Why wind increases around festive eating
Several common festive habits can overwhelm digestion in the upper gut and ramp up fermentation in the lower gut, a perfect recipe for extra gas and a bit more ‘back-end pressure’ than usual.
Larger portions. When the upper gut is overloaded with food, it often struggles to digest food efficiently. Therefore, more undigested food can move into the large intestine, where microbes rapidly ferment, creating more gas.
Eating quickly. Fast eating reduces the prep time for your digestive enzymes and stomach acid, which are needed to break down food before it reaches the large intestine. Less breakdown = more fuel for bacteria = more fermentation.
Alcohol. Alcohol can disrupt the coordination of muscle contractions in the gut (known as motility). Irregular motility means food sits longer in certain areas and moves more quickly through others, both of which increase fermentation and gas production.
Fibre swings (both up and down)
– Sudden decreases (e.g., skipping breakfast to ‘save room’) slow gut movement, giving microbes more time to ferment
– Sudden increases, such as loading up on dried fruit, sprouts or beans, can overwhelm a microbiome that isn’t used to the volume. Research shows gradual fibre increase improves tolerance by encouraging the growth of fibre-loving microbes, a concept we call becoming fibre fit, (aka able to digest fibre without the side effects).
Food intolerances. If you notice an uptick in wind after eating soft cheeses, ice cream or custard, lactose intolerance may be involved. Undigested lactose reaches the large intestine quickly, causing a fermentation surge.
Stress and disrupted sleep. Stress reduces the gut’s ability to transfer gas into the bloodstream (where it’s cleared through your breath – not all gas is released as wind!). When this pathway slows, more gas gets trapped in your gut and must be released as wind. Poor sleep worsens this by raising cortisol, which interferes with this gas transfer.
