Question: Can changing my eating and drinking habits or diet reduce gas or gas symptoms?
Answer: If you have problems with gas symptoms, your doctor may recommend changing your eating and drinking habits or diet. People with certain health conditions may need to follow a special diet. Your doctor may refer you to a registered dietitian to help create a healthy eating plan. Check on the cost of a dietitian’s services and whether your health insurance may pay for some or all of these services.

Changing your eating and drinking habits

Your doctor may suggest changing your eating and drinking habits to reduce gas symptoms. For example, doctors may recommend

avoiding or limiting how often you chew gum, suck on hard candy, drink fizzy drinks, and drink with a straw
avoiding talking while eating or drinking
eating slowly and, when possible, sitting down to eat instead of eating on the run
eating smaller, more frequent meals instead of larger meals

Changing your diet

Some people have more gas symptoms when they consume certain carbohydrates that the stomach and small intestine don’t fully digest. When these carbohydrates reach the large intestine, bacteria break them down and create gas in the process.

Examples of foods and drinks containing carbohydrates that may lead to excess gas include

certain fruits—including apples, peaches, and pears—and fruit juices
vegetables, especially cruciferous vegetables—a group that includes broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens, kale, and others—and legumes—a group that includesbeans, peas, and lentils
dairy products, such as milk, ice cream, and yogurt
whole grains, such as whole wheat
drinks that contain high-fructosecorn syrup, such as fruit juices, soft drinks, sports drinks, and energy drinks
candy, gum, or other products that contain sweeteners ending in “–ol,” such as sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, erythritol, and maltitol

Some people have more gas symptoms when they consume too much fiber. Others may have more gas symptoms when they eat high-fat foods, which can increase bloating.

Talk with your doctor about your diet. Your doctor may ask you to keep a diary of what you eat and drink and your gas symptoms. The diary can help your doctor or dietitian figure out whether certain foods and drinks could be causing your gas symptoms.

Following a special diet to help treat health conditions

If you are diagnosed with a health condition that could be causing your gas symptoms, your doctor or dietitian may recommend a special diet. For example, health care professionals may recommend

following agluten-free diet to treatceliac disease.
reducing the amount oflactosein your diet to manage symptoms oflactose intolerance.
reducing the amount of fructose, especially high-fructose corn syrup, in your diet to manage symptoms of dietary fructose intolerance.
trying alow FODMAPdiet for a few weeks to see if it helps with symptoms ofirritable bowel syndrome. FODMAPs are carbohydrates that are hard to digest.

Talk with your doctor or dietitian about a healthy eating plan that may help with your gas symptoms.

Talk with your doctor or dietitian about a healthy eating plan that may help with gas symptoms.