Older men tend to pass gas more frequently due to a combination of slowing digestion, shifting dietary tolerances, medications, and habits that increase swallowed air. A healthy adult passes gas about 15 times a day on average, though anywhere from a handful to 40 times falls within the normal range. If your dad seems to be on the higher end, there are real physiological reasons behind it.
Digestion Slows With Age
The rate at which food moves through the digestive tract, called motility, naturally decreases as people get older. When food spends more time sitting in the intestines, bacteria have longer to ferment it, which produces more gas. That gas builds up in the bowel and puts additional pressure on the muscles that control its release. The result is more frequent, and sometimes more forceful, flatulence. This alone explains a lot of what you’re noticing.
Foods He Used to Tolerate May Now Cause Gas
Your dad may be eating the same foods he always has, but his body processes them differently now. The most common example is dairy. Humans are actually programmed to lose the ability to digest lactose (the sugar in milk) after early childhood. Most adults worldwide have very little of the enzyme needed to break it down. For people who retained some tolerance into adulthood, that tolerance often continues to decline with age. The undigested lactose passes into the large intestine, where bacteria feast on it and produce gas, bloating, and sometimes cramping.
Dairy isn’t the only culprit. Certain short-chain carbohydrates found in beans, onions, garlic, wheat, apples, and many other common foods are poorly absorbed in the small intestine. When they reach the colon, gut bacteria ferment them rapidly. If your dad eats a lot of these foods, they could be a major contributor. He doesn’t need to cut them out entirely, but eating smaller portions or spacing them out can make a noticeable difference.
Medications Can Make It Worse
Many of the medications commonly prescribed to older adults list flatulence as a side effect. Anti-inflammatory painkillers like ibuprofen and naproxen, cholesterol-lowering statins, and certain laxatives can all increase gas production. Blood sugar medications are another well-known offender. If your dad started a new medication around the time you noticed more gas, that connection is worth exploring with his doctor. Switching to a different formulation or adjusting timing can sometimes help.
Swallowed Air Adds Up
Not all gas comes from digestion. A surprising amount enters the body as swallowed air, and several common habits increase how much air a person takes in. Eating quickly, talking while eating, drinking carbonated beverages, chewing gum, sucking on hard candy, using straws, and smoking all contribute.
Dentures are a particularly relevant factor for older adults. Loose-fitting dentures cause the mouth to produce more saliva, which leads to more frequent swallowing, and each swallow brings a small pocket of air into the stomach. That air has to go somewhere, and what doesn’t come back up as a burp travels through the intestines and exits as flatulence.
When Gas Signals Something Else
Most of the time, frequent gas is harmless. But certain patterns suggest something more is going on. If your dad’s gas came on suddenly after years of being unremarkable, or if it’s accompanied by abdominal pain, persistent diarrhea or constipation, or unintentional weight loss, those are signs worth paying attention to.
Several digestive conditions cause excess gas as a prominent symptom. Irritable bowel syndrome can change how gas moves through the intestines, making even normal amounts feel uncomfortable. A condition called small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, where bacteria multiply in the wrong part of the gut, produces extra gas along with diarrhea and weight loss. Celiac disease, gastroparesis (where the stomach empties too slowly), and even blockages in the digestive tract can all increase gas. These conditions are treatable, but they require a diagnosis first.
Simple Changes That Help
If there’s no underlying condition driving the problem, a few practical adjustments can reduce gas noticeably. Eating more slowly and avoiding conversation mid-bite cuts down on swallowed air. Reducing carbonated drinks helps for the same reason. If dairy seems to be a trigger, trying lactose-free versions of milk and cheese is an easy test. Cooking vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, and beans thoroughly breaks down some of the compounds that cause fermentation. A short walk after meals can also help move gas through the digestive tract more efficiently, counteracting the slower motility that comes with age.
If your dad wears dentures, having the fit checked can reduce excess air swallowing. And if he takes any of the medications mentioned above, his doctor or pharmacist can clarify whether gas is a known side effect and whether alternatives exist.