Sip And Chew Slowly And Mindfully
Scarfing down your meals may seem efficient during a busy day, but it could be the very thing causing your stomach to bloat. Try making mealtime you time, by mindfully slowing down your chewing and sipping, giving the food time to settle properly on its way down.
2. Swap carbonated drinks for still beverages
Its not rocket science, gassy drinks = gassy stomach. To help relieve bloating, skip the sugary sodas, and have some water or tea instead. Especially if youre prone to having multiple sodas during the day, you may just notice the difference in bloat reduction.
Can Bloating Be Prevented Or Avoided
There are many ways to prevent and avoid bloating:
- Avoid the foods that are known to cause gas. These include cabbage, Brussels sprouts, turnips, beans, and lentils.
- Avoid chewing gum.
- Avoid using straws for drinking.
- Reduce or avoid drinking carbonated drinks .
- Reduce or avoid eating and drinking foods that include fructose or sorbitol. These artificial sweeteners are often found in sugar-free foods.
- Eat slowly.
- Eat more foods high in fiber to prevent constipation. If foods alone dont help, consider taking a fiber supplement.
- Avoid dairy products if you notice they cause gas and bloating.
- Quit smoking.
Bloating: Causes And Prevention Tips
How often do you hear yourself or friends complain about bloating? We often just say were bloated when we feel full, but for many women, the problem relates to a chronic underlying condition. If you feel bloated often, you may have a condition like irritable bowel syndrome , which affects up to 24 percent of women.
Linda Lee, M.D., explains common causes of bloating and what you can do to prevent this uncomfortable condition.
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These Steps Will Show You How To Reduce Bloating
When you’re trying to ease the pressure off of your bloated tum , you’ll want to rely on these digestion-promoting methods to help you reduce bloating in just 24 hours. Here, we help you identify which habits and foods can help reduce bloating and rev up your metabolism along the way.
Hopefully, after you follow a few of our 25 tips on how to reduce bloating there will be minimal instances of trying to squeeze into your favorite pair of jeans.
The Best Treatments For Gas And Bloating
Did you know that lemon is a natural detoxifier? It acts as a cleansing agent, which, Taz explains, helps to eliminate unwanted bloat from the body. She recommends sipping on hot lemon water in the morning. Or try balancing your digestive system with this caffeine-free herbal tea.
Additional reporting by Amy Schlinger
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The Best And Worst Foods For Bloating
Lets talk about something uncomfortable: gas and bloating. Most of us pass gas anywhere from 12 to 25 times a day, according to Brigham and Womens Hospital, and surveys show that abdominal bloating affects up to 30% of Americans. Having a perfectly flat stomach all the time isnt normal, says Health contributing nutrition editor Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD. After you eat and drink, food and liquids take up space inside your stomach and intestines, and that means some expansion.
A ballooned belly doesnt necessarily indicate that something is wrong with what you eat, but if your abdomen is too swollen to squeeze into your jeans, you may want to identify the belly bloaters in your diet.
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Worst: Broccoli, cabbage, kale Kale, broccoli, and cabbage are cruciferous vegetables, which contain raffinose a sugar that remains undigested until bacteria in your gut ferment it, which produces gas and, in turn, makes you bloat. But dont shun those healthful greens just yet. Consistently eating nutrient-rich, high-fiber foods leads to having a stronger, healthier digestive system thats less prone to bloating, Sass says.
Combine legumes with easily digestible whole grains, like rice or quinoa. Your body will eventually get used to them. If you eat fruits, veggies, nuts, whole grains, and beans often, they wont bother you as much as if you eat them sporadically, Sass said.
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Be Careful With Sugar Alcohols
Sugar alcohols are commonly found in sugar-free foods and chewing gums.
These sweeteners are generally considered to be safe alternatives to sugar.
However, they may cause digestive problems in high amounts. The bacteria in your large intestine digest them and produce gas .
Sugar alcohols are actually FODMAPs as well, so they are excluded on a low-FODMAP diet.
Try avoiding sugar alcohols like xylitol, sorbitol and mannitol. The sugar alcohol erythritol may be better tolerated than the others, but it can also cause digestive issues in large doses.
Summary
Sugar alcohols can cause digestive issues such as bloating, especially when consumed in large doses. Try avoiding sugar-free chewing gums and other sources of sugar alcohols.
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Baking Soda And Water For Bloating
Mix a little baking soda into a glass of water, and what do you have? A TikTok phenomenon. But what do the healthcare experts say about this potential remedy for bloating? This is essentially a DIY antacid, says Dr. Dweck, explaining that baking soda is basic in terms of its pH content. This neutralizes stomach acid along with bloating and discomfort. Dr. Dweck says, It may work, and its likely safe in a pinchbut yuck!
Its harmless, Dr. Farhadi agrees. It could be helpful, but its going to be very temporary. If you respond to the combination of baking soda and water, its likely that you have acid reflux and would also respond to antacids like Tums, which may be a more effective treatment.
If you really want to try it, mix ¼ to ½ teaspoon of baking soda into one cup of water and sip away. This remedy is safe for short-term use for most adults, but not for young children or women who are pregnant, says registered dietitian Nicole Lindel, RD, an advisor forEverlywell. Adults should not use baking soda for longer than two weeks at a time.
Best Home Remedies To Relieve A Bloated Stomach
It is a common occurrence to encounter people suffering from a bloated stomach from time to time, and for varying reasons. Stomach bloating/swelling is a temporary condition that occurs when the tissues inside the stomach enlarge and cause temporary abdominal distention. Studies show that once the swelling subsides, the stomach tends to go back to its original size. While some people experience a few instances of the stomach condition, others suffer from the condition on a regular basis. Research shows that stomach swelling could be as a result of several factors including:
Overeating food in a short period
Menstruation in women
Consumption of acidic foods such as beans and fizzy drinks
Underlying medical conditions such as cancer, gastritis, and IBS
The good news in regards to bloating is that there are several home remedies available for you to try to ease the condition. Such remedies are often available in most households, and the best part about them is that they also act as preventive measures against stomach swelling.
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What Causes Bloating In The Stomach
Gas
Gas is a natural byproduct of digestion, but too much intestinal gas means your digestion is gone awry. While you can ingest gasses by swallowing air or drinking carbonated beverages, these gasses mostly escape through belching before they reach your intestines. Gasses in your intestines are mostly produced by gut bacteria digesting carbohydrates .
If theres too much fermentation going on, its because too many carbohydrates werent naturally absorbed earlier in the digestive process, before reaching those gut bacteria. That could be for several reasons. Maybe you just ate too much too fast for proper digestion, or you might have a specific food intolerance or gastrointestinal disease. Some possible causes include:
Digestive Contents
These can include solids, liquids, and gas. Digestive contents can build up in your digestive system when there is a backup or restriction in your digestive tract or when the muscles that move digestive contents along are somehow impaired. Any build-up of digestive contents along the digestive tract will leave less room for normal amounts of gas to process through. It also leaves less room for other things in your abdomen, including circulatory fluids and fat, making everything feel tighter. Causes of build-up can include:
Hormones
Other Causes
When To See A Doctor For Bloating
If you have an occasional bout of bloating, its probably nothing to worry about, especially if youre pretty sure you know the cause. For example, if you know that your diet is often the culprit, you could start by eliminating gas-producing foods like beans. You could also cut back on the carbonated drinks.
But if youve tried eliminating the factors that tend to cause bloating for you without experiencing any relief, that may be a sign that its time to consult your doctor. If you have a red flag, dont sit on it, says Dr. Farhadi.
More serious causes of bloating may include:
- Uterine fibroids
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Celiac disease
These medical conditions may require other more intensive treatments. So, if you experience bloating along with persistent or severe pain, severe diarrhea, or unexplained weight loss, those are reasons that justify a call to your doctor, says Dr. Farhadi. Thats especially true if you have a close relative with a history of gastrointestinal disease or colon cancer.
Women may also want to keep a lookout for symptoms like abnormal vaginal bleeding and vaginal discharge, says Dr. Dweck. Pain during sex and urinary tract infections also should be evaluated by a healthcare professional.
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Consult Your Doctor And Get Tested
You may have health conditions that are causing your chronic bloating and gas. You may be suffering from lactose intolerance, which makes you extra sensitive to sugars found in milk, or you may have fructose malabsorption, which is sensitivity to fructose found in fruit juice, corn syrup, and table sugar. Your doctor will do some tests and further diagnosis to see what really causes your chronic bloating.
Usually, stomach bloating is the direct result of your daily diet and lifestyle choices. Gas and bloating may cause discomfort but they are not life-threatening. However, it is still recommended to seek the advice of your doctor regarding this condition, especially if it becomes chronic and painful. There are some signs that you have to look out for when it comes to the warning signs of stomach bloating.
- If there is too much abdominal pain when your belly is bloated, then its time to seek medical help.
- If you experience loss of appetite or sudden weight loss, then you should be concerned.
- Seek medical help if you notice that there is blood in your stool or it has a darker color.
- If there is a change of color in your urine.
- Women over 45 years old, who always experience bloating, should be checked by a doctor to rule out ovarian cancer.
- If there is a persistent change in your bowel habit.
- TAGS
The Lowdown On Digestive Enzymes
Digestive enzymes can be broken down into main categories, depending on the molecule they are meant to break down . These include proteases & peptidases, lipases, carbohydrases, cellulase and nucleases. Obviously proteases and peptidases break down proteins. Keep in mind that amino acids are polypeptide chains that form proteins. Lipases break down fats into fatty acids, carbohydrases break down carbohydrates into simple sugars and nucleases are there to help digest nucleic acids into nucleotides.
Then there is cellulase that breaks down fibers. What does this mean in terms of beans? Everything! Without getting overly technical, you can see that you need cellulases to break down the fiber in beans as well as proteases and perhaps peptidases to break down the protein content. In other words, beans alone are not the cause of that gas and bloating. The ultimate cause is insufficient digestion.
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Avoid Drinking Through A Straw
The common thread with some of these bloated stomach remedies is to eliminate the amount of air going into your system. Believe it or not, drinking through a straw could be one of the culprits. If youre able to drink directly from the glass or bottle, go right ahead! Plus, youll be doing the environment a favor while youre at it.
Ease Into A Yoga Pose
Once the dessert is cleared, find some space to give your body a nice stretch. Gentle yoga poses like Childs pose or Cat/Cow can help relieve abdominal discomfort associated with bloating, Doyle says. Hold each pose for five deep breaths , and continue repeating until you feel some relief, she says. Allow your belly to expand fully with each inhale, Doyle says. This helps to activate your bodys parasympathetic nervous system, or rest and digest mode, which is calming and will allow you to better digest your food.
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Strategy #2 Take A Pill
Pepto, Beeno, Tums, or even prescription antibiotics and anti-inflammatories can be taken before, during, and after symptoms occur. There are also medicines that can be taken daily so that we do not have to alter our eating or lifestyle habits.
Oh, mylanta! This is no good!
Medicine is great when we are sick with an infection, high fever, or contagious disease however, medicine should never be used to replace responsible decision-making.
Thus, taking pills is not a good option because it enables poor habits and offsets the balance that our bodies are designed to have.
When To See A Doctor
Bloating is rarely a sign of a serious medical problem. However, bloating that is chronic and doesn’t respond to changes in eating habits or OTC treatments sometimes is associated with certain diseases and conditions.
Bloating that is accompanied by abdominal pain, bloody stools, persistent diarrhea, or vomiting are especially concerning and can be a sign of any of a number of serious diseases and conditions, including colon cancer, bowel obstruction, celiac disease, and irritable bowel syndrome .
If you notice you’re frequently or constantly bloated or that you become bloated after eating certain foodsespecially those that contain wheat or dairymake an appointment to see your doctor. It will be helpful for them if you jot down when you’re most likely to experience bloating and under what circumstances.
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Deflating Postmeal Bloat Is Simpler Than You Think
Is the holiday season bringing out your extra-indulgent side? It happens and you may end your holiday dinner feeling like your bellys bulging from all that food.
Does it seem like your stomach just tripled in size? Rest assured, thats not the case, according to Brigham and Womens Hospital. Rather, its likely just gas. It’s caused by excess air or gas in the gastrointestinal tract, says Rachel Doyle, RDN, the Chicago-based owner of RAD Nutrition who focuses on gut health. When we eat, carbohydrates are broken down, and their fiber is fermented, producing gas that expands, which can lead to bloating.
Unpleasant as it is, its generally not something to worry about. Typically, bloating is not a sign of anything serious, especially if it is only occurring after large meals, says Pam Fullenweider, RD, the founder of Fully Mediterranean in Houston.
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If its chronic, however, visit your healthcare provider to rule out something more serious. If you are experiencing bloating frequently, its always a good idea to explore this further with a doctor or dietitian to determine the root cause and rule out any underlying medical conditions, Fullenweider says.
Even your run-of-the-mill bloating can be a pain, though. The good news is you dont have to just sit uncomfortably and wait it out. Follow these seven quick tips to get rid of bloating and return to the holiday merriment.
How Is Bloating Diagnosed
Your doctor can generally diagnose the cause of your bloating through a physical exam in the office. They will ask you questions about your symptoms. They will want to know if your bloating is occasional or if it occurs all the time.
Temporary bloating is usually not serious. If it happens all the time, your doctor may order other tests. These could include an imaging test to look inside your abdomen. This could be an X-ray or CT scan.
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Take Time To Meditate
The older, wiser, less-bendy sister of yoga, meditation is an amazing activity that people can reap major rewards from. A 2014 study in Eating Behaviorsfound that individuals who meditate are less likely to overeat or give in to emotional eatingand this is key if you want to stay on track with your anti-bloat plan over the next day. To get started, unroll a yoga mat or sit on a carpet in a sunny room and take five uninterrupted minutes thinking about something that you’re grateful for.
Remedies And Treatments For Bloated Stomachs
While stomach bloating will often resolve on its own, the following measures may help reduce bloating or address its underlying causes:
Exercise and Posture
Physical exercise can help reduce bloating and clear gas from the body. Posture adjustment can also help. The body retains more gas when you are lying on your back, so try to stay active throughout the day.
Over-the-Counter Medication
Both simethicone and activated charcoal are marketed as gas-reducers. The two have proven ineffective and/or inconsistent when used on their own in clinical trials. However, there is some evidence to suggest that they may work when combined or when used with magnesium oxide or loperamide .
Probiotics
The use of probiotics to help with digestive issues is common but little studied. Still, there is some evidence that using probiotics can help reduce stomach bloating. The formula in VSL#3 proved to reduce bloating in both adults and children in clinical studies.
Digestive Enzymes
One common cause of stomach bloating is the inability to digest certain foods. Most digestive enzyme supplements are effective only for people who cannot produce enzymes for medical reasons. However, over-the-counter enzymes have proven to help with the digestion of two commonly problematic foods: dairy and legumes .
If you have a hard time digesting the sugars in these foods, you might benefit from lactase supplements for dairy or alpha-galactosidase supplements for legumes.
Herbal Remedies
Diet
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