Farting is embarrassing. And we tend to resist the urge to fart. Ayurveda recommends that this urge to fart should not be suppressed as it can give rise to many diseases. However, we cannot release flatus in public due to many unmentionable reasons. So, what’s the solution?

The emission of a mixture of gases called flatus present in the intestine is called flatulence. This gas is produced by the symbiotic bacteria and yeast found in the Gastrointestinal Tract. Flatulence occurs mainly due to the presence of excess amount of bacteria in the intestine, and can be caused by digestive disorders, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, constipation, low fibre diet or a sedentary lifestyle.

Flatulence is known as ‘aadhmana’ in Ayurveda and is seen to occur due to the imbalance of vata and pitta dosha. Pitta controls the jaatharagni or digestive fire which helps in digesting food. Low pitta dosha and aggravated vata result in low digestive fire thus impairing digestion and leading to flatulence. The toxins (aama) thus formed aggravates vata  dosha.

• Avoid raw food, sprouted beans and pulses
• Avoid  consuming rice at night
• Avoid tea , coffee, alcohol, and fermented foods
• Avoid late night dinner

• Ø Mix half tsp of dry ginger powder with a pinch of hing (asafoetida) and a pinch of rock salt in a cup of warm water. Drink this to get relief from gas.
• Ø After meals, chew on some fresh ginger slices that are soaked in lime juice
• Ø A drop of dill oil in a teaspoon of honey taken immediately after meal can help.
• Ø Dry grind 1 tsp of pepper, 1 tsp of dry ginger and 1 tsp of green cardamom seeds. Add half a tsp of this mixture to water and drink 1 hour after meal.
• Ø Chew peppermint after meal. Pepper mint contains menthol that soothes the digestive muscles.
• Ø Soak 3 tbsp of ajwain seeds in adequate quantity of lime juice and dry in shade. When fully dry, powder it with little black salt. Take 1tsp of this mixture 2 times a day with warm water.
• Ø Add a few drops of clove oil/ eucalyptus oil to a glass of water and drink it every morning.
• Ø Have 1 glassful of buttermilk with 1/6 tsp of roasted cumin seed powder, dried ginger powder and black salt.

• Hingvashtak choorna-1 tsp twice a day mixed with 1 tsp of ghee followed by hot water.
• Kumaaryaasavam-in a dose of 20 ml twice daily after food with equal quantity of warm water.
• Hingu Triguna Taila in the dose of 2 tsp on empty stomach with warm water relieves gas and constipation.
• Rasonadi/Lasunadi Vati is also useful in gas.

Avoid being ‘gas cylinders’. Eat a healthy diet and keep your bowels clean!