Can Spaghetti Make Your Stomach Gassy?
No one likes having gas because it can cause embarrassment and discomfort. Although you may not consider spaghetti to be a gas-forming food, certain ingredients and digestive conditions may trigger excess gas.
No one likes having gas because it can cause embarrassment and discomfort. Although you may not consider spaghetti to be a gas-forming food, certain ingredients and digestive conditions may trigger excess gas. Not all spaghetti dishes are made the same or contain the same ingredients, which can cause difficulty in identifying which ingredients are causing the formation of gas. Gas is a normal part of human digestion, and the average American passes gas about 14 times daily, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse.
Highly Gas-Forming Foods
Spaghetti is typically served with pasta sauce, which may contain highly gas-forming ingredients. Onions and garlic are two common foods that may cause digestive difficulty and excessive gas. If your digestive system has difficulty digesting certain foods, the undigested portion of the food interacts with intestinal bacteria and release vapors, according to MayoClinic.com. The body expels most of these vapors by passing gas or belching. Any gas that remains in the digestive system can cause pain and bloating.
High-Fiber Pasta
Some spaghetti is made with whole grain or high-fiber flour. If you eat spaghetti that contains a lot of dietary fiber, you can develop extra gas. High-fiber foods are considered to be gas forming, and suddenly increasing the amount of fiber in your intestines can cause diarrhea, bloating and gas. The average American should consume about 20 to 35 grams of fiber daily. MedlinePlus states that most of these symptoms subside after consuming the same amount of fiber for one to three consecutive days.
Food Intolerances
One of the most common symptoms of food intolerance is gas. Food intolerances occur when your digestive system is unable to break down certain portions of foods that most people have no trouble digesting. Common food intolerances that may be sparked by spaghetti include gluten intolerance and lactose intolerance. Gluten is a protein found in oats, wheat, barley and rye. If you're sensitive to gluten, eating this protein can cause serious damage to the lining of the digestive system. Lactose is a sugar found in milk products that commonly causes gas in people that cannot digest the sugar.
Consideration
Sucking spaghetti through your lips increases your changes of swallowing air. Swallowing air is a common cause of a gassy stomach. Your body may get rid of some of the swallowed air through belching, but any air that remains becomes trapped in the digestive tract. Avoid eating spaghetti if you are anxious or in a rush.