Best,
Stiv

Maybe I feel a little less vulnerable as my travel isn’t usually to any far flung destination, but i will most definitely make those copies next time. When ’shit happens’, I’ll be ready!

k

lol Funny about the Andes mints never thought about that in the context of Dr.Mozley’s advice, interesting observation and it probably has some holistic merit

The amount of notable substances in flatus can be reduced by taking tablets containing chlorophyll or charcoal. While estimates vary, it might be useful to think of these treatments as requiring lead times of at least 24 hours before producing benefits.

Relatively long lead times are also useful for simethicone, aromatic oils, and other anti-foaming agents. As a consequence of their anti-foaming action, people feel less “gassy”, or bloated. But, their ability to burst foam bubbles doesn’t mean they reduce the gas that must be eliminated. In fact, with the exception of some carbon dioxide that can diffuse into the blood and then be exhaled through the lungs, they don’t. That is, there is no scientific evidence or theory to suggest that antiflatulents reduce flatulence. As a consequence, starting these anti-foaming treatments shortly before, or upon, arrival should actually make the problem worse.

As Mr. Strommer alluded to, a sudden drop in barometric pressure can also lead to the bursting of foam bubbles (pressure times volume equals a constant, so if pressure drops, the volume of the gas in the bubble must increase). Maneuvers that slow GI transit reduce the problem by decreasing the rate at which gas is delivered to the exit, while anything that speeds motility will make it worse.

Drinking coca tea exacerbates the situation by manipulating the same regulatory systems that leads to colonic inertia in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Dopaminergic stimulation of the gastrocolic reflexes by coca tea starts in the stomach antrum. This makes the effect on the colonic motility relatively rapid, and tends to ensure that the people who pass out this tea in the airport get their just desserts.

Interestingly, most of the other things that physicians seem fond of advising people to do for their alimentaric health also exacerbate the problem. Yogurt, fiber containing foods, and physical exercise are all going to increase gastric motility and thereby makes things worse.

Although a number of medications slow GI transit, the most reliable and cost effective drug on the market today is whiskey. Peppermint schnapps and crème de menthe contain natural carminatives that prevent gas buildup. So while there is no scientific evidence to support my professional advice, from the rules of Aristotelian logic it would seem to follow that the best thing one can do before heading to a high country is drink plenty of minty whiskey. Even if I’m wrong about the pathophysiology, then making sure your travel mates drink plenty of flavored whiskey should palliate the morbidity described by Mr. Strommer.