In general, when food is not digested properly it results in excess intestinal gas. Many people suffer from excess intestinal gas as a consequence.
Some kinds of food simply cannot be digested by humans. When such food is not fully or partially digested in the small intestine it goes into the large intestine where it is broken down (eaten) by your gut bacteria. As a result, such bacteria release methane which accumulates into excess intestinal gas. This is a way for the body to metaphorically tell you that all is not well, that it has to defend itself against poor digestion. There is no virtue in consuming food that results in excessive intestinal gas.
In a healthy person, the occasional excess gas itself usually does not cause health problems (apart from social embarrassment!). But if you are overweight or not perfectly healthy (as is the case with most people), then excess intestinal gas can adversely affect your health.
For example, excess intestinal gas can make you feel gallbladder pain, cause irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), severe stomach bloating, an upset stomach, abdominal pain, or aggravate an existing condition of gastritis. Other symptoms can include nausea, fuzzy thinking and fatigue. Chronic excess intestinal gas can lead to intestinal inflammation and can greatly increase the risk of colon cancer. In general you certainly want to avoid excess intestinal gas.
By far the main cause of excess intestinal gas comes from the diet. And BV's produce more excess intestinal gas than just about anything else you could eat.
BV's are high in raffinose (a harmful kind of sugar) which cannot be digested by humans because we lack the necessary enzymes. Some beans and grains are also high in raffinose, but BV's are the only kinds of vegetables that are high in raffinose. People who regularly consume BV's are likely to suffer from chronic excess intestinal gas as a result of ingesting raffinose on a regular basis.
Simply put, researchers have established that when certain sugars such as raffinose are consumed, they are poorly absorbed in the small intestine. If they aren’t absorbed properly then they can hang out too long in the intestines and become a feast for bacteria, causing the raffinose to become fermented. As the bacteria ferment the raffinose, their waste products affect us adversely.
Raffinose is a kind of 'fodmap'. And fodmaps are certain kinds of sugars that are poorly digested by humans, such as fructose, galactose and lactose. Raffinose consists of a mix of galactose, glucose, and fructose, so it is very much regarded as a fodmap. Much research has shown a strong direct link between fodmaps in the diet and inflammatory bowel disease, gastrointestinal problems and poor health. Tentative research also suggests that a compromised intestine can increase the risk of Crohn's Disease, a serious and life-threatening type of inflammatory bowel disease.
Currently there is insufficient evidence to show that fodmaps directly cause irritable bowel disease, cancer or Crohn's Disease. But research certainly shows that fodmaps exacerbate symptoms and that people with these diseases can greatly ameliorate such illness by avoiding high-fodmap foods.
Many kinds of foods contain fodmaps in varying degrees; in small amounts they cause no harm. But BV's are particularly high in fodmaps by virtue of being high in raffinose.
The message then is clear. A healthy diet should exclude high-fodmap foods such as BV's. It is not suggested that you follow a low-fodmap diet as it may be somewhat restrictive in what you can eat. But by avoiding all BV's you will by default not be consuming a high-fodmap diet. Consider the following: a low-fodmap diet is usually recommended as a cancer-preventative diet or to ameliorate existing cancer.
Here is some of the research on the points discussed in this section:
".... a cruciferous vegetable is difficult to digest. Broccoli contains a carbohydrate called raffinose that, when digested, causes gas. Although broccoli does not usually stimulate the gallbladder directly, the additional gas formed by the raffinose can increase your abdominal pain and discomfort. You should avoid broccoli if it exacerbates your pain or causes you a significant amount of abdominal discomfort". Source: Jill Corleone, registered dietician, Does Broccoli Cause Gallbladder Attacks? 2015, www.livestrong.com.
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"The following foods may also cause gastric distress, and should be omitted from your diet if they are not tolerated well: broccoli, cauliflower.... and various beans". Source: Dr. Nicole Sundene, NMD, Gallbladder Diet, www.kitchentablemedicine.com.
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"Gas forming [foods] like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts are usually not tolerated well". Source: Gallbladder Disease, Ask the Dietician, www.dietitian.com.
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"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". Source: Andrew Weil, M.D., www.drweil.com.
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"Kale contains a sugar called raffinose, which is hard for us to break down. Raffinose ....is found in cruciferous vegetables (the group that includes kale, cabbage and broccoli). We lack the right enzymes to digest raffinose in our stomach or small intestine. So after passing through these organs it arrives in the large intestine still intact, and is then fermented by the bacteria there....this fermentation also produces gases such as methane and carbon dioxide, which cause the well-known problems of bloating and flatulence that some people get after eating these foods". Source: Jacqui Gibbons, editor, Three Reasons Not to Eat Kale, 2014, www.high50.com.
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"Some carbohydrates, such as raffinose, are not well digested, and therefore produce increased amounts of gas. Raffinose is contained in a number of vegetables such as cabbage, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, broccoli....As a result, these foods tend to cause increased amounts of gas and flatulence in most people". Source: Indigestion, Nature's Intentions Naturopathic Clinic, www.naturesintentionsnaturopathy.com.
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"The worst foods for IBS include.... broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables, like cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage to name a few. That’s because they contain a sugar called raffinose. Humans lack the enzyme needed to digest this sugar". Source: Worst Foods for IBS, Unlocking the Mystery of IBS, www.no-ibs.com.
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"Certain foods contain a complex carbohydrate called raffinose, which is incompletely absorbed and can trigger irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms and flatulence. Foods that are high in raffinose include beans, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli and asparagus". Source: William Salt, M.D., U.S. board-certified gastroenterologist and co-author of Find Health! Discover what’s Behind Your Symptoms, www.stillhurtingfindhealth.com
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"It has been known for many decades that some foods may be more problematic than others with IBS. But more recently, scientists from Australia and the US have been working to track down FODMAPs as instigators of IBS (irritable bowel syndrome)". Source: Wondering About FODMAPs? 2015, Nutrition Before During and After Cancer,
www.jbenjaminblog.wordpress.com.
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"If you have Crohn’s disease then you may have heard of a group of carbohydrates referred to as FODMAPs, especially if you happen to live in Australia where the bulk of the research into these foods has occurred and a low-FODMAP diet has gained widespread acceptance as treatment for people with both irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD)". Source: Jaime Hartman, FODMAPs and Crohn’s Disease: A Beginner’s Guide, 2014, www.gutsybynature.com.
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"The evidence indicates that the FODMAP diet provides an effective approach to managing patients with gastrointestinal disorders. Drug therapy is often necessary as well, but long-term success is likely to take place only after the addition of dietary changes. More research is needed to determine the FODMAP content of all foods and to determine the legitimacy of applying a low FODMAP diet to patients with IBD. Many gastroenterologist and dieticians are now starting to apply this diet in clinical practice. The FODMAP diet may have once been a craze, but now with an increasing body of evidence behind it, is definitely a credible and valuable tool in the management of patients with gastrointestinal disorders". Source: Rakesh Nanda, et al, A FODMAP Diet Update: Craze or Credible? Nutrition Issues In Gastroenterology, Series #112, 2012.
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"These data suggest that reduction of FODMAP intake offers an efficacious strategy for patients with IBD". Source: Richard B. Gearry, et al, Reduction of dietary poorly absorbed short-chain carbohydrates (FODMAPs) improves abdominal symptoms in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, J. Crohns, 2008.09.004 8-14.
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