Why Do Beans Make You Fart? How to Prevent Gas

1. High in complex carbs and protein and complex carbs

Beans are notoriously difficult to digest due to their high concentration of complex carbs and protein. Your stomach is unable to digest some of the more complex carbohydrates found in most legumes, including beans. Instead, they ferment in the intestine and can cause you to fart.

2. High in fiber

Beans are especially high in soluble fiber, which absorbs water in the digestive tract to produce a thick, gel-like texture. Excessive fiber consumption can result in side effects such as flatulence and bloating. 

3. High in oligosaccharides

Beans can cause flatulence because they contain unabsorbed short-chain carbs known as oligosaccharides, which the body has difficulty digesting since it does not create enough of the enzyme alpha-galactosidase, which is required to break down oligosaccharides. 

Oligosaccharides are natural sugars found in beans. These sugars are difficult for our stomach enzymes to break down. As a result, the sugar molecules remain intact as they move through the small intestine and into the large intestine. Gut bacteria attempt to break down the sugar molecules, which produce carbon dioxide and gasses that cause us to fart.

4. High in phytates

Most legumes, such as beans, are surrounded by phytates and other enzyme inhibitors, which means that if legumes aren't processed properly by our body (if not cooked well), they can cause even more gas.

Choose beans with less fiber

Choose beans with less fiber, such as edamame, black-eyed peas, adzuki, and small lima beans, and eat them with easily digested foods to prevent gas buildup in your stomach.

Drain and rinse canned beans

Most canned beans contain additional salt and bisphenol A, both of which are harmful to your endocrine system (a collection of glands that regulate metabolism). Drain the beans and then rinse them in clean water to remove any released starches or phytates.

Soak dried beans overnight

Soaking beans for 8 hours reduces the number of oligosaccharides within the beans, making them more digestible. Soaking beans also reduces phytic acid levels (phytic acid attaches to vitamins and minerals, making them less absorbable). Make sure to drain and rinse before use.

Add spices during cooking

There are many spices that can be added throughout the cooking process to help the body digest beans more easily. These spices include fennel, ginger, and cumin. Adding kombu or kelp to beans during the cooking process can also help make them more digestible while also adding extra vitamins and minerals to your dish.

Eat greens with your beans

Beans contain complex carbs called high raffinose that is difficult to digest. Thus, combining beans with low raffinose vegetables such as lettuce, cucumber, bok choy, and zucchini and easily digested proteins such as fish, chicken, eggs, and tempeh can help facilitate digestion.

Limit portion sizes

Start with minimal portions to give your body time to get used to beans. As you get used to beans, your body may eventually build tolerance and you may experience fewer digestive symptoms.

Chew thoroughly

The likelihood of food fermenting in your intestine and causing flatulence increases significantly when you swallow large amounts of food quickly and without chewing thoroughly. Chew your beans carefully to make sure that your saliva can start the digestion process and allow your stomach to more easily break down the beans.

Take probiotics

Excessive gas can also be caused by imbalanced gut flora. Taking probiotics can replenish your gut flora and improve your digestive health overall.

Consider digestive enzymes

The necessary enzymes to break down oligosaccharides are naturally present in some fungus species and can be isolated and made into supplements. These enzyme supplements can help you break down large oligosaccharide molecules into smaller carbs such as sucrose, fructose, and glucose.