Anecdotal evidence links older age to increased gas production. This has been attributed to the metabolic changes that take place at this time of life. These include a general slowing of the metabolism, a decrease in muscle tone and less-effective digestion.
Healthy adults pass gas between 10 and 25 times per day. As you get older, however, you're more likely to take medications, gain weight, become lactose intolerant and have other issues that lead to an increase in gas. So, it's not necessarily the age that's leading to the tooting — it's all the other stuff.
Decreasing amounts of estrogen and progesterone during menopause can slow down the process of food passing through the GI system. When the digestive process takes longer, more water is reabsorbed back into the bloodstream, which can lead to constipation, increased gas and bloating.
However, there are times when excessive farting is a sign of a medical condition in need of treatment, such as food intolerance, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), celiac disease, and even certain cancers. There are also medications that can cause gas.
Is excess gas ever cause for concern? While gas is normal, there are times when it could be a red flag for a serious health issue. If gas occurs more frequently than usual, or if it's accompanied by other symptoms, like abdominal pain, weight loss, fever, or bloody stools, you should speak with your doctor.
Foods most often linked to intestinal gas include: Beans and lentils. Asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and other vegetables. Fructose, a natural sugar found in artichokes, onions, pears, wheat, and some soft drinks.
Anecdotal evidence links older age to increased gas production. This has been attributed to the metabolic changes that take place at this time of life. These include a general slowing of the metabolism, a decrease in muscle tone and less-effective digestion.
Exercise. Exercise is key in getting to and staying at a weight that supports your health at any age. During menopause, it can help you lose belly fat. Doing “targeted" abdominal exercises to get rid of belly fat sounds like it would help, but you can't tell your body exactly where to shed pounds.
Midsection weight gain (aka “meno belly”) in perimenopause and menopause is real – and frustrating. It often feels like this stubborn weight just isn't going anywhere, no matter how much you diet or exercise.
Menopause, low estrogen levels and decreased diversity in gut bacteria are connected, says Somi Javaid, M.D., a Cincinnati-based obstetrician-gynecologist and founder and chief medical officer of HerMD. Decreased gut bacteria diversity can negatively impact your digestive health, causing bloating, gas or constipation.
Causes of excessive farting
Excessive farting can be caused by: swallowing more air than usual. eating foods that are difficult to digest. conditions affecting the digestive system like indigestion or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Probiotics help eliminate or decrease common gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, gas, reflux and even nausea/vomiting. These foods help fill your gut with healthy bacteria that will assist in the healthy breakdown of the food you eat.
Menopause bloat happens. Gas during perimenopause and menopause is common, uncomfortable, and embarrassing.
Oestrogen and fat distribution
Reduced levels of oestrogen after menopause can cause fat to be stored around your waist rather than on your hips and thighs. In postmenopausal women, belly fat accounts for 15 to 20% of their total body weight, compared with 5 to 8% in premenopausal women.
On average, women gain 5-8% of their baseline body weight during this time,” she says. For the sake of simple math, this means if you weigh 100 pounds, on average you will gain five pounds in the two years after your final period.
Stay active for at least 30 minutes at least three or four times a week to keep things moving in your digestion. Avoid dairy. Try removing dairy products from your diet to see if you may have become lactose intolerant. Avoid veggies that cause gas.
Flatulence is commonly called farting, breaking or passing wind, or flatus. Most people pass wind between 7 and 12 times a day. But excessive flatulence can be uncomfortable and embarrassing, and can sometimes indicate a medical problem.
While coffee itself doesn't contain gas-causing compounds, it does stimulate the production of stomach acid. This increase in acid production can lead to digestive discomfort, including bloating and gas.
Why do people have so much gas but cannot poop? Factors such as not drinking enough fluids or not eating enough fiber can cause constipation and make the stool hard to pass. A person can speak with their doctor to assess why they have constipation and gas.
See a GP if:
farting is affecting your life and self help and pharmacy treatments have not worked. you have a stomach ache or bloating that will not go away or comes back. you keep getting constipation or diarrhoea.
Probiotics may help reduce flatulence
Probiotic bacteria such as Bifidobacterium lactis HN019 has been shown in clinical trials to help reduce flatulence, whilst also alleviating other gastrointestinal symptoms such as constipation, acid regurgitation and irregular bowel movements when compared with placebo.