Why do beans make you fart

The result? Hellacious farts. Beans and legumes contain complex fibers called oligosaccharides. There, the oligosaccharides are broken down by hungry gut bacteria.

The bacteria feast on these sugars and release gas we like to think of it as little burps in the form of noxious gases like methane and sulfur. The more you know! But the expert consensus seems to be that the more fiber a type of bean has, the more likely it is to really get your horn tooting. Some very limited research backs this up for fiber all-stars like pinto and navy beans. But you might also notice the same kind of problem for other roughage-packed picks like lentils and split peas.

Beans like chickpeas , black beans, and kidney beans are a little lower on the fiber totem pole, so they might be less problematic in the pop tart department.

What about baked beans? Beer, a common ingredient in baked beans, also contains compounds that fill your system up with an extra dose of air. There are a bunch of ways to make beans less gassy and help your system handle them a little bit better. Adding a pinch of baking soda to the soaking liquid can help to sort of pre-digest some of those oligosaccharides too.

Basically, you bring a pound of beans and 10 cups of water to a boil and keep the boil going for 2 to 3 minutes. Then turn off the heat and let the beans sit, covered, for 4 hours before you cook them. Planning on cooking your beans with tomatoes, wine, or lemon juice? Ask a grown-up: why do beans make you fart? Four-year-old Joseph's question is answered by Jamie Oliver.

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