Tips for Taking the Gas Out of Beans

High in fiber and relatively high in protein, beans are very filling. Many people would like to eat more beans in their diet, but a problem with flatulence keeps them from doing so. High fiber foods do cause gas, particularly if you're unused to lots of fiber in your diet. So how do you reduce the gas problem caused by beans? Here are some tips for taking the gas out of beans.

Rinse Canned Beans

First, be reassured that the problem will become less of a problem over time, as you continue to eat a diet higher in fiber. But there are certain ways to reduce gas in the cooked beans you eat currently. If your beans are canned, simply drain the water out, and rinse the beans well.

Dispose of Bean Soak Water

When you cook your own beans, here's how to reduce the gas potential of the cooked beans. Soak your beans for up to 6 hours or overnight. The ratio of water-to-beans is approximately one cup of beans to nine cups of water. After soaking the beans, you want to dump out your soak water and replace it with that amount of fresh water. Then cook your beans for at least a half-hour, and dump out the cooking water. Again, add that amount of water. Cook your beans until they are soft and mash easily.

Soak Beans with Baking Soda

Another way to reduce the gas potential of beans is to add a little baking soda while you're soaking the beans. There's no set amount, but a tablespoon would probably do it. When you rinse, be sure to rinse well. This technique can help reduce the gas potential, but it also has a down-side. You leach out thiamine, one of the B vitamins.

Take Beano Before Beans

You can reduce gas by using a product called Beano. You can get this digestive enzyme without a prescription in pharmacies or health food stores. If you take Beano before eating beans, the product provides the necessary enzymes that help digest the bean fiber, and that helps reduce gas.

A Few More Bean Tips

You might want to start eating beans by eating only a small amount at first. Another tip is to avoid eating beans along with other gas producers--such as cruciferous vegetables. And a final tip for reducing the amount of gas produced by beans is to be sure your cooked beans are done. Undercooked bean starch can cause gas.

If you'd like to eat more beans, but you're concerned about the flatulence, give these bean tips a try. Soon you'll be eating beans problem-free.