar ‘problem’? I get it – an awkward topic…and can be terribly embarrassing, but one that everyone is interested in and thinking about so let’s discuss it.

Why would someone experience different digestive feelings/sensations when transitioning from a diet that is mainly animal products to a plant-based whole food diet?

When you transition from an animal-based diet to a plant-based diet, more often than not (for 99.9% of people) you will be consuming more fibre than previously. This is a tremendous thing, offering many health benefits, but can take some time to adjust to. Dietary Fibre passes through the small intestine (undigested) to the large intestine where it is ‘attacked’ by bacteria and ferments, binds to cholesterol, absorbs water and softens the stool. Within a plant-based diet, there are different types of fibre. Some are well fermented by bacteria (produce more gas) in the large intestine (this is called soluble fibre) and some that pass through with minimal fermentation (insoluble fibre) by bacteria (produce less gas). Foods that are high in soluble fibre are things like lentils, beans, oats, peas and most fruits. What makes things a little difficult is the type of fibre which causes more gas can vary from individual to individual depending on their bacteria make up in their digestive system. However, there are some general tips that can help a lot of people. In addition to the below tips, listen to your body and try and identify any single source of fibre that you think is the culprit and reduce in your diet and then slowly build it back over months as your system adapts.

What is the role and benefits of dietary fibre?

Dietary fibre has been shown to assist with constipation, reduce cholesterol, remove toxins, reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and much, much more. For more in-depth information and a comprehensive list of plant-based dietary fibre sources, read the Plant Proof detailed blog on Dietary Fibre benefits.

Here are my top tips to manage your dietary fibre intake and letting your digestive system settle into a new way of eating:

Ease into fibre. Rather than having high fibre foods with every meal, start off with 1-2 meals a day and then slowly add it to the point where you are getting 30-35g a day which is split across all your daily meals. For example, rather than just going straight from eating meat to eating tonnes of legumes, rice, quinoa, oats, etc., start by swapping white rice for brown. Or white bread for brown bread. Then after a few weeks, if well tolerated, add in some beans to one meal. Let your body adjust and then add in another high fibre food to a second meal and so forth. Use the chart below to start off with 10-15g of fibre a day and then slowly build up to 30g+ per day. Try and cut out unnecessary foods that can cause excessive gas like gassy carbonated beverages, beverages with sorbitol or sugar-free candy/gum. When you increase fibre you MUST increase your water intake or you risk becoming constipated. Water is key to a successful transition to a higher fibre diet. Do not forget this. Limit the amount of raw veggies and try to steam all your vegetables at the beginning. Slowly build up to better handling raw vegetables over time as consuming some food raw has tremendous benefits. Fresh Papaya and Pineapple (not dried fruit) seem to help a lot of people with reducing gas. They both contain important enzymes for digestion. Have ginger tea or put fresh ginger in your smoothies. Fermented foods for probiotics will help improve your digestion and may reduce gas. If you are having a bit of soy each day, try and aim for tempeh instead of tofu. Tempeh is fermented so will be better digested by most people. If you are gluten intolerant, limit foods with gluten to avoid irritation of the digestive system. Avoid too many processed fats (oils). Fats in nuts and seeds and avocado are fine. If you are cooking with raw legumes, soak them overnight (8-24 hours) in water and then after boiling them dry them right off before serving (the liquid contains the oligosaccharide sugars that cause fermentation in your large intestine…and the production of ‘gas’). The trick here is knowing what type of water to use for certain beans: Black Beans/Fava Beans/Lentils – soak in warm water with some lemon or lime juice and apple cider vinegar

Split peas – in water with a 1 tsp of baking soda

White/Kidney or Brown beans – soak in soft water (water free of minerals so slightly acidic) or tap water with a bit of lime juice If you are eating canned beans drain them thoroughly, then rinse and dry before cooking up or eating cold. Move. Exercising, even if that means just 2 x 30 min walks a day, will help increase the speeds that high fibre meals move through your body and keep you more regular. This, along with lots of water, helps reduce bloating and constipation when you start eating higher fibre meals.

Remember, this is completely normal. Everyone adjusts. If there is a particular food that you identify as the main culprit, just remove it and over time, you can 9 times out of 10 slowly introduce it back in.