Flatulence production abilities of different Indian foods and effect of certain spices on flatulence.
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OBJECTIVE: To develop a noninvasive method for the in vivo assessment of flatulence in dogs. ANIMALS: 8 adult dogs. PROCEDURE: Rectal gases were collected via a perforated tube held close to each dog's anus and attached to a monitoring pump fitted with a sensor that recorded hydrogen sulfide concentrations every 20 seconds. Patterns of flatulence were monitored for 14 hours after feeding on 4 days, and within- and between-dog variation was assessed over 4 hours on 4 consecutive days. Rate of hydrogen sulfide production (flatulence index) and frequency and number of emissions were evaluated as potential indicators of flatus characteristics. An odor judge assigned an odor rating to each flatulence episode, and the relationship between that rating and hydrogen sulfide concentration was determined. RESULTS: Flatulence patterns varied within and between dogs. Variation was most pronounced for flatulence index; mean coefficients of variance within dogs over time and between dogs on each day were 75 and 103%, respectively. Flatus with hydrogen sulfide concentrations > 1 parts per million could be detected by the odor judge, and severity of malodor was highly correlated with hydrogen sulfide concentration. Odor ratings were accurately predicted by use of the equation 1.51 X hydrogen sulfide concentration(0.28). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The technique described in this report appears to provide sensitive, reliable, and relevant data and will enable further studies of the factors that influence flatulence in dogs. Use of this technique also has the potential to aid in investigations of colonic physiology and pathology.
Flatulence is closely associated with gut dysbiosis, yet the characteristic microbial signatures, metabolic alterations, and actionable intervention targets remain unclear. This limited mechanistic understanding has hindered the development of precise microbiota-based strategies for managing flatulence. Here, we found that participants with flatulence exhibited marked shifts in gut microbial functions and fecal metabolic profiles compared with healthy controls, characterized by enhanced abnormal fermentation, enrichment of oxidative stress-related functions, elevated low-grade inflammatory signatures, and reduced anti-inflammatory and mucosal-protective metabolic features. Faecalibacterium prausnitzii was significantly negatively associated with the high-gas-producing phenotype. In vitro replenishment experiments further validated the role of F. prausnitzii in reducing gas production, promoting butyrate generation, and remodeling butyrate-associated microbial communities. Based on microbial interaction analysis, we identified Bifidobacterium longum CCFM1319 as a candidate strain for targeting F. prausnitzii. In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial, supplementation with B. longum CCFM1319 significantly increased intestinal F. prausnitzii abundance and improved flatulence-related symptoms. Collectively, these findings reveal the microbiota and metabolic dysbiosis underlying flatulence, highlight the key regulatory role of F. prausnitzii, and lays the foundation for targeted microbiota-based intervention strategies for flatulence.
The incidence of flatulent dyspepsia and its relationship to gallbladder function has been studied in 100 consecutive patients with gallstones undergoing cholecystectomy. Thirty-three per cent of patients suffered significant flatulent dyspepsia of whom 80 per cent were cured or improved by operation. In 15 patients gastric function was studied pre- and postoperatively and it was noted that there was no difference in gastric emptying times between patients with flatulent dyspepsia who were cured by operation and those who remained symptomatic. Bacteriological studies on gallbladder bile from 39 patients suggested that infection within the gallbladder may be a factor in the causation of flatulent dyspepsia.
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether feeding activated charcoal, Yucca schidigera, and zinc acetate would ameliorate the frequency and odor characteristics of flatulence in dogs. DESIGN: In vitro screening of active agents followed by a randomized controlled trial. ANIMALS: 8 adult dogs. PROCEDURE: A fecal fermentation system was used to assess the effects of activated charcoal, Yucca schidigera, and zinc acetate alone and in combination on total gas production and production of hydrogen sulfide, the primary determinant of flatus malodor in dogs. All 3 agents were subsequently incorporated into edible treats that were fed 30 minutes after the dogs ate their daily rations, and the number, frequency, and odor characteristics of flatulence were measured for 5 hours, using a device that sampled rectal gases and monitored hydrogen sulfide concentrations. RESULT: Total gas production and number and frequency of flatulence episodes were unaffected by any of the agents. Production of hydrogen sulfide in vitro was significantly reduced by charcoal, Yucca schidigera, and zinc acetate by 71, 38, and 58%, respectively, and was reduced by 86% by the combination of the 3 agents. Consumption of the 3 agents was associated with a significant decrease (86%) in the percentage of flatulence episodes with bad or unbearable odor and a proportional increase in the percentage of episodes of no or only slightly noticeable odor. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggest that activated charcoal, Yucca schidigera, and zinc acetate reduce malodor of flatus in dogs by altering the production or availability of hydrogen sulfide in the large intestine.
This paper describes a low-flatulence diet developed by an extremely flatulent patient. Based on meticulous recording of each passage of flatus, the patient employed an elimination diet to determine what foods were responsible for his gas production. The diet reduced the frequency of his gas passage from 34 +/- 7 to 17 +/- 5 times per day (normal: 14 +/- 6) and similar reductions were observed by two other flatulent patients during adherence to the diet. The rectal gas of each of these subjects largely consisted of two gases (CO2 and H2) which result from bacterial fermentation of carbohydrates. The diet, which is low in lactose and wheat products, presumably minimizes the quantity of carbohydrates delivered to the colonic bacteria.
Aim of this study was to assess whether the interindividual differences in the development of flatulence and cramps in patients with lactose malabsorption are due to the quantity of malabsorbed lactose or gas accumulation, or if accelerated intestinal transit or increased perception of gas might play a role. Hydrogen breath tests were performed in 43 patients with lactose malabsorption after ingestion of 50 g lactose and, on a separate day, 25 g lactulose. The unabsorbed amount of lactose, small bowel transit time and colonic hydrogen accumulation were assessed in patients who did and did not develop flatulence and cramps after ingestion of lactose. The unabsorbed amount of lactose, small bowel transit time and volume and rate of colonic hydrogen accumulation were the same in patients who did or did not have symptoms after lactose. Patients with flatulence and cramps had a significantly longer time interval between the onset of the increase and peak breath hydrogen concentration (p < 0.05) and a significant correlation between the time of occurrence of peak symptoms and the time of peak breath hydrogen concentration (r = 0.75, p < 0.001). Our data suggest that subjective symptoms of lactose intolerance are not due to the amount of malabsorbed lactose or to the volume or rate of gas accumulation per se, but are related to increased perception of gas.
In addition to causing embarrassment and unease, flatulence is linked to a variety of symptoms, some of which may be distressing. This review describes the origins of intestinal gas, its composition and methods which have been developed for its analysis. Emphasis is placed upon the effects of legumes in the diet in producing excessive intestinal gas and, particularly, on the role of raffinose-type oligosaccharides, containing alpha-galactosidic groupings. Suggestions for overcoming the problem are presented, including drug treatment, enzyme treatment, food processing and plant breeding. It is emphasised that removal of all raffinose-oligosaccharides from beans does not remove the problem of flatulence in animals and man; the compounds responsible--though assumed to be polysaccharides (or polysaccharide-derived oligomers formed by processing or cooking)--have yet to be characterised.
A case study of the paradoxical treatment of long standing obsessional ruminations about flatulence in a 33-year old female respiratory therapist is described. Self-reported estimates of the frequency and intensity of flatulence were unaffected by a misconception correction procedure that entailed the presentation of scientific data disconfirming the bases of her concerns. Paradoxical instructions to intensify flatus emissions were then employed. These instructions resulted in a rapid elimination of the obsessional ruminations; this improvement was enhanced at 1 yr follow-up.
Abdominal discomfort after eating cowpeas is known to be a major constraint on their greater consumption. Problems associated with cowpea consumption were identified by questionnaire in 448 randomly selected families. Some (28%) of the respondents had never experienced flatulence. Those who did said it occurred when cowpeas were eaten at all (16.7%), as dinner (42%) or without other foods (15%). A subsample of 40 people who complained of serious abdominal discomfort were fed cowpeas cooked by eight different methods at three consecutive dinners for each method. The problems reported were indigestion, vomiting, diarrhoea, increased belching, bad breath, offensive stool, flatulence, constipation, mild abdominal discomfort and sleepiness. Many respondents complained of mild abdominal discomfort with undehulled cowpeas (72.5%) and dehulled cowpeas (42.5%) that had been cooked at atmospheric pressure. Only 12.5% of the respondents complained of discomfort with dehulled cowpeas cooked under extra pressure. Thus, dehulling resulted in substantial reduction in the frequency and incidence of reported discomforts but pressure cooking also had beneficial effects, probably because of the higher cooking temperature attained.
To evaluate H2 production in the rat after ingestion of legume products as a predictive bioassay of their flatulence activity for man, responses of man and the rat to (1) a bland formula diet, (2) cooked California Small White bean (CSW) solids, (3) 70% ethanol extract of (2), (4) oligosaccharide fraction of (3), (5) non-protein nitrogen fraction of (3), and (6) combination of (4) and (5) were compared. Six human subjects were fed an 800 kcal breakfast of (1) or containing the amount of a test item equivalent to 100 g CSW. Each subject received all items once plus a single replicate of three items at the rate of one per week in random order. Total flatus volume, H2, CO2, and CH4 volumes and breath H2 concentration were measured for the interval 2.5 to 8.5 hours after breakfast. Young rats in metabolic chambers received known amounts of items 2 to 6 mixed with a bland basal diet. H2 trapped in the chambers was measured after 20 hours. Correlation of rat H2 and to human breath H2 measurements and flatus gas volumes were significant and positive except for negative correlation with flatus methane volume. Measurement of hydrogen production in the rat has potential for a predictive bioassay for flatulence in man.
We recently encountered a patient with severe flatulence who previously had been subjected to innumerable diagnostic tests and ineffective therapies based on the belief that his rectal gas was produced in the colon. Analysis of three flatus samples demonstrated that nitrogen (N2) was the predominant flatus gas whereas the three gases produced in the gut (CO2, H2 [hydrogen], and CH4 [methane]) comprised <16% of rectal gas. This result plus a series of other diagnostic tests clearly indicated that the patient's flatus was derived almost entirely from swallowed air. Based on this case, the present report summarizes available data on excessive flatulence and suggests a rational approach to the patient complaining of this problem. Particular emphasis is placed upon a sequential strategy consisting of: 1) a count of flatus passages to determine if the subject truly is abnormal (normal: <20 passages/day); 2) an analysis of flatus to determine if the flatus originates from swallowed air (predominantly nitrogen) or intraluminal production (predominantly CO2, H2, and CH4); and 3) treatment based upon the origin of the rectal gas.
It has been proposed that duodenogastric reflux may be the basic underlying mechanism which gives rise to symptoms of flatulent dyspepsia. Fasting and postprandial gastric juice bile acid concentrations were measured in patients with flatulent dyspepsia with and without gall bladder disease and postcholecystectomy. There were 13 patients with gall bladder disease, 12 with normal gall bladders and 13 postcholecystectomy. Gastric juice was obtained by intubation. Bile acid concentrations were compared with 21 controls and 15 asymptomatic subjects with gall bladder disease. For 21 patients with gall bladder disease who underwent cholecystectomy, levels were again assessed postoperatively to allow correlation with outcome. The occurrence of reflux and the resultant gastric juice bile acids did not correlate with symptoms. Concentrations postcholecystectomy, including asymptomatic subjects were significantly higher than controls (p less than 0.01). It is concluded that limited duodenogastric reflux is common and need not be associated with symptoms even when the resultant intra-gastric concentrations are higher than normal.
Fasting and post-prandial circulating levels of insulin, gastrin, gastric inhibitory polypeptide, pancreatic polypeptide and neurotensin were measured in patients with flatulent dyspepsia, with and without gallbladder disease and post-cholecystectomy. Levels were also measured in non-dyspeptic patients with gallbladder disease and normal controls. There were no consistent significant differences from controls for fasting and post-prandial responses in patients with a history of dyspepsia or those who experienced dyspepsia at the time of the test. In patients with gallbladder disease, with and without dyspepsia, there was a reduced neurotensin response compared to normal controls. It is concluded that circulating levels of these hormones are not related to symptoms of flatulent dyspepsia.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the soaking step and the domestic processing of the common bean, on the chemical composition, the levels of phytate, tannin, starch and flatulence factors by utilizing the follows treatments: raw bean (FC), freeze-dried cooked unsoaked bean (FCSM), freeze-dried cooked bean without the non-absorbed soaking water (FCSAM), freeze-dried cooked bean with the non-absorbed soaking water (FCCAM) and the soaking water (AM). The beans were soaking for a period for 16 hours in the proportion 3:1 (water:beans) at room temperature. The effect of the phytates and tannins on the net protein efficiency ratio (NPR) and protein digestibility using male Wistar rats were studied. A decrease in the phytate content of the beans (85%) with use of soaking was observed. In the case of the tannin content, only the cooking of the beans promoted high decomposition (84%). In the (FCSAM) treatment a decrease in the raffinose (25.0%), stachiose (24.8%), verbascose (41.7%) and starch (26.8%) contents was observed. Diets containing casein (control), casein plus the soluble solids obtain from the soaking water showed no significant difference (p > 0.05) for the NPR, as well as for the different bean treatments, although these showing lower values. The treatment (FCSM) showed the higher digestibility (74.3 +/- 5.8%) of the bean treatments, the casein diets showing 94.6 +/- 0.9%. The reduction of the phytates, tannin, starch contents and flatulence factors in the common bean was most effective when the soaking water not absorbed was discarded (FCSAM).
Psychologic and social factors have been implicated in the aetiology of dyspepsia. In this study these factors were investigated in relation to flatulent dyspepsia, a symptom complex that has traditionally been associated with gallbladder disease. Subjects completed the Middlesex Hospital Questionnaire and the Life Events Inventory and were interviewed in detail, using a semi-structured format. Three groups of patients with flatulent dyspepsia--those with and without gallbladder disease and post-cholecystectomy--all had significantly more associated somatic symptoms than non-dyspeptic subjects with gallbladder disease or normal controls, thus indicating greater emotional upset amongst dyspeptic patients. There was little evidence that symptoms were related to stressful life events.
The symptom complex of flatulent dyspepsia is ill-defined but is made up of at least nine individual symptoms. The relationship between these symptoms is not known and thier change after cholecystectomy in gall-stone patients is unpredictable; they disappear completely in less than half the patients. We studied the symptoms in one hundred and thirty nine patients, using various computer programmes to see if the changes after operation could be predicted and if some of the symptoms were linked or formed "clusters". The results did not show any standard relationship between the symptoms. We have therefore, proposed the hypothesis of a tiered symptom complex to explain these observations. They could be produced by a motility disorder affecting different parts of the gastro-intestinal tract to a varying degree.
A double-blind cross-over trial of metoclopramide (Maxolon) against placebo was undertaken in 42 patients with flatulent dyspepsia. A highly significant difference was found in favour of the active drug (P<0.01). The time at which the drug is given in relation to the meal and onset of symptoms is probably important. It is concluded that metoclopramide is effective in the short-term treatment of these symptoms but should be started only after thorough investigations have excluded more serious disease.