How is bloating in stomach triggered, and what are the factors affecting it?

 All of us have faced the problem of bloating. At times, we find our stomach full of gas, behaving abnormally and we feel the stomach is tight and full, leading to restlessness. It swells and also causes stomach ache at times. It is highly discomforting and what we do solve it is to take an antacid or gas reliever. Have we ever thought that maybe it requires more attention? What could have caused bloating, or is it signifying some deeper problems within the body?

What causes bloating?

Our intestine has a lot of both good and bacteria in it. The body naturally maintains a balance between the two for the healthy functioning of the digestive system. There are times when bad bacteria enters through contaminated food or drink that we consume. When the concentration of bad bacteria increases, the imbalance so caused, in the flora gets the bad bacteria to create issues in the stomach like pain, gas, etc.
Sometimes, undigested sugar in the gut ferments because it couldn’t be broken down, and the gas is a product of this fermentation.
The major cause of bloating is the food we eat. Why is it so that certain food items pamper the tummy while few others cause bloating? If you are really troubled by bloating and find it difficult to deal with it, it is important to understand the food and monitor the eating habits that cause gas in the stomach. Frequent bloating is very bad for the stomach in the long run as it damages the inner wall of the stomach. It is definitely stressful as it’s difficult to handle when it happens at public places, and can lead unwanted noisy and smelly experiences.

Food items that cause bloating

Cruciferous vegetables: Vegetables like cauliflower and broccoli are known to cause gas. These vegetables are very high in fiber when raw, and our body cannot always digest so much fiber. This indigestion causes bloating. But slowly, when the body gets used to it, it produces significantly less gas.

Dairy products

Milk is a component of so many of our favorite products like tea, coffee, shakes, sweet dishes, etc. There are so many dishes and products made from milk products like paneer or cottage cheese. So eliminating dairy products from diet can seem to be difficult. But start with reducing the quantity first and then stop consuming it. But before doing this, it is important to keep off from dairy for two weeks or so to ascertain if dairy is actually causing trouble to you. It may be so that some other food could be causing you trouble.  In fact all the food items listed here need to be tested by quitting one at a time before completely quitting them.

Carbonated drinks

Beverages that are carbonated contain high amount of dissolved carbon dioxide in them. They release more gas when they are digested by the body. This leads to excessive bloating in the stomach. Excessive sugar as well in the carbonated drinks be the cause of bloating in the stomach, and it also impact how protein fibers react in the body. Also, check why Collagen is important, and other benefits of it.

Packaged food

Packaged food items are the biggest culprits when it comes to major health issues today. High quantity of refined sugar in them is very bad for health. It causes diabetes, weight gain, feeling of tiredness, hormonal imbalances and what not.  To know more about the ill effects of the hidden item in almost all food items, checkout our link.
Sodium in the packaged food is yet another component which is more harmful than refined sugar. Sodium is found in high quantities in items that don’t even taste salty! Salad dressings, soups, sauce are just few among the list of those surprising items. Sodium retains water and causes heavy bloating and should be avoided.

Tea and coffee

These are the beverages most people are addicted to! Though tea and coffee aren’t directly related or proven to cause bloating, but they aggravate the symptoms of bloating quite a lot. Tea and coffee are known to increase acidity that leads to gas formation and indigestion. Moreover, having tea on an empty stomach causes far more bloating. It’s always advised to have low calorie cracker or biscuit with your cup of tea.

Oily and fried food

Feeling heavy and bloated after having greasy and spicy food is something we have all experienced. Fried and oily foods are very high in fat content and fat is the last thing to be digested by the stomach. This causes bloating in the stomach and gives that heavy and uncomfortable feeling.
Bloating is quite a natural phenomenon. For some it may get cured easily by slight changes in the diet, while for some others the problem may be more severe and symptoms may not fade away even after the precautions. In such a case immediate consultation from a doctor is advised. Check out our link to know about simple home remedies to cure bloating quickly and keep them away for long.