A bloated stomach is usually harmless and nothing serious, but it can be very annoying for many women. Sometimes it is accompanied by uncomfortable abdominal cramps and bloating and can also be painful. What are the most common causes of bloated stomach, how can you avoid it and what remedies can help? You can find the answers to these and many other questions in our article!
Bloating occurs when the digestive tract fills with gas or air and is usually harmless. However, if you often suffer from this or have severe discomfort and pain, it is recommended that you see a doctor and have a test carried out for various intolerances. Foods rich in fiber are one of the most common causes of bloating, especially if you are not used to them and rarely consume them. These include, for example:
- Raw vegetablessuch as cabbage, cauliflower, kale, broccoli, onions and lettuce.
- Certain types of fruitsuch as peaches, apricots, cherries, pears, apples and plums
- All legumes
- Whole grain cereal products
Which foods should you avoid?
- High sugar foods and sugar-free sweeteners – It is no longer a secret that excessive consumption of sugar is unhealthy. In addition to all the other health disadvantages, it can also lead to unpleasant flatulence. Sugar substitutes, such as xylitol, fructose or sorbitol, are contained in many diet products and drinks and since they cannot be digested by the body, they also cause a bloated stomach.
- High-fat products– Our intestines can digest carbohydrates much more easily than proteins and fats. For this reason, you should avoid fatty meat or dairy products with a high fat content or only consume them in moderation.
- Salty foodswith a high aluminum content, such as canned soups, frozen main dishes or junk food, bind water in the body and unfortunately make your stomach appear much fuller than it actually is.
Various illnesses can cause it
If you experience frequent and severe flatulence, it could be a symptom of various illnesses.
- The irritable bowel syndromeis the most common condition associated with abdominal bloating.
- celiac disease,also known as gluten intolerance
- Chronic intestinal diseases such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis
- You eat too fast –A bloated stomach is caused by swallowing too much air and this can happen if you eat too quickly and hastily.
- Ifinadequately chewed foodenter the intestines, they are digested by the intestinal bacteria and not by the saliva, which can also lead to bloating.
- If you have onesensitive stomachyou should pay particular attention to how you combine the foods. Some unfavorable variants that could cause bloating are, for example, grains and cheese (pizza, cheesecake and cheese rolls) or fruit and grains (rolls with jam or fruit cake)
- ALack of exercisecan also lead to the unpleasant feeling of fullness in the stomach. In this way, the intestines become sluggish, which causes the movement of food to slow down. Constipations can even occur.
Other bloated stomach causes
- When chewing gum and smokingExcess air also enters your stomach. Just 2-3 cigarettes a day or chewing gum for half an hour are enough to cause flatulence.
- Tight clothing –Since trousers, skirts or belts that are too tight affect the distribution of air in the intestines, they can also be a reason for the unpleasant feeling of fullness.
- Too many soft drinks –The carbon dioxide in carbonated and non-alcoholic drinks is also one of the causes of bloating.
- Stress –When you are under a lot of stress, your body releases the hormone cortisol, which is responsible for increasing sugar levels. High blood sugar levels overload digestion, thereby impairing the absorption of nutrients. Additionally, most people eat much faster than usual when they are stressed.
- Sometimes a bloated stomach occurs for no reason and in this case it is referred to as “functional flatulence”.
What can you do against a bloated stomach?
- Drink water before eating –With a glass of still water before mealsSaliva production is activated and in this way you can prevent flatulence.
- Chew well –As already mentioned, eating too quickly is one of the most common causes of bloating. Simply take more time when eating and chew thoroughly and consciously - this will help you learn to enjoy meals to the fullest. Another plus point is that you will feel full more quickly - so you will eat less and lose a few pounds this way.
- Steam vegetables –The stomach tolerates blanched or steamed vegetables much better and if you don't want to go without them, you should definitely use these cooking methods.
- If yousoak the legumes,The content of flatulent ingredients is significantly reduced. It is important that you let them rest for at least 12 hours and then boil them in fresh water. A little tip from us – legumes in stew or soup are easier to digest.
- Probiotics (kefir, yogurt) –If the “good” bacteria in your intestinal flora are out of balance for one reason or another, probiotics and prebiotics can help improve them again.
- Drink a lot of tea –Ginger tea or tea with fennel, anise and caraway are tried and tested home remedies for annoying flatulence.
- A hot water bottleensures relaxation of the intestines and thus relieves abdominal pain and flatulence.
- peppermintis antispasmodic, stimulates digestion and helps with onebloated stomach. If the tea doesn't suit your taste, you can also use peppermint capsules. These can be found in every pharmacy and drugstore.
- Relaxing abdominal massagerelieves the pain of flatulence. To do this, all you should do is lie down and lightly massage your stomach in clockwise circular movements. You can increase the effect by using various vegetable oils.
