I always joke that God gave me GERD and Acidity so I could heal myself and share the information with the world!Are you familiar with the feeling of a swollen belly, feeling full and tight in your abdomen? The
discomfort increases as the day passes? Millions of people suffer from bloating and indigestion but it shouldn’t be this way.
Are you familiar with the feeling of a swollen belly, feeling full and tight in your abdomen? The
discomfort increases as the day passes? Millions of people suffer from bloating and indigestion but it shouldn’t be this way.
If this is you then keep reading, you will learn about the main causes of bloating and indigestion, how to recognise the symptoms and easy solutions to reduce bloating and distention.
What is bloating?
You may describe abdominal bloating or distention as a food baby. It causes a feeling of abdominal swelling or enlarging, feeling of fullness and heaviness, tightness around the abdomen area, and a feeling of discomfort hours after having a meal. Mostly people who suffer from abdominal bloating, also suffer from excessive gas and burping, flatulence, constipation. Many people suffer from these symptoms on a daily basis and after every meal. Bloating is caused by excessive gas that is produced in the gut and gets trapped in the Gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
What causes bloating?
There are many reasons you can experience bloating and knowing these causes are important to make the required changes in your diet and lifestyle.
5 main reasons of bloating:
1. Low stomach acid
Our stomach produces stomach acid or Hydrochloric acid (HCL) to chemically breakdown our food into a paste form (called chime). Stomach acid also acts as a disinfectant to sterilize the food we ingest. For healthy digestion and protein breakdown, you need an optimal level of stomach acid production. Low stomach acid leads to indigestion of proteins, bloating, gas, acid reflux and also leads to bad bacterial overgrowths.
Low stomach acid causes poor digestion, gut inflammation, malabsorption of nutrients leading to deficiencies, leaky gut and raises stress hormones levels.
2. H. Pylori Overgrowth/Infection
Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) overgrowth is one of the main causes of bloating and gut discomfort.
Pylori is a bacterium that resides in your stomach. If this overgrows, it causes chronic acidity, acid reflux, gastritis, and even peptic ulcers. This leads to abdominal bloating, indigestion, low absorption of nutrients, nausea, loss of appetite, etc.
3. Low Digestive Enzymes and Bile
Digestive enzymes and bile, both play a very important role in digestion of your food. Digestive enzymes are produced by stomach, pancreas and small intestine; and bile is produced by Liver but stored in your Gall Bladder. Digestive enzymes help in digesting proteins, fats and carbohydrates and bile helps in breaking down and digesting fats from your food. When you are low in either or both of the two, this can lead to slow digestion leading to gas and bloating, feeling of heaviness, and abdomen discomfort.
4. Chronic Stress
Prolonged stress can trigger our nervous system’s “fight or flight” or “sympathetic” mode. Stress can be emotional, mental and physical (sedentary lifestyle, dysregulated sleeping habits, alcohol and smoking, etc). In fight and flight mode, your body’s digestion becomes down regulated which in turn leads to low stomach acid, triggering issues like bloating, heaviness, acidity and acid reflux, etc.
5. Food sensitivities
Food sensitivities can cause inflammation in the gut. Food sensitivities can be subtle and may not have an immediate reaction in the body like an allergy and therefore, they can go undetected.
Bloating due to food sensitivities might happen a few hours after eating a meal rather than
immediately. Genetically modified (GMO), hybridized grains/vegetables, artificial color, food and flavors, preservatives and additives, sugar, are some common foods that can cause damage to the gut and cause bloating.
How can I reduce bloating?
Some simple shifts and habits can help:
- Improve digestion by optimising stomach acid levels, enzymes & bile production
- Eat slowly and mindfully and without being distracted
- Follow same meal timings daily
- Focus on anti-inflammatory foods
- Check for gut infections and overgrowths – SIBO, fungal overgrowth
- Check for food sensitivities
- Manage stress
If bloating still persists, it’s time to seek professional help. Take your Gut Quiz to see how you fair or if you are ready to take charge of your health, speak with Me for a proper diagnosis and a personalised program.
