Beans (legumes) cause gas because they contain a particular type of sugar, called an oligosaccharide, that the human body cannot fully digest. Other sugars are broken down and absorbed in the small intestine. But the human body does not produce an enzyme that breaks down oligosaccharides.
Another common inquiry is “Do beans cause gas when you eat them?”.
Beans, and other legumes like chickpeas, lentils and soybeans, are high in soluble fiber, which is considered beneficial for digestion. Unfortunately, it’s this soluble fiber that is also central to why they cause so much gas when you eat them.
Why do beans make you fart?
It is the bacteria in the intestine that finally breaks down these sugars. Doing so causes fermentation and the production of gas that we release as flatulence. By the same principle, other foods that come into the large intestine without being absorbed in the small intestine will cause gas.
Why can’t I Digest beans?
The reason why people have problems digesting beans is that we lack the alpha-galactosidase enzyme in our digestive tract. This enzyme breaks down indigestible oligosaccharides into smaller components so they can be digested. For many years, people have taken a product called Beano, which contains alpha-galactosidase to help prevent gas from beans.
How are beans digested in the body?
Beans contain a complex sugar called raffinose that the body can’t fully digest. Normally, sugars like raffinose would be digested in the small intestine. However, since humans lack the enzyme to break it down, raffinose makes its way from the small into the large intestine still intact.
How do you get rid of gas from beans?
To prevent gas that is caused by eating beans or other foods, the oligosaccharides must be broken down before they reach the large intestine and become food for the resident bacteria that live there. There is an enzyme that breaks down oligosaccharides, called alpha-galactosidase.