Bloating, a common complaint, especially this time of year when more people are experimenting with plant based diets.

Eating high fibre foods, such as pulses, can lead to bloating due to increased gas production in the large intestine. This is especially so if fibre intake is suddenly increased.

Conversely, for some people, fibre can reduce bloating by improving digestion and speeding up gut transit, especially if levels of fibre are increased gradually.

So if your current diet isn’t the issue, what else can cause you to feel bloated?

🔸 Stress - feeling stressed can affect communication mechanisms of the gut-brain axis, which can disturb our ability to digest foods well.

🔸 Hormones - women tend to feel bloated more than men, most likely due to differences in hormones and fluctuations in hormone levels.

🔸 Gut microbiota - our gut bacteria breaks down indigestible foods by producing gases as a by-product.

🔸 Constipation - delay in passing stools and an increase in stool bulk leads to the accumulation and trapping of gases.

🔸 Small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) - most gut bacteria live in our large intestine. SIBO occurs when these grow in the small intestine and disrupt digestion and absorption, leading to bloating.

🔸 Intolerances - for people with food intolerances, eating those foods can lead to bloating.

Bloating is common, and fairly normal. However, if your bloating is persistent , schedule an appointment with your GP to rule out any gastrointestinal disorders.

For most people, bloating can be treated via lifestyle changes (diet, exercise and stress management). But, following GP consultation, some people may require probiotics or even prescription medication, such as antibiotics.