Why do we get bloated?
We all feel bloated sometimes, that’s normal, but if bloating is happening regularly AND maybe it’s associated with pain or gas, AND it’s not linked to a specific food - then it’s time to look at what’s going on in the gut microbiome.
Read on to dive into WHY bloating happens and some troubleshooting tips to try out.
WHAT is bloating?
It’s that uncomfortable feeling of fullness and/or pressure in the stomach - usually around the belly button. You might start out the day with a ‘flat’ stomach but progressively over the day, your belly bloats up. Sometimes no matter what you eat!
Bloating occurs when there’s bacterial fermentation happening in the gut - usually in the small intestine. Inflammation and gas are a by-product of bacterial fermentation which cause the discomfort and distended feeling in the stomach.
Bacterial fermentation is when your gut bacteria break down your food down, rather than your own stomach acid and digestive enzymes doing the job. Although it’s worth noting that not all bacterial fermentation is bad - for example; healthy bacteria breaking down insoluble fibre in the large intestine is a good thing and produces beneficial by-products. Bacterial fermentation is not ideal (and produces bloating) when it’s the wrong type of bacteria breaking down food or they are breaking it down in the wrong place.
WHY do we get bloated?
It’s a combination of things, so let’s look at the two main reasons I see;
Reduced digestive functioning - low stomach acid, low digestive enzymes and high levels of stress all reduce our ability to break down our food! When there’s more undigested food making its way down into the small and large intestine - this gives the bugs in our gut more of an opportunity to access this undigested food and break it down for us. The more undigested food, the more bloat! Stress is a big contributor to reduced digestive function, but nutrient deficiencies and other factors can play a role.
Disrupted microbiome - for whatever reason, there’s too many bad bugs and not enough good bugs in the gut (or the right kind of bugs but they’re in the wrong place in the digestive system) which means that bacterial fermentation happens when it shouldn’t be happening!
Often, due to the pH of the digestive tract being off, the bugs that are supposed to live in the large intestine ONLT, start making their way up to the small intestine. In the large intestine these are beneficial bug, but when they populate the small intestine - they can cause problems such as bloating, gas, diarheao and pain.
The first step is to start to NOTICE what is going on in your digestive system - notice what foods are causing bloating or what you are doing when you are getting bloated.
“The more undigested food, the more bloat!”
Five trouble shooting tips for bloating;
1. Apple cider vinegar is a magical remedy in my books - so it’s worth trying! It doesn’t work for everyone though.
Take a small shot of apple cider vinegar before every meal (yep, that’s ideally every single meal but at least start with breakfast, dinner or any larger meals and go from there). If apple cider vinegar doesn’t agree with you - try diluting in water (I actually find diluted in warm water somewhat enjoyable) or lemon juice is another good alternative.
2. See a holistic nutritionist who can help you identify what foods you’re reacting to and what bugs are present in the gut (usually requires stool testing...!). We use a IgG/IgA blood test to identify food allergies and stool testing (yes, this is a sample of your poo) to find out what the balance of good and bad bacteria is in the gut
3. Audit and begin managing the stress in your life and at least SIT DOWN for every meal (that means no eating on the go!)
4. Add in a probiotic to help with rebalancing the balance of good and bad bacteria in the gut
Quality is very important here so please reach out to me before just buying one off the shelf…!
5. Eat fermented foods! Anything from sauerkraut to (good quality) kombucha, kimchi, kefir or yoghurt. Homemade is always best (and cheapest) and once you get started, you realise how easy it is, but it does require some time and attention.
Sauerkraut is SUPER easy and I’ve popped the how to in a reel which you can access here
If you’ve given a couple of those pointers a go and you’re still struggling, it’s best to work with a practitioner who can create a targeted and personalise protocol. Reach out to Laura to get into some functional testing which can give up a complete breakdown of your gut microbiome (it’s incredible!)
P.S. There are always exceptions to the rule so bear that in mind. Bacterial fermentation is the cause of MOST bloating but there are always exceptions.