Beans are highly nutritious and rich in many important vitamins and minerals. However, due to their content of soluble fiber and raffinose, they can also make you fart.
Soak beans overnight in water, then drain, rinse and cook in fresh water. This decreases the oligosaccharide content. Cooking the beans in a pressure cooker may reduce the oligosaccharides even further. Try canned beans, which have lower levels of oligosaccharides because of the high-pressure processing.
Lentils, split peas and black-eyed peas, for example, are lower in gas-producing carbohydrates than other pulses. Chickpeas and navy beans are on the high end.
Rinse all canned beans before using them. This reduces the amount of gas-producing sugars. (It also cuts down on sodium.) Soak twice and discard the water.
According to several articles, soybeans are the fartiest and also contain the highest percentage of sugars. Navy beans and pinto beans are the next top offenders. And other worthy contestants include black beans, lima beans, black-eyed peas, and chickpeas.
Because of their fibre content, cannellini beans can cause gas. Eating too many beans can cause gastrointestinal upset to some extent.
But after three to four weeks, flatulence levels for all the beans returned to normal as people adjusted to the increased fiber. Dr. Todorov points out, however, that 6 to 12 percent of the people saw no decrease in gas with any bean. “People vary in their response to different legumes,” she says.
Rinse and Soak Beans and Legumes
Whether you're using canned or dry beans, begin by picking any foreign matter out. Then rinse the beans or legumes. For dry beans, soak in water overnight (8-12hrs).
The quickest way of getting rid of the gas is really simple. It is a vegetable ingredient that no one ever expects to use; a carrot. When boiling the beans throw in a well washed carrot skin into the water and this will absorb the gas efficiently.
Assuming your bowel transit time is normal, a good rule of thumb is that gas results from food you ate six to eight hours prior – for this is the time it takes for a solid, mixed meal to travel from mouth to colon.
Beans, lentils and chickpeas are notorious for their ability to cause bloating and wind thanks to their high fibre content. Despite this, you may not need to avoid them altogether. Many people tolerate canned legumes better than they do dried varieties.
The main culprit: Beans contain sugars called raffinose, which is what contributes to the discomfort. Because the human digestive tract can lack an enzyme called alpha-galactosidase to break down raffinose, it travels undigested to the large intestine.
Unless the recipe tells you to keep the canned beans in their liquid, you should drain your can and give the beans a good rinse before using. This will improve the flavor and texture of your finished dish.
The most difficult beans to digest are lima beans, navy beans and soybeans. Also note that beans are extremely high in fiber! That means if you aren't used to eating them regularly, you probably should sit down with a bit 'ol bowl of them.
May Support Gut Health
Just 1/2 cup (130 grams) of baked beans supplies 18% of the RDI for fiber. Fiber supports gut health, including regular bowel movements ( 1 ).
Canned beans can be hard to digest because they don't take the same precautions we do to soak beans fully and cook them with fresh ingredients that enhance digestion. Better Beans are vegan and contain no lard. Canned beans often contain lard or other animal products.
Some people experience gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, such as bloating, gas, and stomach cramps when they eat pulses, like beans, lentils, and peas. That's because pulses contain large amounts of indigestible carbohydrates (fibers) that are fermented in the GI tract resulting in the formation of gas.
There's no doubt that beans have a reputation for their effects on flatulence. The main reason for this is down to the undigestible carbohydrates that legumes contain. These inadequately absorbed sugars are quickly fermented by gut bacteria in the large bowel, resulting in wind.
Beans make us fart because they contain sugars and fibre that our bodies have a hard time digesting. When these sugars meet up with the bacteria in our large intestines, it produces gas and so we fart.
Beans contain raffinose, a type of carbohydrate that's poorly digested by the body. Bacteria in the large intestine break down raffinose, resulting in gas and bloating.
Drinking plenty of water after eating high-fiber foods, like beans, can aid in digestion and help reduce bloating. "It may sound counterintuitive, but staying hydrated discourages water retention because your body isn't struggling to hold on to the water it has," Jessica Cording, M.S., R.D., CDN, says.
Beans may cause bloating because they have a high fiber content and contain oligosaccharides, which are sugars that the body can find difficult to break down.
Soak Before Cooking
Studies have shown that soaking dried beans for 8-12 hours before cooking can help to reduce the quantity of raffinose sugars. The key is to discard the water after soaking, and use fresh water for cooking. Less raffinose in your soup or chili will help to make the legumes easier to digest.