Why Do Beans Make You Fart So Much?

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When you feel your stomach start to churn after digging into a tasty burrito, one question inevitably springs to mind: Why do beans make you fart so much!? The good news is, it’s not just you. A bunch of folks are probably wondering the very same thing, since the music-making potential of legumes is not just baseless slander: When we asked registered dietitians whether the dubious honor is deserved, the answer was pretty much unanimous. “Really, the short answer is yes,” Vincci Tsui, RD, a certified intuitive eating counselor based in Canada, tells SELF.

Okay, not ideal, but don’t immediately rush to purge your pantry. Beans also bring a lot to the (kitchen) table—they’re versatile, fiber-rich, and protein-packed (around 15 grams per one cup of the cooked stuff!), to name three big benefits. And besides, what would life be without dal, hummus, falafel, enchiladas, and other bean-based classics?

Still, if you’re an enthusiastic member of the bean brigade, you probably want to know more about this link, since ripping a big one can be smelly, painful, and embarrasing—and it always comes at the most inopportune time, right? To nail down some answers, we reached out to a few experts to break down why beans make you fart so much, including how it happens in the first place and what (if anything) you can do to prevent it.

First of all, what makes beans such a gas bomb?

Remember when we said beans are rich in fiber? Well, one specific type of fiber is actually to blame. Oligosaccharides—which are also found in other legumes like lentils and peas as well as some grains, fruits, and vegetables—“are the commonly cited culprit,” Thanh Thanh Nguyen, MS, RDN, a registered dietitian at Mendinground Nutrition, tells SELF.

When you eat foods that contain oligosaccharides (raffinose, stachyose, ciceritol, and verbascose, to name a few examples), they pass into your digestive system along with all the other components. But they’re difficult for your body to digest, according to Tsui. “Our stomach does not have the enzyme to break them down, so they stay intact,” Nguyen says.

Until, that is, they reach your large intestine, where your gut bacteria set to work. In a process known as fermentation, these bacteria feast on the oligosaccharides, resulting in byproducts like hydrogen, carbon dioxide, methane, and, occasionally, sulfur—in other words, gas. Sulfur-containing strains are primarily responsible for the stink.

Simply put, the fermentation taking place in your large intestine is the unwitting cause of your bean-induced digestive discomfort: stomach pain, cramping, bloating, and, of course, farting.

Do all types of beans cause gas?

Like we explained, legumes are high in oligosaccharides, so they really have the capacity to trigger some tooting across the board—and that holds true for fan faves like chickpeas, black beans, and kidney beans.

That said, the fiber content in beans isn’t equal—it really depends on the type—and fewer oligosaccharides should equal less gas, at least in theory. So beans or other legumes that fall on the lower end of the fiber spectrum are usually a safer bet. Some people claim that “lentils tend to be more easily tolerated,” Tsui says. Other stomach-friendlier choices include adzuki beans, mung beans, black-eyed peas, pigeon peas, or split peas, according to Harvard Health.

On the other end of the spectrum, “kidney beans are really high in fiber,” Nguyen says. You can also add lima beans, pinto beans, navy beans, and whole soy beans to that list, per Harvard Health.

Is it inevitable to start farting after eating beans?

Not necessarily. Everybody (and every body) is unique, so it’s tough to predict how any one person will react to a specific dietary trigger. “Different people have different levels of tolerance for this,” Tsui says. However, “for a lot of people, absolutely, beans do make us feel uncomfortable.” (More than 20% of the world’s population, in fact, according to Harvard Health.)

You’ll also want to keep in mind that certain factors put you more at risk. If you have a preexisting digestive condition like IBS, for example, you might be more sensitive to begin with. (Or, Nguyen notes, you might simply be more sensitive in general, even without any GI issues.)

Likewise, people who normally eat a diet low in fiber might struggle to digest a meal that’s bean-rich (and thus fiber-heavy), simply because it comes as a shock to their system, according to Tsui. On the flip side, folks who already eat a high-fiber diet will probably fare better because they’re already acclimated to that kind of food. The more you are exposed, the higher your tolerance, Tsui says.

Overall, how you’ll respond is “probably very person-dependent,” Nguyen says. Much of it really boils down to “what kind of microbiome each person has, and what kind of food it’s used to fermenting or tolerating or processing.”

So how can you stop farting after eating beans?

You have plenty of options for preventing or treating bean gas, ranging from supplements to dietary changes to cooking tweaks.

Soak your beans and dump the used water.

If you’re working with dried beans rather than canned, try soaking them in water overnight before cooking to draw out some of the oligosaccharides. “That helps get rid of some of the [stuff] that can make you feel gassy,” Tsui says. Just remember not to reuse the water while cooking, as the beans could then reabsorb the oligosaccharides—and you’d be right back where you started.

As for canned beans? On the whole, they “tend to already be more easy to tolerate than dried” because some of those oligosaccharides leach out during the canning process, Tsui says, though she still advises rinsing them well before tossing them into a stew or on top of a salad.

Take a digestive supplement before digging in.

You can purchase over-the-counter digestive enzyme supplements like Beano to help your stomach cope if it doesn’t like burritos as much as you do. Basically Lactaid for legumes, they work by supplying alpha-galactosidase—the missing enzyme your body needs to break down oligosaccharides before they reach the large intestine. That way, you prevent the oligosaccharides from arriving where “the gut bacteria can get to it,” Tsui says. (And if you can’t find Beano at your local pharmacy, you can always turn to a reliable all-purpose OTC like Pepto-Bismol, or even a home remedy like peppermint tea. Even though neither will deliver that missing enzyme, they still can help soothe your stomach.)

Identify specific beany triggers and cut out those offenders.

If meals are routinely messing with your stomach, you might want to try a low-FODMAP diet—temporarily cutting out fermentable oligosaccharides and other carbohydrates known to irritate the small intestine. (Yes, that’ll mean going cold turkey on beans for a while.) Ideally, this process will help you pinpoint the specific foods causing issues (including the specific beans, if any), so you can avoid those while continuing to enjoy others. Because it involves self-imposing a lot of dietary restrictions, however, you should do this under the guidance of a registered dietitian rather than diving right in on your own.

Build up your fiber tolerance.

Fiber is tough on your stomach, especially if you drastically dial up your intake overnight. Going from zero to 100 will probably throw off your digestion in the short term, but rest assured that your body will adjust—and just be prepared to play a less-than-pleasant waiting game in the meantime.

For a more measured approach, increase your fiber intake little by little rather than all of a sudden, Nguyen says. Start off with a small serving of beans once or twice a week, and gradually heighten the frequency or amount.

Finally, keep in mind that eating more beans is hardly the only way to increase your fiber tolerance. You have plenty of other options for working in a daily boost, from leaving the skin on fruits and veggies to swapping your green juices for smoothies.

Do some light exercise.

If you feel well enough, try stretching, knocking out some yoga—in particular, these poses can help move things along—or taking a little fart walk around the block. Getting mobile will kick your digestive system into high gear and encourage it to expel built-up gas, potentially relieving some of the pain and pressure in your abdomen.

Distressing as it can be, the bean farts sometimes refuse to be tamed. “Once it gets to that point, we just have to wait for it to pass,” Nguyen says. When your tried-and-true strategies fail and you have no other options left but riding it out, do what you can to make yourself comfortable. Take a fart walk if you’re so inclined, or sit down if you’d prefer to stay stationary for the time being. Some people also find applying warm compresses or drinking a cooling beverage like mint tea helpful, according to Nguyen. And finally, find a spot where you can let one rip if you need to, Nguyen says. “Sometimes, holding it in makes it worse,” she adds. And anyone who’s ever dealt with a roiling belly—so, all of us—knows just how um, sweet, that release can be.

Related:

• What to Know About SIBO, the Controversial Gut Condition That’s Tough to Diagnose

• How to Stop Rancid ‘Protein Farts’ From Ruining Your Workouts

• Does Non-Alcoholic Beer Cause the Same Bloating as the Boozy Stuff?

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Originally Appeared on Self