Is in spinach any substance that causes incompatibility like flatulence?

Nicole Eckelmann, Germany

Flatulence consists of gases that are produced by symbiotic bacteria and yeasts living in our gastrointestinal tract. Food components, such as some types of carbohydrates, that are not digested end up in the large intestine. There, they will be partly or completely fermented by our gut bacteria, producing gases (carbon dioxide, methane, hydrogen sulphide) and short chain fatty acids (butyrate, acetate and propionate).

Frequent eating of foods rich in fibre (e.g. beans, lentils, broccoli, peas, onions) or other non-digestible carbohydrates (e.g. sorbitol), swallowing too much air or insufficiently chewing one`s food can lead to flatulence.

High in fibre are for example: root vegetables (such as turnips or potatoes), raw or fresh vegetables, such as cabbage, broccoli, dried peas and beans (e.g. kidney, lima beans, chick peas, lentils and soy beans) and corn. Some undigestible sugar compounds such as stachyose and raffinose are found in pulses and are responsible for flatulence.

Spinach is not very high in fibre, for example 100 grams of broccoli contain 3 grams of fibre and spinach only 1,8 grams. If you suffer from flatulence for unknown reason you should ask for medical advice.