I read your column on how much gas is normal. I, too, suffer from gas, as did my mother. I'd like to get some more information than you provided. Gas-X and Mylanta are good at bringing up shallow burps, similar to drinking too much diet soda, but my kind of gas is "king-size," with burps as loud as sneezes and stomach rumblings as loud as a water cooler. I sometimes feel gas trapped under my collarbone or under my diaphragm, as though it originated in the digestive tract but took an unusual route up. I've already tried lots of remedies -- exercise, headstands, ginger ale, hot-water bottles. I think an understanding of where gas is made, why it develops and how to prevent it would really be useful.

Leslie

Gas, flatulence and bloating are all part of the natural process of digestion. When fat is digested, gas is produced in the small intestine. When simple sugars (carbohydrates) are digested, gas may be produced in the large intestine; that occurs when carbohydrates are not completely digested, resulting in fermentation. The incomplete digestion and resulting gas can give you the feeling of stomach rumbling (also called borborygmus).

Certain foods are more likely to cause gas and intestinal discomfort; these include dairy products such as milk, cheese or yogurt; whole grains such as bran or wheat products; vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and spinach; and fruits such as apples, pears or peaches. As many of these foods are also part of a healthy diet, it is important that you try to isolate which foods cause you to have gas. To do this, eat only one of these foods for a few days and keep track. If you're sensitive to a particular food, you can limit your portions rather than eliminating it. If you find you're sensitive to dairy products, you might try eating yogurt, which has less lactose (milk sugar) than milk, or drinking commercially available lactose-reduced milk.

In many cases regular exercise does help, as do extra glasses of water. Sit up or stand after a meal. Avoid chewing gum. (It increases air swallowing.) In particular, avoid sugarless gum, which contains sorbitol (which may give you diarrhea). Avoid high-fructose corn sweeteners; you can add a drop of peppermint, cinnamon or ginger extract to a glass of water. Of course you should avoid tobacco.