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Bloating is a very common problem that people have after eating. It is usually felt in the abdominal region. It is normally experienced with menopause, pregnancy etc. This feeling is normally relieved by burping. Bloating is sometimes caused by a digestive problem, and many other allergies. The following are some kinds of foods that cause bloating in people:
- Raffinose: This is a sugar found in beans, cabbage, Brussels sprout, broccoli, asparagus, and other vegetables and whole grains. This food is eaten raw, and causes bloating when cooked. These have the capacity to bloat well.
- Lactose: This is a natural sugar found in milk and milk products like cheese, yoghurt and ice cream. Some of the lactose levels are higher in milk and non fat milk than the levels found in cheese and yoghurt. It is generally related with irritable bowel syndrome.
- Fructose: This is a sugar found in fruits and honey. This sugar is found as a sweetener in most of the soft drinks, fruit drinks and foods that are processed. This is an important cause of irritable bowel syndrome in many people.
- Sorbitol: This is a sugar found in fruits like apples, pears, peaches, prunes etc. It is used as an artificial sweetener in most of the dietetic foods and candies without sugar and gums.
- Starches: Most of the starches like potato, corn, rice bread, noodles and other products which are made of flour have a quality of producing gas which is broken down in the intestine.
- Wheat: Wheat causes a lot of bloating and gas. It has been seen that bloating is not there if the wheat products are eliminated.
- Soluble fiber: This fiber dissolves very easily in water. It becomes a soft, gel like product in the intestines. Foods that cause bloating include oat bran, beans, peas and all other fruits.
- Insoluble fiber: This fiber doesn’t dissolve in water and remains unchanged in the intestines. Thus it produces lesser gas than soluble fiber. This is mostly found in wheat bran and in most of the skins of fruit and vegetables.
- Vegetables and Legumes: They cause a lot of bloating and gas because of the structure which is complex. This is due to the presence of starch and protein. It is good to soak and cook the legumes well to reduce the bloating. The following are the list of vegetables contain raffinose and fructose and are best avoided :
- Artichokes
- Asparagus
- Beans
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Cucumber
- Green peppers
- Onions
- Peas
- Potatoes
- Radishes
- Sugar alcohols: These are found in a lot of foods and beverages. This includes chewing gum and sports beverages. If the labels are sugar fee then the sugar alcohols have been used as sugar replacement. Sugar alcohols are not digestible, but it is seen that the bacteria in the intestine like to break them down. This creates a lot of flatulence. It is good to abstain from bottles or labels reading sugar alcohol content like xylitol, maltitol, sorbitol, and erythritol. These compounds lead to bloating.
- Carbonated beverages: These cause a lot of bloating because of the carbon di oxide content. These bubbles found in the soft drinks lead to a lot of formation of gas. This causes bloating and growth in abdomen. As we sip the carbonated drink through a straw, we take in more air. This enters the digestive tract. It is good to sip the carbonated drink without a straw.
- Bread: It is advisable to exchange white bread with brown bread as white bread causes more bloating due to the flour content.
- Pretzels: It is better not to have pretzels. It is better to have nuts.
- Carbohydrate foods: It is good to avoid carbohydrate food. Our muscles have carbohydrates in the form of glycogen which give us energy. Consumption of excess carbohydrate food increases the possibility of fat in the body.
- Spices: It is good to avoid nutmeg, black pepper, clove, chili powder, onion, garlic, barbeque sauce, tomato sauce, vinegar because they create irritation in the intestinal tract. They also have the capacity to release stomach acids which cause irritation. This irritation could lead to bloating of the stomach.
- Chewing gum: If you have the habit of chewing gum, don’t chew. This is because while chewing gum, lot of air gets trapped in the gastrointestinal tract by which the stomach expands.
Thus it is seen consumption of bloating food could be the cause for discomfort.
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