Follow-up of a flatulent patient

This paper describes a low-flatulence diet developed by an extremely flatulent patient. Based on meticulous recording of each passage of flatus, the patient employed an elimination diet to determine what foods were responsible for his gas production. The diet reduced the frequency of his gas passage from 34±7 to 17±5 times per day (normal: 14±6) and similar reductions were observed by two other flatulent patients during adherence to the diet. The rectal gas of each of these subjects largely consisted of two gases (CO₂ and H₂) which result from bacterial fermentation of carbohydrates. The diet, which is low in lactose and wheat products, presumably minimizes the quantity of carbohydrates delivered to the colonic bacteria.