Okay, this is a serious topic insomuch as I know that it's a condition that a lot of people have endured... maybe moreso those around you. 
If protein supplementation often results in flatulence and flatulence is caused by incomplete digestion, does that mean that the flatulence is an indicator of too much protein? This would be considered waste if it's not being used to rebuild muscle tissue.
Here's a couple of articles on the subject:
The Whys and Wherefores of Wind: Flatulence Explained.
SOURCE
E.J. "Skip" Carstensen, M.D.
Intestinal gas, like death and taxes, is part of life as we know it. It can be delayed, diminished, or directed but not deleted. Gas is the exhaust fume of digestion, the necessary result of the bowel's work.
The bowel's work (digestion) is to break the presented raw material (food) into small, absorbable parts (essential nutrients), which then pass through the bowel wall (absorption) into the blood stream for transportation (distribution) to the various locations where they are used for either the work (metabolism) or construction/repair (anabolism) of the body. Nutrients not needed immediately are stored as fat or glycogen for future use.
As digestive enzymes break the chemical bonds, gas results and queues in the lower bowel for release, about 14 times daily on average. Honors for the most Vesuvian are formally reported in the 1976 paper, "Studies of a Flatulent Patient," which described 34 "events" in 24 hours. The least Vesuvian person remains officially undetected.
Of the three nutrients (carbohydrates, fats, and proteins), carbohydrates are the most effective gas producers. If we digest carbohydrates, little gas is formed. About half of us aren't "good digesters" and have 200-odd bacteria waiting to do the job for us -- at a cost: gas production.
So with the recent push to eat more carbohydrates to reduce risk of cancer and heart disease, don't we find ourselves between a rock and a noisy place? Perhaps not. Enter Beano for the half of us that have these "carbohydrate eating" bacteria. A few Beano drops will "sotto voce" most "musical fruits." Tablets exist for the more self-conscious restaurant diner.
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Flatulence is part of life!
By Frank Morosky
Flatulence Guru
...gee, what a title! [img]tongue.gif[/img]
SOURCE
Flatulence ( fart, flatus, intestinal gas, breaking wind, SBD)- we all have it, and it is a normal part of life. It is a natural result of good digestion. Passing gas is a more familiar term to many people. Most of us try to make light of it so as to not be embarrassed by its occurrence. Gas pains can be uncomfortable and malodorous for many people but you can reduce the symptoms and find relief with proper diet control.
The average person expels gas 14 times every day. The amount of actual gas released ranges from as little as one cup to as much as one half gallon per day. Gas is made primarily of odorless vapors such as carbon dioxide, oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, and sometimes methane. The unpleasant odor of flatulence comes from bacteria in the large intestine that release small amounts of gases that contain hydrogen sulfide.(sulfur smell) Contrary to popular belief, women have just as many passages as men, and older people, have no more gas than younger individuals.
Flatulence occurs when a food does not break down completely in the stomach and small intestine. As a result, the food makes it into the large intestine in an undigested state. Most lower intestinal gas is produced when bacteria in your colon ferment carbohydrates that aren't digested in your small intestine. The body does not digest and absorb some carbohydrates (the sugar, starches, and fiber found in many foods) in the small intestine because of a shortage or absence of certain enzymes.
This undigested food then passes from the small intestine into the large intestine, where normal, harmless bacteria break down the food, producing gases such as hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and, in about one-third of all people, methane. As much as 80 to 90 percent of rectal gas (flatulence) is formed by bacteria. Eventually these gases exit through the rectum. Certain foods produce more flatulence than others because they contain more indigestible carbohydrates than others. Beans are well known gas producers. The beans pass through the small intestine and arrive in the large intestine without being digested, which causes flatulence to occur.
Unfortunately, healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, oatmeal and legumes (beans and peas) are often the worst offenders. That's because these foods are high in soluble fiber. Soluble fiber dissolves in water forming a gelatinous substance in the bowel. Fiber has many health benefits, including keeping your digestive tract in good working order, regulating blood sugar and cholesterol levels, and helping prevent heart attacks and other heart problems. But it can also lead to the formation of gas. In the colon the bacteria thrive on the undigestible fiber. These bacteria are harmless but for those who have an intestinal gas or flatus problem it is probably best to avoid or carefully test soluble fibers to see if they are contributing to intestinal gas.
On the other hand, insoluble fiber as found in wheat, rye, bran, and other grains does not dissolve in water. It is not used by intestinal colon bacteria as a food source, so these bacteria generally do not produce intestinal gas. Both soluble and insoluble fiber should be eaten on a daily basis.
By contrast, fats and proteins cause little gas. They are absorbed in the digestive tract before they get to the colon.
Guess I should have read it all before getting this far... [img]redface.gif[/img] So why do so many people report having more gas after starting protein supplementation???
Sugars are known to create gas. Fructose is naturally present in onions, artichokes, pears, and wheat. It is also used as a sweetener in some soft drinks and fruit drinks. Sorbitol is a sugar found naturally in fruits, including apples, pears, peaches, and prunes. It is also used as an artificial sweetener in many dietetic foods and sugarfree candies and gums.
Foods that may cause gas include: Most beans, especially dried beans and peas, baked beans, soy beans, lima beans, vegetables, such as Cabbage; radishes; onions; broccoli; Brussels sprouts; cauliflower; cucumbers; sauerkraut; kohlrabi; asparagus, potatoes Fruits such as Prunes; apricots; apples; raisins; bananas. Carbonated beverages- Soft drinks, fruit drinks, milk and milk products, such as cheese and ice cream. Packaged foods prepared with lactose, such as bread, cereal, and salad dressing. Foods containing sorbitol, such as dietetic foods and sugarfree candies and gums.
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