Gas, although a normal constituent of the gastrointestinal tract, may result in symptoms often uncomfortable and socially embarrassing. The source and composition of gas in the upper and lower gastrointestinal tracts are different. Swallowed air (O2, N2, and CO2) is the principal source of gas in the stomach, whereas H2, CO2, and CH4 produced by bacterial degradation of undigested food constitute gas in the colon (1).
Currently available treatments for gaseousness are empirical and far from satisfactory. Although simethicone has been used (2, 3), its efficacy has not been adequately proved. Activated charcoal has also been used as an antigas