Why Gas forms In the Stomach : Gas formation in the stomach is a natural process. As per Ayurved, whenever we eat something gas formation takes place to do the further process (movement of digested food from stomach to our intestine). For some people gas formation takes place but it gets stuck in their stomach which is unnatural process. We know that imbalanced Vata (Apan vayu) is the reason behind gas formation in our body. Note: Apan Vayu is responsible for all things which goes out from our body in the downwards direction e.g Fart, Food movement from stomach to intestine, Women Periods, Urine, Shukra discharge, Movement of baby during delivery.
How Apan Vayu (Vata) gets imbalanced or corrupted :
1. People who ignore their natural calls for Urine, Stool etc. frequently have to face this problem.
2. People who always try to control their fart.
3. People who eat dry, roasted, boiled and stale food for long time.
4. People who eat only selective tastes of food among the 6 tastes : Sour, Salt, Spicy (pungent), Sweet, Bitter, Astringent. Note : All spicy, bitter and astringent taste foods are light and dry in nature.
5. People who eat either more sweet taste or more spicy, bitter & astringent taste food.
6. People who eat food very late at night and eat heavy food in dinner like : paneer, non veg,fried food, besan made food, sweet items.
7. All packed soft drinks and fridge water increases Vata in our body. You can replace fridge water with pot water.
All these habits disturb the natural process of Apan Vayu (Vata). If people follow these habits for long time then first gas starts getting stuck in our stomach and after few years this problem converts into gas pain when gas starts moving in upwards direction instead of downwards.
Home Remedies For Gas Pain & Bloating :
1. Ginger : It is heat in nature and bitter in taste. It helps in all Kapha and Vata related diseases. If Vata increases in our body then people face gas & bloating problems. Chew 1 small piece of ginger along with sendha namak 10 mins before food. It increases our digestive fire and reduces Vata in our body.
2. Cashewnut : It is heat in nature and helps in reducing Vata problem. If you have problem of stomach heavyness after food then consume few roasted (use Cow-ghee) cashewnuts after food.
3. Tulsi : Due to low digestive fire people feel bloating problem and pain near waist area. Tulsi is light, dry and heat in nature; bitter and astringent in taste. Due to it's heat nature it helps in reducing Vata (air) from our body. Take 1 or 2 spoon of tulsi juice with honey daily in the morning in the empty stomach. It will reduce Kapha and will help in improving digestive fire. Note: chewing tulsi is not beneficial, as per Ayurved. Consume this either in juice/kadha or in the form of tablet. Instead of chewing tulsi you can swallow it.
4. Carrom Seed (Ajwain) : It is heat in nature and increases Pitta in body by reducing Vata and Kapha both. If you have gas/bloating problem due to indigestion then consumption of ajwain (carrom seeds) after food is beneficial for you. It increases digestive fire which helps in proper food digestion. It is heat in nature so it helps in curing gas problem as well. Take carrom Seed (Ajwain) in small amount and roast it on a pan for 2 mins with cow-ghee. Once it is roasted then add a pinch of sendha namak in it. Consume this ajwain daily after food, it will help in food digestion and will reduce gas problem. It is very heat in nature and some times it increases Pitta, to reduce the heat we should add cow-ghee in it.
5. Garlic : Garlic is beneficial in bloating problem. It is heat and smooth in nature and helps in proper food digestion. To cure/reduce bloating problem include garlic in your diet in any form chutney/vegetables/pickles.
6. Bay Leaf : It is heat in nature and helps in food digestion. Either you can add this in your food or can have a pinch of it's powder after food for digestion. It is heat in nature so it helps in all Vata related problems.
7. Ashwagandha : People who have problem of gas formation and cramp problem due to gas should use ashwagandha. It is light, heat and smooth in nature.
8. Hing : It is light, heat, smooth and sharp in nature and has the property to slip downwards. It increases Pitta in our body and helps in reducing Vata and Kapha. It has one special property to release gas through skin apart from fart and burp. Due to this property it is very useful in gas pain. Take 2 pinch of hing and mix it with water. Apply this to the place where gas is stuck. It releases gas in 10 mins, once gas is released wash that area with wet towel and apply cow-ghee. Hing is very heat in nature, sometimes after releasing gas it may give burning sensation, to avoid this problem always apply cow-ghee
9. Sour Taste : Vata is light, dry and cold in nature. You should always add sour taste food in your diet. You can include either lemon juice or lemon pickle in your diet. Semi sour buttermilk (1 cup) along with a pinch of ginger powder and sendha salt also can be included in your diet.
10. Pomegranate: Pomegranate has property to work on Vata Pitta and Kapha all. You can eat half pomegrante just before starting your food. This also helps in reducing Vata problem.
11. Pulses : All kinds of pulses (except Urad and Kulath) increases Vata in our body specially peas. Consume Peas in very less amount if you have gas problem. Always Use ghee tarka in your dal (pulses) before eating. Ghee tarka makes dal smooth and reduces gas formation.
12. Sprouts : All raw foods are dry in nature and heavy to digest. It increases Vata in our body as well. Always roast your food in oil or ghee before eating.
13. Harar/Harad : Roast 100gm harar powder with 10 gm ghee on tawa for 5 mins and store it in a container. Take 1/4 tsp harar powder with 1 glass of luke warm water twice (morning & evening) in a day. a. If you have problem of frequent fart (gas doesn't release in one shot) then consume roasted harar powder 1/4 tsp (along with ghee) with lemon juice in warm water twice a day (morning & evening) in empty stomach for 7 days. b. Gas with smell : Take 1/4 tsp harad powder, 2 pinch sunth (ginger) powder and 2 pinch sendha (pink) salt with luke warm water twice a day for a week in empty stomach.