We're all guilty of it: gulping down breakfast before racing out the door, or wolfing down a sandwich before our lunch-break ends.
When life is fast and food is necessary, eating quickly, or on the go, seems to make our days easier — or at least more time-efficient. But it might be time to hit the brakes and savour every last bite. Earlier this week, researchers in Japan found slowing down the speed at which we eat may help us lose weight. It's not the first study to suggest eating slowly may have health benefits. But just how does it work? Allowing yourself to feel full It's thought the reason slow eating may potentially prevent weight gain is because of how long it takes for people to feel full. "It takes 15 to 20 minutes for those natural feedback mechanisms to kick in… they're physiological processes which are involved in recognising fullness, satiety and feeling satisfied from food," says dietician and associate professor Ben Desbrow from Griffith University. When you're eating quickly, your body doesn't get a chance to signal to the brain that you are getting full — and should probably stop eating. "You're more gauging how much you've eaten on external cues … in terms of the visual size of the food or the social context, as opposed to how you feel internally about whether you're satisfied or not." Study shows slow eaters least likely to be obese The Japanese study, published in the BMJ Open, looked at data collected from regular health check-ups and insurance claims from nearly 60,000 Japanese people with type 2 diabetes over a period of five years. During the health check-ups, participants were quizzed about their lifestyle, including whether their eating speed was fast, normal, or slow, whether they regularly snacked after dinner, skipped breakfast, or ate within two hours of going to sleep. The researchers found those who ate at a normal speed were 29 per cent less likely to be obese than those who ate quickly. And those that ate slowly were even better off — they were 42 per cent less likely to be obese when compared to fast eaters. Slow eaters also had a lower BMI and smaller waist circumference, on average. The researchers also found changes in these eating habits — eating slower and not snacking after dinner or before bed — were strongly associated with lower obesity, reduced BMI, and smaller weight circumference. "Interventions aimed at altering eating habits, such as education initiatives and programs to reduce eating speed, may be useful in preventing obesity," the authors wrote. Benefits of eating 'mindfully' According to Dr Desbrow, the slower and "more mindfully" you eat, the more attuned you are likely to be to your body and the feedback it's giving you. "It comes back, to a degree, to allowing time to listen to what your body is telling you, as opposed to feeling a certain level of expectation or habit that forms around eating consumption," he says. We may live an increasingly fast paced life, but our biological systems aren't moving at the same rate that our working and social environments are changing, he says. "Food has never been more accessible, so it's not as if we're having to use external cues from the environment … we have to listen to our internal cues more robustly in order to understand what our body needs to survive." "It comes back to having a greater capacity to listen to what our bodies are telling us when we eat." The dietician also says the rate at which we eat may be somewhat of a proxy to our overall relationship with food, and that slowing down can help us to enjoy eating in the presence of other people. "I like to think that food is far beyond just a package of nutrients that supply us with fuel and make our bodies work. To me, food is very much about connectedness with one another," he says. Chewing more may help If you tend to eat on the faster side, putting down your utensils between bites or drinking a glass of water may help. There's also no harm in chewing your food a little more. "Anything that's broken up into smaller particles creates a greater surface area for digestive enzymes to have an effect, to potentially absorb and transport the nutrients that are in the food," Dr Desbrow says. "So, you may actually change the nutrient availability based on how much or how little you chew your food." He says if food stays in your mouth for longer, it's likely to enter your stomach at a slower rate. But have scientists worked out the right number of chews? "I don't think we have a magic number, but certainly more than half a dozen times. Quite often a relatively fast eater will only chew a small number of times," he says. The study has limitations While large, the Japanese study had its limitations: participants' eating speeds were based on subjective assessment, and researchers did not assess energy intake or physical activity levels. "The findings in this study are associations, rather than causations, so there's always a limit to what conclusions you can draw," Dr Desbrow says. "But it's an interesting idea, and I think there's merit to exploring it." Nevertheless, previous studies have shown a similar association between eating habits (including speed) and BMI and weight gain. Eating quickly has also been linked to impaired glucose tolerance, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome. No harm in slowing down While more research is needed to determine whether an individual's eating speed can directly contribute to their overall weight, Dr Desbrow says there's no evidence to suggest slowing down is harmful. "You typically see a small effect from slowing the rate at which people eat, all the way up to statistically significant effects in certain groups," he says. "What we haven't seen is evidence that slowing the rate of eating is detrimental." The dietician adds that being more attentive to the food you consume and the way your body responds to it is likely to be beneficial to your health in the long-term. "Science doesn't always have the definitive answers, but slowing down and eating more slowly is certainly not going to do you any harm, and is more likely to result in a healthier outcome. "It will also raise the pleasure associated with consuming food in the presence of other people." This article was originally published at ABC Health
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The next time you pound the pavement, pick your route carefully. Running and walking next to busy traffic can eliminate the benefits of your run, according to a new study.
Researchers from The Lancet in the UK studied 119 volunteers to determine the effects on the body experienced when breathing in car and truck fumes. The study conducted involved measuring the group after two separate walks. Both efforts were two hours long and happened at midday, with the difference coming in location. The first test was conducted after a walk in leafy Hyde Park, while the second, held 3-8 weeks after was held on busy Oxford Street. While the bulk of Hyde Park has pollution well within the healthy range, the bustling sidewalks of Oxford Street regularly register high levels of black carbon, nitrogen dioxide, and fine particulate matter. Following walks in Hyde Park, participants experience expected benefits associated with exercise, such as improved lung functioning, improved blood flow, and easing of artery stiffness. These effects were visible for up to 24 hours post exercise. However, after walking along Oxford Street, none of these physiological benefits registered for the participants. It seemed that the pollution levels inhaled during the walk almost nullify the benefits experience from exercise. "Walking exercise should be enjoyed in urban green space areas away from high-density traffic," advise the experts behind the study. This post was originally published on Men's Health You may have seen it popping up on cafe menus recently — the "golden latte". It's hot milk mixed with turmeric, coconut oil, maybe a bit of honey. Turmeric has been proclaimed a superfood; a health booster — the yellow powder used as a central component in Asian cooking for thousands of years. But what does the evidence say about the health benefits of taking turmeric? And are some forms better than others? Why turmeric? Long before it found its way to your latte, turmeric was known as a healing food in the ancient Indian system of medicine Ayurveda — where it was used to treat respiratory conditions or as a topical application to soothe or heal the skin. Many today use it mixed with milk or water to ease a sore throat or an upset stomach. But interest in the spice's possible health benefits ramped up after a 2006 studyfound that older Singaporeans who ate more curry had less cognitive decline. That led to research into which components of curry could be causing the effect, and a growing interest in the properties of turmeric. It's not the spice itself that's key, rather it's an active compound within turmeric called curcumin. Research has found that curcumin has some anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. "Curcumin is a very powerful anti-inflammatory agent," said Professor Manohar Garg, director of the nutraceuticals research program at the University of Newcastle. Because inflammation is linked to a range of chronic conditions and diseases, among them arthritis, Alzheimer's and heart disease, researchers argue curcumin could help reduce the risk of those diseases by limiting inflammation in the body. "It's very powerful, the most powerful food I know of, for fighting inflammation in the body," Professor Garg said. Research conducted by the professor and his team found those people taking a combination of curcumin and a phytosterol (a naturally occurring steroid found in plants) reduced their cholesterol levels over a four-week period compared to a group who received a placebo. "There's some cholesterol-lowering effect from curcumin, and some cholesterol-lowering effect from phytosterols, but if you combine them together it's a synergistic effect. It's beyond what you expect from the two compounds separately," Professor Garg said. Is curcumin a brain-booster? Other research into curcumin has focused on its potential to improve cognitive function, particularly in older people. Professor Andrew Scholey, director of the Centre for Human Psychopharmacology at Swinburne University, has a research group looking into this. In an experiment conducted by the group, researchers took 80 people in their 60s and 70s and gave some a curcumin supplement while others received a placebo. The study participants then completed computerised cognitive tests that used their working memory. "Working memory's where you hoard information in mind or in consciousness," Professor Scholey said. "If you're learning a new PIN for a credit card, the first thing you'll do is rehearse that number to try and make sure you consolidate it." The researchers found those in the group given curcumin supplements had better working memory and an improved mood while taking the cognitive tests over a 28-day period. Professor Scholey said it was possible the curcumin was improving blood flow to the brain in those who took the supplements. "There is some work showing that curcumin can improve what's called endothelial function — that refers to the cells that line blood vessels, which can be in various degrees of elasticity or stiffness," Professor Scholey said. "If your vessels are a bit more elastic then you have better blood flow to all organs, including the brain. The better your blood flow to the brain is, the better your cognitive function is likely to be. We figure that's one aspect." Professor Scholey's study was funded by a manufacturer of a turmeric supplement, but they had no input into the study design or its findings. How strong is the evidence overall?
Both Professor Garg and Professor Scholey said while their recent results were promising, it's still early days when it comes to establishing the health benefits of turmeric. "We have some evidence, if you look at the in vitro cellular studies, if you look at animal studies, the evidence is very strong," Professor Garg said. "But humans are not animals. We need to provide more evidence from clinical trials… to get solid evidence of the health benefits of curcumin." How much do you need to take? The amounts of curcumin used in the above studies were quite high — from about 80 milligrams (in the cognition study) through to 200 milligrams (in the cholesterol research). Professor Garg said you'll get between 100 to 150 milligrams of curcumin in a full teaspoon of turmeric, but it can vary from powder to powder. The other thing to think about is that curcumin passes through your body quite quickly. In order to keep enough of it in your body to be effectively absorbed and useful, you'd want to be having it with lunch and dinner most days of the week (as in some Indian diets), Professor Garg said. "I'm in favour of getting it from natural foods, and if we can get enough curcumin from turmeric, that's the best way of consuming these products," he said. The other option is to take supplements, some of which may be tweaked so they're more readily absorbed by the body, Professor Scholey said. "The question is when you eat turmeric as a powder, how much is actually going to be absorbed?" he said. "Studies seem to show it's unlikely to be absorbed at the same level as some of these commercialised extracts, which I know doesn't sit beautifully with a nice picture of natural foods and products having these benefits, but unfortunately that's what the science shows." And the golden latte so popular at hip cafes around Australia's inner cities? If you're having it as a one-off thing, it definitely won't have a high enough dose of curcumin to have an impact on your health, Professor Scholey said. "Most of the curcumin within that turmeric latte is likely to come out the other end, unfortunately," he said. Can you take too much? Using turmeric as a spice in food is safe — the only danger being if you use too much, you might have an upset stomach. But while turmeric shouldn't be a problem, taking concentrated curcumin in a supplement form can be dangerous for those who are on blood-thinning medications. "If you're on medications like aspirin, warfarin, ibuprofen, naproxen, all these medications are anti-coagulants," Professor Garg said. "So if you take curcumin along with these medications, one needs to be a bit careful because it can reduce the clotting time and may increase bleeding, especially if you're undergoing some kind of surgery." Originally published on ABC Health. You may be familiar with that feeling of overwhelming sleepiness during the mid-afternoon. It's common, occurs whether you've eaten lunch or not, and is caused by a natural dip in alertness from about 1:00pm to 3:00pm. So, if you find yourself fighting off sleep in the middle of the day and you're somewhere where you can have a nap, then do it. Taking the time for a brief nap will relieve the sleepiness almost immediately and improve alertness for several hours after waking. And there are many other benefits, too. Understanding why we nap People nap for lots of reasons, some which are:
Napping is relatively common. In fact, about 50 per cent of us report taking a nap at least once per week. Napping rates are greater in countries like Greece, Brazil and Mexico that have a culture of siesta, which incorporate "quiet time" in the early afternoon for people to go home for a nap. In such countries, up to 72 per cent of people will nap as often as four times per week. The perks of napping Naps are not only beneficial because they make us feel less sleepy and more alert, but because they improve our cognitive functioning, reaction times, short-term memory and even our mood. Our research (not yet published) has found those who regularly nap report feeling more alert after a brief nap in the afternoon when compared to those who only nap occasionally. Another research group found that motor learning, which is where brain pathways change in response to learning a new skill, was significantly greater following a brief afternoon nap for regular nappers when compared to non-nappers. In fact, the overall benefits of naps are similar to those experienced after consuming caffeine (or other stimulant medications) but without the side effects of caffeine dependence and possibly disrupted sleep at night time. How long should a nap be? The amount of time you spend napping really depends on the time you have available, how you want the nap to work for you, and your plans for the coming night. Generally speaking, the longer a nap is, the longer you will feel rejuvenated after waking. Long naps of one to two hours during the afternoon will mean you are less sleepy (and require less sleep) that night. This could mean it will take longer than usual to fall asleep. If you are planning to stay up later than usual, or if taking a little longer to fall asleep at bedtime is not bothersome, time your nap for about 1.5 hours. This is the length of a normal sleep cycle. You will experience deep sleep for about an hour or so followed by light sleep for the last half an hour. Waking up during light sleep will leave you feeling refreshed and alert. However, waking during deep sleep will not. If you sleep too long and miss the light sleep at the end of a nap, chances are you will wake up feeling sluggish and drowsy. If you do experience feeling drowsy after a nap, don't worry — this feeling is temporary and will go away after a while. Another option is to have a brief "power nap". Brief naps of 10-15 minutes can significantly improve alertness, cognitive performance and mood almost immediately after waking. The benefits typically last for a few hours. Power naps are great because you won't experience any sluggish or drowsy feelings after waking. This is because you do not enter any deep sleep during this brief time. Research suggests, a brief, early-to-mid-afternoon nap provides the greatest rejuvenation when compared to naps at any other time of the day. However, if you're struggling to stay awake, a brief nap taken at any time can be help keep you alert. Nicole Lovato is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Adelaide Institute for Sleep Health, Flinders University. Originally published in The Conversation Coeliac disease, an allergy to gluten that causes damage to the intestine, affects one per cent of Australians. But more than ten times this number, or around 11 per cent of the population, follows a gluten-free diet by choice, and up to 30 per cent of people in the United States try to reduce their gluten intake. Gluten-free foods are frequently perceived as a healthier alternative, because of an alignment with a "wellness lifestyle". But is there scientific evidence to support this? Are gluten-free diets healthier? Recent large studies have not found health benefits for a gluten-free diet, and in fact the opposite may be true. Researchers followed a group of more than 100,000 people in the US for nearly 30 years and found a gluten-free diet was not associated with a healthier heart. It's not clear whether this was due to something in the gluten-free foods, or the avoidance of wholegrains, which are considered protective against heart disease. One study suggests gluten may be beneficial because it lowers levels of triglycerides in the blood. These are "bad" fats that increase the risk of heart disease. Another large study has found an inverse association between gluten intake and type 2 diabetes. People with a lower gluten intake had higher rates of type 2 diabetes. The researchers found this group also had lower fibre intake, and wondered whether low fibre was the culprit. But even after accounting for the lower fibre intake, an association remained, suggesting avoiding gluten is not protective against developing type 2 diabetes. Gluten free and diabetes Wholegrain products are made using the three parts of the grain — the bran (outside, which is rich in fibre), the germ (the seed) and the endosperm (the starchy, carbohydrate-rich centre). Together they form a bundle of fibre, carbohydrate, vitamins and minerals. Packaged gluten-free products such as bread frequently use only the carbohydrate component using refined flours from rice, corn or potato. These high carbohydrate foods may cause a sharp rise in blood sugar levels and may predispose to diabetes in the long term. Packaged gluten-free products often have added sugars to enhance flavour, and add emulsifiers and thickeners to improve the texture and make it similar to bread. Food fads nothing new Gluten-free markets have risen exponentially in the last decade due to consumer demand, even extending to the production of gluten-free food for dogs. Whether the market will expand or diminish with time is unknown, but food fashions are not new. Consider the popularity of low-fat diets in the 1980s, when butter was a villain. Now butter is now back in vogue, with sales increasing. Similarly, red wine used to be considered protective for cardiac health, but guidelines for safe alcohol consumption now recommend reduced intake. Of course, naturally gluten-free products such as plant-based foods, ancient grains and dairy are all part of a healthy and balanced diet, but there does not seem to be a health benefit for the processed and packaged gluten-free replacements over wheat-based versions. Why are gluten-free diets so popular?
Non-coeliac gluten sensitivity is different from coeliac disease. In coeliac disease, gluten intake causes damage to the intestine's lining, which reverses with a gluten-free diet. In non-coeliac gluten sensitivity (also called "gluten intolerance"), symptoms like bloating and wind are common, but no intestinal damage or long-term health effects occur. To better understand this condition, researchers set out to determine whether it was gluten intake or the perception of gluten intake that may be contributing. They designed a study in which self-identified gluten-sensitive people were fed gluten-free, low gluten and high gluten foods, but didn't know which they were eating. All diets were also low in wind-causing sugars, called FODMAPs, which can cause similar symptoms. They found most of the group improved regardless of whether they were on a high gluten, low gluten or gluten-free diet. They concluded there was no evidence for gluten alone being responsible, but the reduction in FODMAPs could explain the symptom improvement. Another reason people may report improvement when commencing a gluten-free diet is the exclusion of many other foods that are known not to be healthy, such as cakes, biscuits, crackers and beer. These dietary changes may also contribute to overall wellbeing. So where to from here? For people without coeliac disease, there's no evidence to support claims a strict gluten-free diet is beneficial for health. It's even possible the opposite is true, and the avoidance of dietary whole grains resulting in a low fibre intake may be detrimental. Given gluten-free foods cost around 17 per cent more, perhaps it's time to reconsider a strict gluten-free diet chosen for health benefits alone, and instead include a diversity of gluten and gluten-free foods, with dietary variety as the key. Suzanne Mahady is a gastroenterologist and clinical epidemiologist. She is a senior lecturer at Monash University. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Step away from the cured meats and put down that cheese, especially if you're a bloke.
Australian men are eating twice as much salt as the maximum recommended by the World Health Organisation, a study has found. Men on average are consuming about 10 grams of salt a day, and Australian women aren't far behind, taking in more than 7 grams a day, putting them at risk of heart disease and stroke, according to the paper published today in the Medical Journal of Australia. "Salt's a problem because what salt does is, throughout your life, you eat more than you need and your blood pressure goes up over your life," said lead author Professor Bruce Neal from UNSW Sydney and the George Institute for Global Health. "High blood pressure is the single biggest cause of premature death and disability in the world and most of that is from heart attack, strokes, kidney disease and heart failure." But don't chuck out your Himalayan sea salt shaker quite yet, that's not where most of your salt is coming from. The majority of this excess salt we're eating is hidden in processed foods, Professor Neal said. "You shouldn't be putting salt on food because it's not good for you, but that's not the main issue here," he said. "The issue is the 85 per cent of the average Australian's daily salt intake that comes from meats, cheeses, cereals, soups." Hidden salt the culprit And it's not just food we would think of as unhealthy. A single slice of bread can contain as much salt as a packet of chips, a study last year revealed. This means we should be taking a look at how much sodium is contained in everything we eat that comes from a packet. But Professor Neal said government and industry stepping up to change the ingredients going into those packaged foods would make a much bigger difference. "Most of the actions trying to contain how much salt people eat have been about trying to educate people and tell them about the problem. And that's important, but the food environment means that's not desperately helpful. It has almost no impact at all." Professor Neal gave the example of action taken in the UK around the turn of the millennium, when government put pressure on the industry to reduce salt content in food across the board. The result? About 11,000 fewer stroke and heart attacks each year at the 10-year mark. An investment of 15 million pounds ($26 million) a year is estimated to have saved 1.5 billion pounds ($2.6 billion) in healthcare costs. "It's just an absolute no-brainer," Professor Neal said. Modelling suggests that if sodium intake in Australia and New Zealand were reduced by 10 per cent over 10 years, it would save about 11,000 years of life that would be otherwise lost due to ill health, disability or early death across the population because of cardiovascular disease, the authors noted. Globally, the WHO estimates 2.5 million deaths could be prevented each year if salt consumption were reduced to the recommended level. Knowing the problem the first step to fixing it Australia, along with other WHO member states, has agreed to reduce the average population salt intake by 30 per cent by 2025. But Professor Neal said it has not been clear how we would make this change, given we've never had an accurate idea until now as to how much we were actually eating. Today's study aims to rectify that, bringing together 31 previous studies, including nearly 17,000 people over 26 years, and conducting a meta-analysis of their data. Up until now, the only other nationally representative survey of Australian adults' salt consumption found people were eating about 6 grams a day. That study relied on self-reporting — that is, study participants recalling what they had eaten and then reporting on it. "You find people are pretty optimistic about how much they eat and what they eat, and you get systematic underestimations of up to 50 per cent or a third," Professor Neal said. This study used data from more reliable methods, such as 24-hour urine tests, to get a more accurate measurement. Professor Neal said ongoing monitoring of Australians' salt intake was needed to make sure the country met its reduction targets. This article originally appeared on ABC Health. Plus, exactly what you can do to minimize the gas Ever wonder why you tend to get gassy at the worst possible moments? Your farts are a combination of two things: the air you swallow (say, by eating too quickly) and the food you eat, says David Poppers, M.D., Ph.D., gastroenterologist and clinical associate professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health. Farting is completely normal and healthy. But it’s also extremely inconvenient, and some foods may affect you more than others. That’s because everyone harbors different bacteria in their gut, says Dr. Poppers, which are typically responsible for the gas you produce. The following foods, however, seem to be common offenders. Here’s why they make you gassy — and what you can do about it. BROCCOLI AND CAULIFLOWER Cruciferous vegetables — like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts — are particularly high in fiber, a type of carb your body can’t digest. “Unlike most other components of food, fiber reaches the large intestine intact,” explains Myers. “The majority of the bacteria in the GI tract live in the large intestine. Bacteria have the capacity to utilize fiber for energy, but the byproduct of their metabolism is gas.” OATS AND WHOLE WHEAT BREAD Whole grains make you gassy for the same reason the vegetables listed above do: they’re equally high in fiber. You don’t want to skimp on fiber, though, since it’s great for your heart, digestion, and weight. Instead, increase your intake slowly by eating an additional serving of a high-fiber food per day until your stomach gets more comfortable with it. Drinking enough water during this process will help ease the gas, so for every 5 grams of fiber you add, increase your fluids by 8 ounces, says Myers. MILK, CHEESE, AND YOGURT Dairy contains a type of sugar called lactose, but many people have trouble digesting it because they have insufficient amounts of an enzyme called lactase, explains Myers, which can lead to bloating, gas, or even constipation. In fact, about 65 percent of people have trouble digesting dairy as they grow older, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine. That doesn’t necessarily mean you’re completely lactose intolerantor allergic, though. Some people are merely sensitive to it, so you can try drinking reduced-lactose milk or taking lactase supplements (like this one) to see if that eases your stomach problems, says Myers. If you experience severe abdominal pain, though, you should check in with your doc, ideally a gastroenterologist, so you can rule out the possibility of other serious health issues, says Dr. Poppers. APPLES, BANANAS, AND PEACHES Your body loves fruit — most of the time. If your stomach feels a bit rumbly after your daily apple, it could come down to the fiber, says Myers. Fruit is also high in natural sugar, like fructose. “Although it’s less common than lactose intolerance, some people experience gas and bloating from fruit because their GI system doesn’t break down all the sugars in fruit properly,” he explains. “So these carbohydrates reach the large intestine and serve as food for bacteria, which produce gas as a byproduct.” The biggest offenders include apples, peaches, raisins, bananas, apricots, prune juice, and pears, according to the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders. BEANS Beans get their bad reputation for a reason. Most legumes — including lentils, nuts, and peas — are high in fiber, along with sugars your body can’t digest properly, like raffinose and stachyose, according to a study published in the Nutritional Journal. Bacteria in your intestines break down these sugars, resulting in all sorts of gas, like hydrogen, methane, and even sulfur (responsible for that rotten egg smell). Rinsing and draining canned beans can help reduce some of these gas-causing properties, says Myers. SOFT DRINK Carbonated drinks can make you gassy because they cause you to swallow extra air, which gets trapped in your GI tract, says Myers. That air eventually has to be released, and the only way out is in the form of gas. If you must have a fizzy beverage, go with a sugar-free seltzer. Many sodas contain an artificial sweetener known as sorbitol, which is not fully absorbed by your body and fermented by bacteria instead, causing even more farts. WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF GAS IS A CONSTANT ISSUE? If gas is becoming a consistent problem, taking a tablet with your meals may help, since it contains an enzyme that makes fart-inducing foods easier to digest, says Dr. Poppers. You may also want to try keeping a food log for a few weeks, he suggests. Write down what you eat, how much of it, and how it makes you feel. This can help you pinpoint the worst offenders. Once you have that down, a doc or an R.D. can help you figure out the best way to approach your diet if you want to minimize gas. Take note of any other bothersome symptoms, like constipation, stomach pain, or heartburn, or nausea, says Dr. Poppers. This way, your doctor can rule out other serious GI issues, like irritable bowel syndrome. This article by Alisa Hrustic originally appeared on Men's Health. |