A friend has sent you a Q&A from Ask Dr. Weil (http://www.drweil.com).

Reply to your friend at williamsj@iconus.com

Read this... especially the paragraph about allergies.  You need to make an appt. with an ENT - soon.

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<font size=-1>(Published 2/21/97)</font> Well, I have to say yes and no. Beano is a plant enzyme that helps your body digest some sugars that the body can't process. Usually these are broken down by bacteria in the gut, resulting in the formation of methane, which is to say, <A HREF="http://www.medicinenet.com/mainmenu/encyclop/ARTICLE/ART_G/gas.htm" TARGET="_new">gas</A>. 	 <p>You have to take a few drops of Beano with the first bite of the food that causes the problem. Some people will tell you that it works great, and others will tell you that it doesn't work at all. I'd say it works somewhat.   <p>The difference in effects may be related to the different reasons why people get gas. Many people <A HREF="http://www.tv.cbc.ca/healthshow/pastitem/1997/lactose.html" TARGET="_new">can't digest milk</A> because they lack a necessary enzyme, called lactase, for breaking down milk sugar. For them, Lactaid or Dairy Ease may prove more useful. Beano does not break down lactose, but!
 does handle stachyose and raffinose, two of the problematic sugars in beans.  <p>Others get gas because they swallow a lot of air while they're eating. This can become a problem if you have a cold, or if you have allergies or a sinus condition and tend to breathe through your mouth. My advice: Take smaller bites and notice when you're breathing.   <p>If Beano doesn't work for you, you can try other natural preventive measures against gas. Some people swear by <A HREF="http://www.frontierherb.com/spices/kkl/kkl.notes.anise.seed.html" TARGET="_new">anise</A> or fennel seeds, which are gastric stimulants. <A HREF="http://essentialgarden.com/news/hblurb/sect/001_001_10_001.html" TARGET="_new">Acidophilus</A> will keep your intestine in healthy working order. Papaya enzyme just after a meal may also help.   <p>Other strategies would be to select beans that are naturally low in the difficult sugars. The best are Anasazi beans, a mutant variety of pinto beans that look much pretti!
er. Black beans are also very good. Some of the worst offenders are pea beans and navy beans.   <p>You can also ease the problem somewhat by soaking the beans overnight, then throwing away the water and replacing it with fresh water for cooking. People who eat beans regularly are less likely to have problems. So rather than staying away from these extremely nutritious foods, go for it. And certainly give Beano a try.

Dr. Andrew Weil
http://www.drweil.com