Why so bloated?

Intestinal bloating, or tummy bloating is becoming more and more of a common occurrence among so many people. Young and old, male, female, from athletic ‘health-nut’s’ to office workers to the busy stay-at-home mum. The big, bloated and uncomfortable tummy is being reported to me by every client I see, and even strangers I meet who find out I’m a nutritionist (knowing about a stranger’s digestive function in the middle of the health-food aisle at Woollies or while I’m training at the gym is becoming more of a common occurrence these days lol).

Most client’s come in to seek my help for other health issues but inevitably, we uncover the existence of the tummy bloat, that they’ve just accepted as being ‘normal’.

But a bloated tummy is far from normal. And if you are experiencing bloating in your abdominal region, whether it be directly after a meal, after eating particular foods, during times of stress, or even a consistent bloat throughout the day, let me assure you, there is definitely an underlying cause for this symptom that your body is crying out for help with.

Here are just some common causes of the terrible tummy bloat, and some of the signs and symptoms we look out for:

Food intolerance/sensitivities: These are becoming increasingly common for various debated reasons including eating foods that have been so genetically modified they’re unrecognisable by our body’s current state of evolution; having a compromised immune function, leaky gut, and more often than not, an overburdened toxic liver.

Studies have shown that stress, poor sleep and lack of exercise can also increase the likelihood of food sensitivities (I’m starting to see a common pattern here).

SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth): is a condition where bacteria which are normally found in the lower part of the large intestine have overgrown in the small intestine where food is absorbed which can result in:

Diarrhoea, constipation, abdominal bloating, cramping, burping, reflux, food sensitivities, skin conditions, joint pain, iron and B12 deficiency, hair loss and respiratory conditions such as asthma. SIBO can be associated with many other health conditions such as IBS, leaky gut, IBD, hypothyroidism, lactose intolerance, autoimmune conditions and even brain fog and lack of mental concentration.

IBS (Irritable bowel syndrome): is believed to be the most common gastrointestinal disorder in western countries. Its estimated to affect 7-15% of Australians with a higher incidence in women.There are numerous underlying factors associated with IBS, with the main symptoms appearing as abnormal stool frequency, recurrent abdominal pain or bloating for at least 3 days per month in the last 3 months with improvement with defecation, abdominal pain associated with change in stool frequency or pain associated with change in stool form. Symptoms occurring at times of stress are also very common.

IBD: (Inflammatory Bowel Disease): otherwise specifically known as Crohn’s Disease (CD) and Ulcerative Colitis (UC). Having Crohn’s Disease from the age of 12 is the main reason I decided to become a Clinical Nutritionist many years ago and using Holistic Nutritional therapy to put myself into clinical remission has been a challenging but conquering feat that I’m proud of achieving! Crohn’s and Colitis are the more serious conditions that are associated with bloating, as well as other indicators of nausea, severe cramps, blood in stool and alternate diarrhoea and constipation. Both of these conditions have been shown to be auto-immune in nature and are characterised by inflammation in the GIT. UC inflammation is limited to the colon, whereas CD inflammation can affect any area of the GIT.

Coeliac Disease: is an auto-immune condition where the immune system reacts to gluten when it is ingested. The immune reaction in the gut damages the micro-villi (microscopic hair-like structures) covering the entire lining of the gut which are responsible for nutrient absorption. The ingestion of gluten in individuals with coeliac may cause not only severe bloating, but severe cramps, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea from the highly inflamed gut.

Approximately 1 in 100 people in Australia are affected by CD, but 75% of people do not know they have it.

Low Stomach acid: Hydrochloric acid (HCl) in the stomach breaks down the food we eat, to make it more digestible for the intestines. If the stomach acid is low (which generally happens with aging and regular use of antacids), or more on the alkaline side, food is not broken down and digested well enough, which can cause irritation to the intestinal lining, causing nutrient deficiencies due to malabsorption and the associated tummy bloat.

Hormonal Imbalances: Many female reproductive health imbalances including PMS, PCOS, Endometriosis and many other serious health issues of this system may also commonly cause symptoms of abdominal bloating, proving that a bloated belly is not always attributed to gut health alone.

IMPORTANT!

This is not an exhaustive list of underlying causes of GIT bloating, there are numerous other potential causes, however these are the most common which can all be tested for and confirmed. This list of various GIT conditions is for information purposes only. Please do not diagnose yourself or think the worst if you are experiencing a tummy bloat.

If you are experiencing abdominal bloating or any of the above symptoms however, I’d encourage you to see your doctor or a functional practitioner like myself for more guidance and information.

Every one of these conditions and others which have not been mentioned have associated tests to confirm their presence to give you that piece of mind in knowing the cause. The answer you’re looking for may be as simple as changing your food choices and lifestyle habits to give you the relief you’re after. This is most often the case!

Make sure you subscribe to the site to receive more specific information on these gut conditions in the future, including gut-healthy recipes to relieve some of these symptoms.

If you would like some guidance on how to relieve your belly bloat today, please don’t hesitate to drop me a line.

In health

Deena x