What is Excessive Flatulence?
Flatulence occurs as a by-product of digestion. During the process of food breakdown, protein must be broken into its individual amino acids. Fats must also be broken into fatty acids, and carbohydrates must be broken into individual glucose molecules.
But when food does not break down completely in the stomach and small intestine, food makes its way into the large intestine in a semi-digestive state where it then ferments. This food then meets up with billions of hungry bacteria (the natural "intestinal fauna") we all have in our large intestine.
These bacteria produce a variety of gases such as methane, hydrogen and hydrogen sulfide. Hydrogen sulfide is the source of the odor (sulphur smells like rotten eggs) that we associate with Excessive flatulence and certain foods produce more excessive flatulence than others because they contain more indigestible carbohydrates than others. Beans, as you probably know, are particular culprits in this regard!





