Any DUDE who’s crushed a T-Bell bean burrito or devoured a bowl of BBQ baked beans understands the consequences of his dietary decisions: flatulence so foul it makes you wonder how the human body could unleash something so heinous.
Beans are healthy, cheap, and delicious—butt everything in life has trade-offs, and in this case it’s nasty gas .
So, why exactly does this staple in the DUDE diet turn you into a walking wind machine? Is it possible to enjoy a plate of hummus, a bowl of chili, or a bean burrito without having to worry about fumigating your office?
Keep reading to learn why beans cause gas , whether you should worry about your explosive farts, and how to prevent a gas attack if beans are on the menu.
Why Do Beans Make You Fart?
Beans are nutritious, but notorious for causing gas, bloating, and big dumps . The average adult rips about 20 farts a day, but beans can easily ramp up the frequency. That’s because of three factors: fiber, oligosaccharide, and raffinose.
Let’s take a closer look at these culprits.
Fiber
Beans are loaded with soluble fiber , which soaks up water in your digestive tract to form a thick, gooey substance. This is great for gut health. However, consuming a bunch of fiber at one time can cause your gut to go into overdrive. The results are cramping, bloating, and—you guessed it—gas.
When dietary fiber reaches your colon, it’s fermented by the healthy bacteria that live there. Gas is the natural byproduct of that fermentation.
Oligosaccharide
Beans contain a specific type of sugar called oligosaccharide. Don’t worry about trying to pronounce that—all you need to know is that your body can’t fully digest oligosaccharides. Accordingly, when this stuff makes its way to your large intestine, digestive enzymes feed on the sugars, causing stinky gas as a byproduct.
Raffinose
Beans are rich in raffinose: a non-digestible carbohydrate also found in broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts. Raffinose is like an elite running back, working its way through your stomach and small intestine unscathed until it hits your large intestine. There, it’s fermented by gut bacteria, which trigger the production of gases like methane, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide.
Is It Bad to Fart a Lot After Eating Beans?
Don’t get it twisted: Being gassy after eating beans might be bad for the person sitting next to you. But it’s not bad for your health.
Flatulence is the standard byproduct of the fermentation that goes down in your gut when beans are digested. The fiber, sugars, and carbohydrates in beans are prebiotics that fuel the healthy bacteria in your digestive system. If you don’t work enough prebiotic fiber into your diet, you might deal with constipation—and that’s way worse than having to rip a few extra farts.
Bottom line: Don’t let a few toots scare you away from beans. Farting a lot on Taco Tuesday is a sign your digestive system is functioning properly.
How Do You Stop Beans From Giving You Gas?
If beans are on the menu but you’re not in the clear to let ‘em rip, here are a few tips to keep your farts under control.
1. Take Beano
Beano is an over-the-counter (OTC) supplement that contains alpha-galactosidase: a natural enzyme that helps prevent farts and bloating.
When you take Beano before meals, it breaks down the carbs that might otherwise linger in your gut, where they ferment and produce gas .
2. Soak and Rinse Your Beans
Before cooking beans, soak them in water overnight and rinse them thoroughly. This helps to break down some of the gas-causing compounds without knocking any of their nutritional value.
3. Watch What You Pair with Beans
Beans by themselves can definitely crank up the Gas-O-Meter. But pairing them with more fart fuel like onions, garlic, green vegetables, fruit, and dairy can take the stench and volume of your farts into uncharted territory.
Beware of Bean Sharts
Subjecting your coworkers or S.O. to the stench (and sound) of your bean farts is enough to worry about after eating a bean burrito that weighs as much as a small child. Butt we’ve heard horror stories about something much worse: bean sharts .
You feel something bubbling up deep inside your bowels. You're 99.9% positive it’s an innocent fart waiting to escape your b-hole. But then you feel something wet and warm in your boxers. Congratulations: You just shat yourself.
We’d never shame a dude for sharting (we’ve been there too many times to count). We will, however, shame you for mopping your undercarriage with a wad of dry toilet paper.
In the event of a shituation, you need to clear it—not smear it. That’s where DUDE Wipes come in: extra-large butt wipes infused with soothing aloe and vitamin E to clean your third pit without any collateral damage.
Next time you stock up on beans at the grocery store, make a detour to the TP aisle and grab a pack of DUDE Wipes .
