Bloating

Find out what causes bloating—and what you can do about it.

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What is bloating?

Bloating is embarrassing, uncomfortable and it makes you worried about eating certain foods.

You may find your stomach expands after eating, leaving you with that dreaded ‘food baby’. Or perhaps your abdomen swells randomly—and there are days where it’s debilitating. Not only is it painful, but it’s beginning to affect your confidence.

There are lots of reasons for bloating, but there’s also a lot you can do about it.

What causes bloating?

Lots of things can cause bloating, including:

Eating too quickly.

Unchewed pieces of food can put stress on the digestive system, leading to bloating.

SIBO.

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth means more bacteria are fermenting the carbohydrates in our food. They release gas as a by-product.

Leaky gut.

Intestinal hyperpermeability can lead to maldigestion and inflammation, both of which contribute to bloating.

Chronic stress.

The stress hormone, cortisol, disturbs the digestive system and contributes to bloating.

Food sensitivities.

Bloating is frequently associated with sensitivities to a certain food or food group.

Low stomach acid.

Without enough stomach acid, food cannot be broken down properly. This can result in bloating and indigestion.

Find our how to beat your bloat, talk to our experts.

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3 natural remedies for bloating

If you’d like to conquer your bloating, start with these three steps:

01

Take five deep breaths before eating.

Most of us eat in a hurried state. This affects blood flow to the digestive system, hindering its ability to do its job properly.

Deep breathing for relaxation
02

Chew your food.

Food that isn’t broken down properly puts stress on the digestive system, which can lead to bloating. In an ideal world, we’d all chew each mouthful 20 times. As much as you can, try to ensure each mouthful is liquid before you swallow it.

Food to be chewed slowly
03

Consider a test.

Functional testing can help you find out whether SIBO or leaky gut are contributing to your bloating. What’s more, the test report will show you what to do.

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Or take our free online symptom survey:

Healthpath can help you to identify what’s going on:

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Related conditions

Bloating is associated with other conditions: