Bloating is something many of us have experienced at one time or another, and you might be surprised to know that the food you eat and your habits contribute to the swollen, and sometimes painful, tummy you experience. This uncomfortably full feeling is no fun, but it’s actually very common. 16-30% of people say they experience bloating regularly. (1)
But when it begins to interfere with your quality of life and becomes painful, you may want to look into the underlying issue and the cause of it.
Today we’re going to talk about 7 unusual causes of bloating and ways to solve them in a jiffy!
Although eating vegetables is great for your health, certain types may be the reason you get bloated.
Here are a few veggies to be aware of if you suffer from bloating.
Beans and Lentils
If you don’t think you can give up beans and/or lentils altogether, try soaking them in water or sprouting them to reduce the FODMAPs.
Broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, and cabbage are other vegetables you may want to avoid to combat bloating.
If you must enjoy these healthy food items, it’s best to cook them first! (4) With this in mind, here are a few ideas for light and healthy meals to help with bloating.
Aerophagia happens when someone swallows air to the point that it causes bloating and sometimes even pain.
Talking, eating, and chewing quickly are often the culprits of aerophagia.
In minor cases, doctors may suggest:
- Stopping chewing gum or sucking on hard candy
- Reducing stress
- Eating and drinking more slowly
- Pursuing heartburn relief
- Light movement after meals
- Laying off carbonation (including beer!) (5)(6)
Sleep apnea, depression, anxiety, loose dentures, and smoking are other common causes of aerophagia, in which case these issues would have to be handled in their own right to resolve the bloating trouble. (7)
You may be intolerant to lactose and not know it.
Lactose is the main sugar found in milk and milk products, such as yoghurt, cheese, and, everyone’s favourite, ice cream! When someone is lactose intolerant, it means their body struggles to digest the lactose in milk.
Bloating is one of the main symptoms associated with lactose intolerance. Other symptoms can include diarrhoea, cramping, and gas. (10)
Giving up dairy is hard for some people to do. So, if you can’t entirely do away with your milk and cheese, you can opt for low-lactose or lactose-free products. Popular options widely available include rice, almond, soy, and coconut milk. (11)
Another option worth considering is using enzyme supplements such as Lactaid or Dairy Ease to help your body have an easier time breaking down the lactose in some of your favourite food items. (12)
Your posture when you sit and the amount of movement you do after meals may have something to do with why you feel bloated.
It may seem strange, but research shows that body posture has a significant influence on the body’s ability to pass gas. This process happens more quickly when someone is standing up vs. laying down. (13)
To avoid the swelling and stomach pain associated with stomach gases getting trapped in your digestive system, work on improving your posture during and after mealtimes. (14)
As mentioned before, anxiety is a common cause of aerophagia or swallowing excessive amounts of air. This extra air then gets trapped in your stomach, which, in turn, results in the bloated belly you experience. (15)
Research shows that anxiety and stress, in general, play a role in the function of your digestive system. Anxiety can cause hyperventilation and hormonal and neurotransmitter imbalances that deeply affect the ability of the digestive system to do its job. (16)
If anxiety is the cause of your bloating, consider seeking psychiatric treatment or undergoing psychotherapy to cure or treat this issue. Especially in cases of hyperventilation and panic attacks, it’s important to focus on slowing your breathing to reduce the amount of air being swallowed. (17)
These two micronutrients are essential for your health. Though fibre is known for all the good it does to your gut, combining it with proteins can be “explosive”.
Fibre increases the production of gut microflora which release gas as a by-product when they break down fibre. Therefore, it’s not surprising to find that bloating is very common in those who partake in a high-fibre diet. (18)
In a study comparing the effects of high-fibre diets rich in plant protein vs. rich in carbohydrates, researchers found that those who ate the protein-filled diet were 40% more likely to experience bloating.
So, if you must eat foods high in fibre, consider a diet rich in carbs instead of protein. (19)
If none of the things mentioned above apply to you, you may be intolerant to a specific type of ingredient, such as yeast or gluten, or have IBS, among other possible digestive disorders.
Try removing foods one at a time to determine the cause of your swollen abdomen. Removing too many foods at once makes it difficult to get clear results on what made your symptoms improve. (20)
You can also look into alternative diet options, such as the IBS diet.
Everyone gets bloated now and again, but it shouldn’t cause stress or discomfort regularly. If you’ve tried everything mentioned here, you may want to look into a new amazing scientific approach that gets to the root cause of bloating, gas, uncontrollable weight gain, erratic bowel motions and other digestive nightmares—in 9 days or less!