Can Garlic Cause Gas
Garlic can cause gas in the stomach but not to everyone. Nutrition experts blame sulfur compounds in garlic for bloating. Garlic makes you gassy because it’s high in fructans, a fermentable carbohydrate. Colic is a form of gas that can be created by eating an excessive amount of garlic.
The most common reason why garlic causes gas is that it is so high in fructans, which can make people gassy and bloated. This explains why some of us get excessive gas or bloating after eating raw or cooked garlic. Eating garlic regularly and experiencing abdominal pain or gas may just mean that you have an allergy or an intolerance. Allergies or intolerances to other compounds found in garlic are fairly common too, with symptoms like stomach bloating, slurping, and gassing (22).
The active compounds of garlic can also irritate the digestive tract, leading to burning sensations in your upper belly or chest. Consuming too much garlic may lead to spasms, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, while stomach acid mixed with the stronger compounds in cooked or raw garlic may have a burning effect on the stomach. Eating more than five cloves of garlic a day can lead to stomach upset, flatulence, nausea, and heartburn, and some people are allergic to garlic (Allium sativum). While a little garlic is a healthy addition to a balanced diet, eating too much of it can lead to a number of adverse effects.
If you find that eating lots of garlic does not trigger symptoms, then limiting intake is probably not necessary (11). Unfortunately, there is not too much that can be done to lessen any bloating or flatulence garlic causes. So, you are not going to reap all of the health benefits from raw garlic, but at least you are going to curb the uncomfortable flatulence. Excessive flatulence means that your body is struggling to process the fructans in garlic.
Like onions, leeks, and asparagus, garlic is high in fructans, which are a type of carbohydrate that can lead to stomach bloating, gas, and pain for some people (7). Like onions, garlic is considered a FODMAP food, which may cause bloating and other digestive issues in some people. Both garlic and onions are high in fructan, which is (you guessed it) another FODMAP that causes gas. So, you may want to look for a similar reaction with onions, wheat, and leeks: onions are high in fodmaps.
That is because onions are high in FODMAPs, which are collections of short-chain carbohydrates and sugar alcohols found in foods, either naturally or as food additives. People with normal digestive systems can eat foods that are high in FODMAPs and experience only mild increases in gas production. These foods are not well digested in the small intestine, leaving more waste for processing by the large intestine, which is where bacteria make the gas.
| Disadvantges | |
| Gas | Eating garlic can cause gas |
| Diarrhea | Eating garlic can cause diarrhea |
| Bad breath | One of the biggest issue of eating garlic is that it gives you bad breath |
When this undigested food makes it into the digestive tract, the bacteria takes control, and it results in intestinal gas. Your digestive tract produces gas by breaking down undigested food in the large intestine. Gases from the gut are caused when undigested, fermentable particles reach the bacteria in your lower gut.
The longer your body takes digesting your food, the longer it takes for bacteria to produce strong smells when gas is released. Eating foods rich in fiber and drinking lots of water will reduce how long gases are sitting in your colon, which causes fewer smells.
In addition to avoiding foods that contain garlic, or taking a nonprescription medicine known to decrease gas in the gut, you might also want to avoid foods that are high in fiber, which may encourage the production of gases. Garlic and onions are excellent flavouring agents for food, but can also be hard for your gut to digest, causing gas. Painful gas and cramping can occur with garlic and onions in raw form, and even cooked versions of these foods may trigger them.
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If foods that are high in FODMAPs make you experience stomach bloating and pain, it may be an indication that you have intolerances to some foods that produce excessive gas. Foods high in FODMAPs (such as the fructans that garlic contains) have been shown to worsen symptoms of IBS. Foods high in FODMAPs, such as garlic, onions, asparagus, fructose-rich fruits, milk, yogurt, and fruit juices, may all trigger increased gas production.
Garlic indeed contains significant amounts of fiber, as well as sugars like fructose and oligosaccharides, which frequently contribute to gas. While fructose may lead to gas issues (and sucrose is half fructose as well), this is probably not a problem with garlic since there is relatively little of it. Garlic is another food people around the world use in all kinds of different cuisines, and that too may produce excessive gases.
It often causes uncomfortable digestive issues, making it a no-no for people suffering from digestive discomfort and similar complaints. While garlic is usually not the first thing that comes to mind when most people think of foods causing gas, it may actually cause a case of rumbling. Garlic makes you gassy because it is high in fructan, which is a fermentable carbohydrate that is also found in foods such as onions, leeks, shallots, wheat, rye, inulin, and chicory roots.
The biggest reason why garlic is so difficult for some people with IBS is because it contains fructans; a polymer of fructose that is also found in foods like onions, leeks and wheat. When these fructans are not digested properly, they then ferment in your small intestines and trigger a lot of horrible IBS symptoms including bloating, gas, constipation, and diarrhea. When your digestive system cannot digest fructans properly, they tend to ferment and cause gas or bloating.
Veggies in the Brassicaceae family, like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage, are packed with fiber and raffinose, which may trigger a lot of gas, leading to lots of farting or a painful bloating. Foods that are high in sulfur include meat, poultry, eggs, onions, garlic, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower. This is particularly the case with raw garlic, since cooking reduces the abundance of various sulfur compounds (5, 6). When bacteria degrade starch in garlic, the bacteria produce byproducts as gases.
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We all know that eating a lot of garlic usually results in odours, but for people who have an intolerance to garlic, even a tiny amount causes it. If you are extremely fructan sensitive, just a small touch of garlic in a dish could cause discomfort. If the gas is uncomfortable or uncomfortable, eating slightly less garlic (and paying attention to your fructan intake in general) may help to curb the issue. As a result, people on the Low FODMAP diet–an elimination diet designed to pinpoint the specific foods triggering digestive problems–are often encouraged to restrict garlic consumption ( 8 ).
Is it normal to be gassy after eating garlic?
Garlic is rich in fructans, a type of carb that, in certain people, can lead to bloating, gas, and stomach pain, just like onions, leeks, and asparagus. In fact, a rich fructan item isn’t completely absorbed in the small intestine when consumed by someone who has a fructan intolerance.
How do you get rid of gas from garlic?
Garlic can cause gas as it is a source of Fructan. If you want to avoid getting gassy after eating garlic, it is recommended that you cook chunks of garlic in olive oil in a frying pan over low-medium heat and then remove the garlic. The olive oil becomes enhanced with garlic’s rich flavor, and thus eating garlic can be avoided.
Can garlic cure stomach gas?
You should try putting some garlic in your food to get rid of stomach gas. It can help you digest your food properly and reduce the formation of gas in your stomach. It has properties that helps your gastric system to be relieved of any bloating or stomach pain.