Passing gas between 14 and 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 dealing with excessive, uncomfortable, or embarrassing gas, there are concrete changes you can make to bring it down to a manageable level. The two main sources of intestinal gas are swallowed air and bacterial fermentation of undigested carbohydrates in your large intestine, and most strategies target one or both of those.
Why Your Body Makes Gas
Every time you eat or drink, you swallow small amounts of air. Some of that air gets burped out, but the rest travels through your digestive tract and eventually exits the other end. This accounts for a portion of your daily gas, and it’s odorless.
The bigger contributor is your gut bacteria. Your large intestine is home to trillions of microbes that break down carbohydrates your stomach and small intestine couldn’t fully digest. That fermentation process produces gas as a byproduct, including hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and sometimes methane or sulfur compounds. The sulfur is what creates the smell. The more undigested carbohydrates that reach your colon, the more gas your bacteria produce.
Foods That Cause the Most Gas
Certain carbohydrates are especially difficult for the small intestine to absorb, which means they arrive in the colon largely intact and become fuel for gas-producing bacteria. The biggest offenders include:
- Beans and lentils, which contain complex sugars your body lacks the enzyme to break down
- Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts
- Onions and garlic
- Wheat-based products such as bread, cereal, and crackers
- Dairy (milk, yogurt, ice cream), particularly if you’re lactose intolerant
- Certain fruits like apples, pears, cherries, and peaches
- Sugar alcohols found in sugar-free gum and diet foods (sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol)
You don’t need to eliminate all of these permanently. The practical approach is to cut them out for a couple of weeks, then reintroduce them one at a time to identify which specific foods are the worst triggers for you. This is essentially what a low-FODMAP diet does: it temporarily removes the short-chain carbohydrates most likely to ferment in your gut, then systematically adds them back.
Carbonated drinks are also worth mentioning. Every sip of soda, sparkling water, or beer delivers dissolved gas directly into your digestive system.
Eating Habits That Reduce Swallowed Air
The way you eat matters almost as much as what you eat. Rushing through meals causes you to gulp extra air with every bite, and that air has to go somewhere. A few simple adjustments can make a noticeable difference:
- Chew slowly and finish one bite before taking the next
- Drink from a glass instead of through a straw
- Save conversation for after the meal rather than talking while you chew
- Avoid chewing gum, which keeps you swallowing air continuously
- Skip hard candies for the same reason
If you smoke, that’s another source of swallowed air. Loose-fitting dentures can also cause you to swallow more air than normal while eating.
Over-the-Counter Options
Two types of products are widely available for gas relief, and they work in completely different ways.
Simethicone (sold as Gas-X and similar brands) doesn’t prevent gas from forming. Instead, it breaks up gas bubbles already in your digestive tract, making them easier to pass. It works best for that uncomfortable bloated, pressurized feeling. It’s generally taken after meals.
Alpha-galactosidase (sold as Beano) contains the enzyme your body needs to break down the complex sugars in beans, lentils, and certain vegetables before they reach your colon. The key is timing: you take it with the first bite of a problem food, not after the gas has already started. It won’t help with gas from dairy or other sources.
If dairy is your trigger, a lactase supplement taken before consuming milk products can prevent gas by helping your small intestine digest lactose before it reaches the bacteria in your colon.
Probiotics and Peppermint Oil
Probiotic supplements have shown some promise for reducing gas, though results vary depending on the strains used. One clinical trial found that a multi-strain probiotic containing Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus species achieved a 50 percent reduction in flatulence in more patients than a placebo after four weeks. Most studies show modest improvements in gas-related discomfort, but probiotics aren’t a guaranteed fix, and different products contain different strains with different evidence behind them.
Peppermint oil capsules are another option, especially if your gas comes with cramping or bloating. The menthol in peppermint relaxes the smooth muscles of the digestive tract, which can ease spasms and help trapped gas move through more comfortably. The typical dose used in clinical studies is 180 mg taken three times a day, about an hour before meals. Look for enteric-coated capsules, which dissolve in the intestine rather than the stomach, reducing the chance of heartburn.
When Gas Points to Something Else
If you’re consistently passing gas well beyond 23 times a day, or your gas has changed significantly in frequency or smell, it could signal an underlying digestive condition rather than just a dietary issue.
Lactose intolerance is the most common culprit. Your body stops producing enough of the enzyme that digests milk sugar, so dairy products send a flood of undigested lactose to your colon bacteria. A similar dynamic can happen with fructose or other sugars.
Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) occurs when bacteria that normally live in your colon migrate into your small intestine. Because food hits these bacteria earlier in digestion, you get excessive fermentation and gas. Both lactose intolerance and SIBO can be diagnosed with a simple, noninvasive hydrogen breath test.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and celiac disease are other conditions where excessive gas is a core symptom. If your gas is accompanied by persistent diarrhea, constipation, unintentional weight loss, blood in the stool, or vomiting, those are signs that something beyond normal digestion is going on and worth getting evaluated.
A Practical Starting Point
If you want to reduce your gas starting today, the highest-impact move is to keep a simple food diary for one to two weeks. Write down what you eat and when you notice gas afterward. Patterns tend to emerge quickly. Most people find that two or three specific foods are responsible for the majority of their discomfort, and cutting back on just those foods brings significant relief without requiring a complete dietary overhaul.
Combine that with slower eating, fewer carbonated drinks, and ditching the gum. For meals you know will be gassy, take an enzyme supplement with the first bite. These changes together cover both major gas sources: swallowed air and bacterial fermentation. For most people, that’s enough to make a real difference within a week or two.