Generally speaking there are two factors at work in the production of gas in the gut - sugars and fibers. Both are composed of carbohydrates or saccharides.
The sugars raffinose and stachyose in beans, soy, broccoli, brussel sprouts, etc can not be broken down in the small intestine by humans or mammals because they don't have the necessary enzymes. Undigested sugars act like fast food for colonic bacteria which quickly fermented them. The precise amount and type of gas produced varies widely from person to person and depends on gender, age and the composition of an individual's gut flora.
There are a variety of different types of fiber. Some fibers such as methylcellulose are non-fermentable, some fibers such as psyllium are partially or slowly fermentable and some fibers such as inulin and FOS are rapidly fermented. The fiber in Jerusalem artichokes is rapidly fermentable. Again the amount of gas and type of gas produced depends on a variety of factors including the composition of the gut flora.
While some people may be able to slowly increase their intake of things such as soy which may change the composition of the gut flora allowing them to consume these foods other people cannot. No matter how slowly I try to increase my soy or bean intake even using beano I cannot get rid of the gas. Soy and beans are not viable options for me.
There isn't a simple answer to your question because much of the gas producing nature of the gut flora has to do with its composition which can vary widely from individual to individual. For example, it is unclear why some people produce methane gas and some people do not. Normally undigested food in large intestine is broken down by bacteria producing hydrogen and carbon dioxide but in about one-third of the population their gut flora contain methogens that produce methane gas.
The other thing to remember is that foods that produce gas in one person may not cause gas in another. Some common bacteria in the large intestine can destroy the hydrogen that other bacteria produce. The balance of the two types of bacteria may explain why some people have more gas than others.
The gut is a complicated organ which is still poorly understood I suspect that a better understanding of the gut flora will leading to better clues on how to manage IBS.
-------------------- STABLE: ♂, IBS-D 50+ years - Science of IBS
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Re: this is interesting
I suspect that a better understanding of the gut flora will leading to better clues on how to manage IBS.
