Although everyone experiences gas, some people are troubled by it more than others. At times, excessive gas can become uncomfortable or even painful. But some simple changes to your diet can provide gas relief and also aid digestion. In addition to over-the-counter gas relief remedies, some items commonly found in the kitchen may double as natural gas relievers.
Herbs for Gas Relief
A number of herbs with so-called carminative properties may help ease gas and prevent bloating, according to Angela Lemond, RDN, a dietitian and nutritionist based in Texas and a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “[A] carminative,” she says, “is a substance that aids in the expulsion of gas.”
One of the herbs shown to have carminative effects is ginger, the subject of a review published in April 2015 in the journal European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Studies. It found that ginger helps speed digestion, which is important because if your stomach empties faster, gases can move more quickly into your small intestine to relieve discomfort and bloating.
Additionally, a study published in April 2015 in the Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that in people with functional dyspepsia, a condition of chronic or recurring pain in your upper abdomen, ginger combined with artichoke extract stimulated gastric emptying.
