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I'm just wondering if the fact that I'm eating more red meat than I ever have before is creating more gas, because of its sulphur content. I found this on the net:

"The main sources of dietary sulphur are the sulphur amino acids, found in high protein foods, such as red meat, cheese, milk, nuts and eggs, and sulphate. Sulphate is found in brassica vegetables, such as broccoli, and is used as a preservative in processed foods, especially bread, beer, sausages, and dried fruit."

EDIT: I am not eating any FODMAPS. I eat almost no carbs period, becuase my gas issuses are so extreme. I know about all the other possible sources of gas, I'm just wondering if red meat could be one of them.

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No, red meat is not the culprit. In the absence of veggies, once you've adapted to a carnivore diet, there's very very little gas. – Huey Feb 19 2012 at 17:35

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Veggies cause gas. Cheese binds you up and makes veggie fiber necessary. Bacterial colonies in your gut thrive on fiber and veggies and produce copious quantities of methane, enough to power a small city in a blizzard, but the energy can't be harnessed unless you submit to a rather uncomfortable implant procedure, perfected by the north Koreans. They're coming for you right now. Stop eating veggies.

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+1 for the sick humor! – Dragonfly Feb 19 2012 at 17:21
I love this answer!!! – Korion Feb 19 2012 at 18:38
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I find that if anything, the more meat I have in my diet the less gas I have. I’d suspect FODMAP foods are more likely to blame (I’m not on a low-FODMAP diet myself, but I do notice that FODMAPs give me more gas).

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Agreed. Same here, so I've reduced FODMAPS. – Dragonfly Feb 19 2012 at 17:20
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Same here. On ZC I didn't fart at all. Gas = fermentation, so fiber is likely the issue. Is gas bad, though? – Korion Feb 19 2012 at 17:55
Gas is bad when you have IBS and your colon doesn't move it through in the normal way and it causes untold amounts of discomfort, pain and sleepless nights. Gas is THE bane of my existence. – Renee Feb 19 2012 at 18:02
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Gas is the bane of my existence too. If only my brother and my father wouldn't fart in my room. – Korion Feb 19 2012 at 18:23
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cauliflower, broccoli, and brussel sprouts!

i found this on "drweil.com" by andrew weil, MD

Despite their healthy profile, some high-fiber cruciferous vegetables have bad reputations as gas producers due to their content of an indigestible sugar called raffinose (Larger amounts of raffinose are found in beans, which are notorious for inducing flatulence). Methane-producing bacteria in the colon feed on raffinose and release gas in the process. There's nothing you can do to broccoli and other crucifers to cut down on the gas they induce. Extra cooking just makes them unpalatable and destroys vitamin content (incidentally, cooking broccoli in aluminum or copper pots also destroys vitamins and ruins flavor). The extent to which your body produces gas depends on the types of bacteria in your colon that break down foods for digestion - we all are born with unique assortments of gut flora.

Broccoli and the other vegetables you mention are so good for you that it's worth making an effort to minimize their gas-producing effects so you can enjoy their health benefits. You can try eating yogurt, kefir, or buttermilk regularly, to boost the friendly bacteria in your colon. Taking probiotic supplements, like lactobacillus GG, might be an even better way to do this. Lemon juice with meals can also be helpful. And limiting high-fat foods can reduce bloating and discomfort and help the stomach to empty faster, allowing gases to move more readily into the small intestine. You can also try taking Beano before eating your broccoli. Available at health food stores, it is made from a plant-derived enzyme that breaks down raffinose before it enters the colon, thus reducing gas production.

In addition, you might experiment by eating very small amounts of broccoli every day, gradually increasing your intake to see if you can build up tolerance to it. Finally, fennel seeds can help expel gas from the digestive tract - try chewing and swallowing a half teaspoon at the end of a meal. Indian grocery stores sell sugarcoated fennel seeds as digestive aids

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I was wondering something similar - I started out following slow carb (from 4 Hour Body) - then dropped the beans when the gas was getting too much, then went to mostly paleo - and increased my meat consumption - I notice it especially after eating a large amount of ground beef that I get gas.

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Back in my SAD days, I ate almost no red meat. I would go to my parents' for a weekend and they would make steak, meatloaf, a beef roast, burgers, etc. and I would have 3 or 4 servings of red meat in a few days... and I would get TERRIBLE gas. Embarrassingly terrible gas. I added it back into my diet gradually and didn't experience it quite as badly. Cruciferous veggies are what give me gas now, but I've found that I do better if I eat a little each day. – Chris Feb 19 2012 at 21:41
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I was surprised that sulfur was the source of the stink too, as I was for blaming the amines. The major source of our daily 3 liters volume isn't sulfur or even methane, but nitrogen N2.

Which would be coming from air.

So have you considered a burping program for earlier intervention? Or maybe not wolfing down your steak but chewing it 100 times before swallowing?

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I used to terrible gas from red meat as well, but after total reworking, red meat is the go to food for no gas days for me now.

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All food goes through some form or other digestion in the gut, and it usually results in gas production. Depending on the substrate available for digestion different gases are formed.

It's true that fiber usually results in more gas production than meat and fat does. But the effect really depends on the composition of gut flora. I suspect that in this forum there are more people who get problems from veggies, grains and beans. In a different forum you might have more people who get smelly gas and abdominal pain from meat and eggs.

I doubt that anyone here can definitively answer your question. If you really need an answer you can get a stool or breath test done. Those should be able to diagnose any digestive issues.

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"I eat almost no carbs period"

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a conclusion i have arrived at upon various n-1 dietary experiments on myself is that: you cannot ditch dietary CW in terms of content, without rehashing such issues as timing, frequency and volume: if i tried to eat zc/vlc consuming three square meals a day, i would surely be distressed by many a terrible consequences including the one you happen to be afflicted with...

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Thanks Igel - I now eat a lot more carbs than when I originally posted that question. And I identified that it was the eggs that were giving me too much sulphurous gas, so I gave them up. – Renee Aug 15 at 12:37

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