Bloating, sometimes and more often than not responsible for wind or gas is, a very common occurrence from children to adults. Whilst bloating is normally relieved by the body in the form of passing wind or gas, or even belching, it’s normally nothing to be worried about. Fifteen percent of adults suffer from either passing wind or burping on a regular basis.
Yes it can be embarrassing when it arises at the most inopportune of times, but it’s a natural bodily function that happens to everyone, it just depends upon the situation and where you are if you’re to be embarrassed or not.
You also have to keep in mind, most of the time, there is more than likely nothing wrong with you, and it’s possibly just something you eat on a regular basis that’s the main culprit for this annoying, yet sometimes embarrassing problem.
Bloating and the digestive system
Before I go any further, I’ll just give you a quick rundown in layman’s terms of how the body uses food within the digestive system, this is important, so you can have some understanding of why flatulence and belching can be a common byproduct of eating.
The digestive system is responsible for the breaking down of foods. The digestive system breaks these foods down as to use this as the body’s main source of energy. However some people have a harder time than others breaking down certain food stuffs. The food that is not broken down is then transported to the colon from the intestines, where the bacteria that we all have ferments the undigested food, this in turn can result in passing wind, bloating and belching.
The problem can also be related to swallowing air, which is normally released by a burp, or air you have trapped in the small bowl, this will normally be released as gas. Whilst burping to release trapped air isn’t as embarrassing at least in modernized western societies as passing wind. passing wind, is possibly an even more common way of releasing trapped air, most adults do so at least twenty times a day.
Gulping your food down, or drinking gassy soda and a host of foods are all related to gas and belching, if you seem to suffer from wind and belching on a regular basis, you can take heart in, that it’s probably something you’re eating or drinking, or the way you consume your food.
However as I always say, if the pain is becoming too much, and bloating is effecting you to the point you can’t even touch the swollen area, then stop reading this right now! And make an appointment with your doctor, or drop by your local clinic.
For the others still here, the simplest bloating remedies available to you will be to first look at the diet you eat, and the foods that are mainly responsible for both these symptoms. This will be the easiest way of alleviating this problem promptly, simply look at the list below and either cut that particular food out of your diet, or at least cut down on its consumption heavily.
Foods associated with bloating and gas
- Dairy products
- High carbohydrate foods such as potatoes and wheat past
- Fruits such as melons apricots and pears
- Prunes (a known cause of flatulence)
- Beans (another known cause)
- Soda drinks, especially those containing fructose
- All manner of onions
- The majority of common vegetables, such as: broccoli, peas cauliflowers and carrots
These are not all the foods responsible for bloating and the associated problems, they are however the accepted main ones. Another simple yet effective way of determining what foods may be affecting you, is to simply jot down the foods you eat in a notepad after every meal, from there you can easily what meals where responsible for the bloating, and take appropriate action.
Bloating may also be cause by suffering from lactose intolerance, the signs will normally be readily seen after consuming dairy products, signs such as diarrhea after eating, stomach cramps and of course gas are indicators you may be suffering from lactose intolerance. If you feel you may be suffering these exact symptoms after dairy food consumption, then contact your doctor, where he/she will run some tests for confirmation.
Now we’ve covered causes and related food items, I shall briefly mention some natural bloating remedies you can use to help alleviate bloating.
- Exercise is possibly number one on the natural bloating remedies list. Exercising, whether it be a short walk or jog or light fitness regime you introduce, can instigate bowel movements thereby relieving you of bloating and win
- Probiotics whether taken by ingesting a supplement or yogurt, are beneficial for reducing gas. Probiotics are known to help the colon in replenishing the good bacteria within the colon., and as such are another great natural source for bloating remedies.
- Herbs are number three on the list of natural bloating remedies. Ginger tea, peppermint, garlic and eucalyptus have been known to help ease the symptoms of bloating. These particular herbs have been used for centuries for just that. Chamomile tea has also been cited to be effective.
- The above list are just some of the natural bloating remedies that have been used for years by all countries around the world, hopefully some of them will be of some use to you in your quest for to become bloat free.
This however brings us to the end of this article, till the next time.