Feeling Gassy and Bloated?
Do you feel uncomfortably full and gassy after eating?
Some of us find that our stomachs feel uncomfortably full after eating certain foods, and it can be really frustrating trying to figure out why! Bloating may be paired with visible distention of the stomach, or may just be an uncomfortable sensation of fullness without distension.
What might be causing it?
Many things can cause this feeling of fullness, however I’m focusing on some dietary factors such as:
- lactose in dairy products
- gluten in wheat, rye, and spelt products
- fructose in fruit and honey
- high-FODMAP foods (fermentable oligosaccharides, oligosaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols) in dairy, baked goods, onion, garlic, beans, lentils, chickpeas, grains, some fruit, and some vegetables.
*It’s important to rule out underlying issues that could be causing bloating, such as coeliac disease, an obstruction, gut dysmotility, and malabsorptive disorders with your GP.
So what makes me bloat?
It could be because you have an enzyme deficiency (e.g. lactase for breaking down lactose), or because you have stomach acid insufficiency (commonly associated with reflux), or because you have an underlying condition such as SIBO.
Whatever the cause, the foods listed above are being fermented by the bacteria in your colon, producing gases such as methane and hydrogen, which can contribute to feeling bloated.
So how do you treat it?
Before you go and try these treatments for yourselves, it’s important that other factors are ruled out first based on symptoms and possibly testing. You should speak with a practitioner first as there may be some underlying pathologies, and the low-FODMAP diet discussed can lead to nutritional deficiencies if not done correctly.
A low FODMAP diet involves cutting out foods that are high in FODMAPs for several weeks, followed by a reintroduction phase where you bring back in foods to see how you react. The idea of this diet is to give the gut time to rest and heal, hopefully enabling you to go back to eating foods that previously triggered you in most cases.
You might also be recommended supplements such as:
- digestive enzymes to break down foods more quickly if there is an issue with indigestion
- probiotics to help restablish a good bacterial balance to reduce gas production and fermentation
- ginger root capsules can have a microbiome-modulating effect as well as being a pro-kinetic, meaning that it can help increase gastrointestinal motility which will move food through the digestive tract more quickly
- activated charcoal can reduce bloating, however charcoal should be used with caution as it also binds to nutrients and medications
- herbal teas that can help reduce bloating, such as peppermint or clove
These treatments are mostly safe but should be done with supervision by your nutritionist or health care provider as some medications and conditions may cause an adverse reaction with some of the supplements listed.
Final note
There are many reasons why you might be experiencing bloating, so it’s important to get to the bottom of why this is happening. Once we know why we bloat then we can start to treat it through diet and lifestyle changes. Bloating doesn’t have to be a permanent part of your life!
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