It is natural and normal to have gas in the colon and it is usually expelled during bowel movements. Sometimes people will have excessive amounts of gas that bother them. Intestinal gas is primarily composed of oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, carbon dioxide and methane. Oxygen and nitrogen are found in the air we breathe. Most of the other gases are the result of bacterial fermentation in the large intestine. Some foods are prone to increase the natural levels of gas found in the body. These include beans, peas, wheat, oats, bran, brussels sprouts, cabbage, corn, rutabaga, and dairy products. Among neuropathy, excessive gas may be an indication of Candida overgrowth. Candidiasis can be exacerbated by consuming foods that contain yeast or are fermented such as soy sauce, beer, bread, sugar, fruit juice, or fruit.
Intestinal gas can also be aggravated when the amount of fiber found in one’s diet increases or when taking herbal remedies to which one’s body isn’t accustomed. Other factors can contribute to excessive gas such as eating too fast and chewing gum as air is sometimes swallowed in these cases. Understanding this means that the first steps to reducing intestinal gas may be simply to eat slower and finding a different means of freshening your breath.
In terms of Chinese medicine, gas is usually attributed to diet, stress and spleen Qi deficiency that is accompanied by dampness. Over-the-counter remedies should not be taken to relieve or prevent gas, because there is no strong evidence that they are not effective.
Self Help
Intestinal gas is rarely a sign of a serious condition. Besides being embarrassing it is generally just a sign of a normally functioning digestive system. Steps you can take at home to reduce the intensity of the condition include:
- Several cups of peppermint tea per day
- Activated charcoal taken short-term. It is important to follow instructions carefully with activated charcoal and it should not be taken the same time as other medications.
A TCM Approach
Anti-Candida diets are often very effective. Anti-Candida herbal formulas can be very useful. I have found the following to be an effective combination, we’ll call this formula A:
- Phellodendron cortex
- Codonopsis root
- White Atractylodes
- Anemarrhena root
- Plantago seed
- Seven other herbs
Such a formula can be particularly useful when combined with symptomatic formulas such as the one below (this formula can be used as a standalone treatment for gas pain). We’ll call it formula B.
- Poria sclerotium
- Coix seed
- Barley Shen Qu
- Magnolia bark
- Angelica root
- Nine other herbs
Chinese Medicine considers excessive gas due to weak spleen function. As such, combining formula B with the next mixture (formula C) can be useful particularly if the patient has a weak pulse and complains of fatigue.
- Codonopsis root
- White Atractylodes rhizome
- Poria sclerotium
- Baked Licorice root
- Citrus peel
- Pinellia rhizome
- Vladimiria Souliei root
- Cardamon fruit
When the patient has cold signs, use the following formula (formula D) alone, or combine it with formula C:
- Magnolia bark
- Citrus peel
- Red Atractylodes rhizome
- Pinellia rhizome
- Ginger rhizome
- Licorice root
- Bupleurum root
- Oryza sprout
Finally, if the intestinal gas is accompanied or due to stress use one of the following (formulas E, F, and G respectively):
- Gotu kola root
- Chaste tree berries
- Passion flower
- Pseudostellaria root
- Scute root
- Ten other herbs
- Bupleurum root
- Tang Kuei root
- White Peony root
- Salvia root
- Poria sclerotium
- Seven other herbs
- Bupleurum root
- Pueraria root
- Pinellia rhizome
- Cinnamon twig
- White Peony root
- Ginseng root
- Scute root
- Licorice root
- Ginger rhizome
For PMS, use formula E or formula F
A Case Study
A female patient in her mid-30s complained of frequent intestinal gas, nausea, severe PMS, fatigue, and low back pain. She drank one or two glasses of wine each night and had a fondness for sweets. traditional Chinese diagnosis revealed that her pulse was wiry while her tongue was swollen, wet, and red around the edges. Before I recommended any herbal formulas, I recommended she abstain from alcohol (or have it only sparingly) and meditate after work in its place. I also recommended she cut sweets out of her diet as this would reduce both the PMS and intestinal gas. She was then prescribed formula B and formula F. I also recommended the following formula to help with her fatigue:
- Adrenal Cortex
- PAK (Pyridoxal alpha Ketoglutarate)
- Pseudostellaria root
- Dioscorea root
- Dolichos seed
- Schizandra fruit
- Oryza sprout
After two month’s time, she reported having more energy, less gas and that her PMS was less severe. Her back pain still lingered. We discontinued formula B and added a final formula to tonify the body.
- Astragalus root and seed
- Ligustrum fruit
- Ho-shou-wu root
- Lycium fruit
- Rehmannia (cooked) root
- Five other herbs