Flatulence foods are typically high in certain polysaccharides, a type of complex carbohydrate. Flatulence-producing foods include beans, lentils, dairy products, onions, garlic, scallions, leeks, radishes, sweet potatoes, chestnuts, cashews, Jerusalem artichokes, oats, wheat, and yeast in breads.
Cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, and other cruciferous vegetables that belong to the genus "Brassica" are commonly reputed to not only increase flatulence, but to increase the pungency of the flatus.
In beans, flatulence seems to arise from the complex carbohydrate oligosaccharide that is particularly resistant to digestion by mammals. These oligosaccharides pass through the small intestine largely unchanged, but when they reach the large intestine, bacteria feed on them, producing copious amounts of flatus.
In the case of those with lactose intolerance, intestinal bacteria feeding on lactose can give rise to excessive gas production when milk or lactose-containing substances have been consumed.
Flatulence can also result from the abuse of food containing fiber, such as beans, cabbage, cauliflower, onions, artichokes, and from vegetables in general.
Carbonated beverages or drinks with yeast, such as beer, increase flatulence. In addition, drinking in abundance during meals may also increase flatulence since this practice may impede good salivation and sufficient chewing of food.
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