Few things are as uncomfortable as a bloated stomach. Fortunately, with a little discipline and four ingenious hacks, you can easily avoid this annoying feeling of gas in your stomach in the future.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. CAUSES OF
A BLOATED STOMACH
A bloated stomach is when your stomach feels uncomfortably bloated . It may also appear thicker and even rounder than usual. Unfortunately, a bloated stomach is also often sensitive to pressure and may feel harder than usual.
The cause is usually excessive gas production due to food intolerances or minor bowel movement disorders. Although bloating isn't exactly life-threatening, it can be painful and negatively impact your daily life.
To avoid this in the future, you should first address the causes . For most people, bloating, a feeling of fullness, or flatulence occur frequently after eating specific foods .
However, certain diseases of the digestive tract can also lead to painful gas accumulation in the abdomen. These include:
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- functional constipation
- Food allergies and intolerances
- intestinal fungi
- and a fatty liver.
The most common food intolerances include lactose intolerance and gluten intolerance (celiac disease). Sometimes, a kind of one-sided oversaturation with certain foods leads to bloating or other digestive tract discomfort. Overeating, as a result of eating too quickly, can also be the cause.
These foods can cause bloating
- onions
- Cabbage
- Eggs
- Nuts
- Dairy products
- Legumes
- unripe fruit
- some sugar substitutes (e.g. sorbitol)
- Fast food / greasy and fried foods / breaded meat
- hot spices
- swallowed chewing gum
- Raisins
- very fresh bread
- Coffee
- Carbonated drinks
- Chocolate
- as well as ice, ice cubes and cold drinks in general.
Are hormones responsible for your bloated stomach?
Many women complain of bloating, fullness, and gas, especially before or during their period . In fact, bloating is one of the most common symptoms of premenstrual syndrome .
The reason lies in the hormonal changes that women go through every month. With the rise in the hormone progesterone (the so-called "corpus luteum hormone") in the second half of the cycle , a comprehensive relaxation of the muscles in the abdomen occurs.
Although this process is actually aimed at breaking down the uterine lining , the muscles surrounding the gastrointestinal tract can also become sluggish. This leads to distension of the lower abdomen and, in some women, bloating [1].
BRAINEFFECT HACK: GUT CARE capsules support your gut with extra calcium to contribute to the normal function of digestive enzymes. The iron they contain benefits your cognitive abilities , and vitamin B12 ensures the normal function of your immune system .
2. FOUR SIMPLE HACKS AGAINST
AIR IN THE STOMACH
If neither intestinal disease nor a hormonal imbalance is behind the bloated stomach, simply making some lifestyle changes may be enough. If your bloated stomach only occurs with certain foods, it's also worth having your doctor test you for food intolerances .
In addition, these 4 effective hacks will help you prevent the development of a bloated stomach or at least get rid of it as quickly as possible.
1. Integrate more exercise into your daily routine
Sitting for long periods combined with little exercise is one of the most common causes of bloating! If you sit at a desk all day, your gastrointestinal tract is constricted and often doesn't receive enough blood flow. This makes it easier for gas to build up and be harder to escape.
It's best to take advantage of every opportunity for a bit of exercise, even in your everyday office routine. Often, a short walk after lunch or a mini yoga session between meetings is enough.
By the way, targeted abdominal muscle training is particularly effective in treating flatulence and bloating! Contracting and relaxing your abdominal muscles massages, among other things, your intestinal wall . Perfect for expelling trapped gas and food particles!
2. Eat probiotic foods
Probiotic foods are rich in natural bacterial cultures that resemble the healthy bacteria found in your gut flora. These include, in particular, lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria . Together, they make a valuable contribution to regulating the pH level in the large intestine. Thus, probiotics can prevent gas formation and sometimes even provide effective relief in acute cases.
The easiest way to incorporate probiotics into your diet is with the 4-week course . This involves consuming approximately 30 g of probiotic foods daily for 4 weeks. Ideally, you should focus on fermented foods like kefir, quark, or sauerkraut , in addition to fiber-rich legumes and whole grain products .
Tip : Probiotic yogurts enriched with bacterial cultures are also great for a gut bacteria makeover [2]!
3. Ginger water or herbal teas
Did you know that ginger is one of the oldest medicinal plants in the world? This smart tuber is especially known for its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties . In the context of bloating, the pungent substances it contains help stimulate your digestive juices and thus break down unwanted waste more quickly [3].
Ginger is best consumed with a dash of lemon as a tea or tonic . Even those who dislike ginger aren't completely lost: The bitter compounds in mint, chamomile, and fennel have a similar effect to ginger. One benefit of teas is that they also supply your digestive tract with water, which helps flush out waste products and stimulates bowel activity.
4. Eat slowly and chew thoroughly
Yes, your mother spoke true words back then: Eating slowly and buying a lot is key—especially if you're prone to bloating. If you gulp down your food quickly, you'll swallow a lot of air , thus fueling gas formation in your gastrointestinal tract.
In addition, a feeling of fullness is often caused by eating or chewing too quickly:
The food remains thus reach the stomach in unchewed pieces, making its work even more difficult. The result: The food slurry stays there longer than necessary. As a rule of thumb, you should plan about 20 minutes for each meal , since the feeling of fullness only sets in after 15 minutes.
BRAINEFFECT HACK: Our DAILY GUT drink supports your gut with 9 billion live bacterial cultures. Simply stir it into your morning water and enjoy one of our three flavors: strawberry, mixed berry, or lemon . DAILY GUT also contains vitamin B6, which regulates your hormone levels. Vitamin B12 contributes to the normal function of your immune system.
3. YOU CAN DO THIS
DOING AGAINST FLATULENCE
In the context of a bloated stomach, flatulence is actually good news . It indicates that the trapped air in your stomach is finally escaping. Thus, it's less of an independent problem and more of a natural consequence of bloating or fullness .
However, flatulence without a previous bloated stomach is not uncommon. However, it almost always has the same causes . So, unless there's an illness or intolerance, you should primarily avoid the foods responsible or limit them slightly as needed. Probiotics are also incredibly helpful!
Another hack for reducing bloating and gas is to avoid foods high in carbohydrates, fat, and sugar . All three are very difficult to digest and can block your gastrointestinal tract. You should also eat meat in moderation , as animal fat has a similar effect.
CONCLUSION
Bloating, bloating, and flatulence are not uncommon. Although they are among the more unpleasant health issues, they affect many people nationwide.
In addition to exercise and a balanced diet , ginger, herbal teas, slow eating and probiotics are particularly suitable for the prevention and acute relief of a painfully bloated stomach.
If you notice that your bloating always occurs in connection with the same foods, you should urgently talk to your doctor. You may have an undiagnosed food allergy or intolerance.
Even in this case, however, you can fortunately easily get your bloated stomach under control again with a little abstinence and self-discipline .
SOURCES
[1] Bernstein, M.T.; Graff, LA, [...]; Targownik, LE (2014), Gastrointestinal symptoms before and during menses in healthy women, Issue 14, p. 14, ttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3901893/ .
[2] Kechagia, M.; Basoulis, D.; [...]; Fakiri, EM (2013), Health Benefits of Probiotics: A Review, ISRN Nutrition, ID 481651, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4045285/ .
[3] Bodagh, MN; Maleki, I.; Hekmatdoost, A. (2019), Ginger in gastrointestinal disorders: A systematic review of clinical trials, Food Science and Nutrition, Volume 7, Issue 1, p. 96–108, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/issues/327985/ .
