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Beans and other legumes, such as chickpeas, soybeans and lentils, can cause gas because they contain high amounts of oligosaccharides, a type of carbohydrate that is not digested by the body, which can also cause abdominal discomfort, and colic.
The oligosaccharides present in beans are used as food by intestinal bacteria, promoting fermentation and the formation of intestinal gas. However, some strategies, such as cooking well and soaking the beans, help reduce gas formation.
In addition, some measures, such as massaging the abdomen, using pharmacy remedies and consuming teas, for example, can also help eliminate intestinal gas already formed. Check out some tips to eliminate gases.
The 3 tips to keep beans from causing gas are:
1. Soak the beans for 12 hours
Leaving the beans to soak between 10 and 12 hours in cold water, discarding this water and washing the beans in running water and adding new water before cooking, reduces the amount of oligosaccharides present in the beans, helping to avoid the formation of intestinal gas.
2. Cooking the beans well
Cooking beans for 30 minutes in a pressure cooker, or between 60 and 90 minutes in a regular pot, helps to improve the digestion of this legume, preventing the formation of gas, cramps and abdominal discomfort.
3. Avoid eating bean skins
To eat beans without worrying about the formation of gases, you should avoid eating the husk of the beans, because this part contains a higher content of oligosaccharides than the inner part of the legume.
