Last week we talked about beans (legumes) and the fact that they cause you have gas and why. There are other vegetables that do this as well. Cabbage, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus, to name a few. What causes gas in these vegetables are also oligosaccharides. The most prevalent one is known as trisaccharide raffinose.
Just like in beans, raffinose cannot be broken down in our small intestines so we must rely on the enzyme alpha-galactosidase to handle it for us. It goes through our stomach undigested then when it gets to the large intestines, they have a party fermenting it and making hydrogen and methane along with other gases.
Some people may need to use an enzyme to help with broccoli but throughly chewing broccoli can help break down the bacteria that produces gas. It also contains some raffinose but you can remember to chew slowly and thoroughly to help eliminate gas. Similarly asparagus, cabbage, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts can cause gas. It is suggested that fennel seeds or peppermint or ginger tea can help with gas as well.
Cucumbers can cause burping in some people due to something called cucurbitacins. The more bitter the cucumber, the more of this compound is in them. Much of the compound is found in the skin, so peeling them should help somewhat. Corn is hard to digest and you have probably seen the whole kernels you have eaten when you eliminate. The kernels contain indigestible cellulose which can bloat you.