Every person who eats food produces intestinal gas. In some individuals, gas can be excessive and embarrassing, causing abdominal bloating, frequent and excessive flatulence, or sharp, jabbing pains in the abdomen. Although it is caused by a variety of factors, it is ultimately the result of poor digestion. When one doesn’t have enough naturally occurring digestive enzymes, or eats foods that are difficult to digest, food is left in the colon in an undigested form. This undigested food is broken down by bad bacteria through a process of fermentation that then creates gas as a by-product.

Take the Gas & Bloating Self-Test

Answer each question below to see if you could be suffering from excessive gas & bloating. A score of 3 or higher indicates there is a strong possibility that you have excess gas and bloating and could benefit benefit from nutritional supplementation to help address the problem.

1. Do you burp or belch uncontrollably after eating?

YES___ NO___ (YES = 1 NO = 0) _____

2. Do you eat quickly and swallow your food without much chewing?

YES___ NO___ (YES = 1 NO = 0) _____

3. Do you drink carbonated beverages?

YES___ NO___ (YES = 1 NO = 0) _____


4. Do you experience excessive flatulence within 1 to 1½ hours after eating?

YES___ NO___ (YES = 1 NO = 0) _____

5. Do some vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussel sprouts, garlic, onions, etc.) give you excessive flatulence?

YES___ NO___ (YES = 1 NO = 0) _____

6. Does eating beans give you excessive gas?

YES___ NO___ (YES = 1 NO = 0) _____

7. Do you take psyllium fiber as a supplemental fiber?

YES___ NO___ (YES = 1 NO = 0) _____


8. Do you drink cold liquids with your meals?

YES___ NO___ (YES = 1 NO = 0) _____

9. Do you commonly eat refined wheat products (pasta, crackers, bread, etc.) or dairy products?

YES___ NO___ (YES = 1 NO = 0) _____

10. Have you had problems with Candida overgrowth (thrush, vaginal yeast infections, nail fungus, etc.)?

YES___ NO___ (YES = 1 NO = 0) _____

TOTAL SCORE _______

(A score of 3 or higher indicates you may be suffering from Gas & Bloating.)

Simple Lifestyle Changes to Reduce Gas & Bloating

  • Do not eat late at night. Stop eating between 6-7 p.m.
  • Exercise to help stimulate the passage of gas through the GI tract.
  • Eliminate artificial sweeteners like Nutrasweet and Equal.
  • Avoid eating protein and starch at the same meal.
  • Eat fruit alone or thirty minutes before a meal.