Excessive Bloating

Bloating is quite common and up to 30% of people experience it regularly¹. Often bloating consequently leads to farting.

For some people experiencing excessive bloating the need to pass wind can become so urgent and uncontrollable that they might unwillingly be the source of a foul smell, which can be very embarrassing. This might result in people avoiding public places and gatherings. However, everyone farts every now and then, this is absolutely normal, and yes, farts can smell sometimes!

What is bloating?

Bloating is a condition where your belly feels swollen after eating. It can cause increased pressure, discomfort, and can make the belly look bigger. In most cases bloating produces the sensation that the abdomen is full. If there is an increased accumulation of gas in the intestines bloating consequently leads to farting.

In colloquial language there are many different words for the term bloating. There is some kind of false shame when it comes to these terms because these are things often considered to be too “private” to talk about it in public.

For bloating, the synonym flatulence and the verbs to pass wind, to pass gas, to flatulate and to fart exist. However, these terms actually mean slightly different things, although the reason is always the same: the accumulation of gas in the digestive system.

Bloating is a condition where one becomes swollen with gas. Flatulence is the accumulation of gas in the digestive tract. The verbs to pass wind, to pass gas, to flatulate and to fart all mean the same: to emit gas from the anus. The gas emitted from the anus is called flatus.

What is excessive bloating?

If the symptoms of bloating become more pronounced and a feeling of discomfort occurs the term excessive bloating is used, to differentiate it from the slight bloating that many people experience from time to time. The symptoms of excessive bloating can become quite extreme, can lead to abdominal pain and may even cause shortness of breath. The pain from bloating feels sharp and can change location quickly. It can also cause stomach cramps.

Causes of excessive bloating

There are many causes of excessive bloating. On the one hand our lifestyle, including eating and drinking habits, can lead to excessive bloating; On the other hand there are various health conditions that lead to more gas being produced in the intestines.

Bloating is often associated with constipation. Constipation is a condition where bowel movements are infrequent or hard to pass. It is often caused by a decreased intestinal passage (transit) time. This means your stool stays longer in your digestive system than normal. This also leads to bloating, because not enough gas in the digestive system is released by passing wind.

Although bloating can be caused by serious medical conditions, it is most frequently caused by constipation, the diet, and some foods or ingredients you are intolerant to. Excessive bloating is also caused by a disbalanced gut flora.

Life style related causes of excessive bloating

• Gas-producing drinks and foods
• High-fat foods – these delay the emptying of the stomach
• Overeating
• Aerophagia – air swallowing, as a nervous habit
• Talking whilst eating or eating while talking
• Eating whilst in a rush
• Chewing excessive amounts of chewing gum (due to air swallowing and sorbitol)
• Side effects of certain drugs

Most common health conditions that lead to excessive bloating

The most frequent health conditions that cause excessive bloating are

• Yeast in the intestines – Candida albicans in the gut leads to the production of gas
• Heartburn and acid reflux – due to the symptoms patients tend to swallow air
• Constipation – the longer intestinal passage leads to more fermentation in the gut
• Food intolerances, like
  • Lactose intolerance
  • Fructose intolerance
  • Gluten sensitivity
  • Other food intolerances
• Food allergies, like
  • Celiac disease
  • Wheat allergy
  • Egg allergy
  • Other food allergies
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

Where does the gas come from?

An adult produces approximately 700 ml of gas per day¹. Colonic bacterial species are constantly metabolising certain gases, thereby reducing the amount of gas in the large intestine¹¹. Depending on the type of diet and individual factors, an average adult emits a mean total volume of flatus of between 214 to 705 ml and passes wind between 14-18 times per day¹. People with excessive bloating might or might not emit way more flatus than these average numbers suggest.

There are two sources of gas in the digestive system

• Gas and air that is swallowed when you eat or drink
• Gas produced by gut bacteria and yeasts

Whilst eating we tend to swallow air. Another important source of gas comes from drinking carbonated drinks, like soda or soft drinks. Also, drinking through a straw, eating while talking or while in a hurry, and chewing gum all lead can to increased amounts of swallowed air.

In people who are suffering from excessive bloating or from smelly farting it is often gas produced by our own gut bacteria or intestinal yeasts that causes the problem. This gas results from fermentation processes in our gut. Under conditions of great amounts of the yeast fungus Candida albicans in the gut excessive bloating and farting can occur, especially after eating sweet foods (simple carbohydrates).

Emitting foul smelling flatus is always almost the result of fermentation processes in our gut and rarely a result of swallowing air. Therefore, interventions aimed at reducing fermentation processes in our gut are necessary.

There are three possible routes to reducing gas production in your gut

• Lifestyle changes
• Fungicidal treatment to kill fungus – like the yeast Candida albicans
• Probiotic bacteria and fermented foods

Lifestyle changes can greatly decrease the amount of air in your digestive system. Several clinical trials have shown that certain probiotic bacteria can help to reduce gas production in your digestive system^2-8. Also, a fungicidal treatment can reduce gas production in your digestive system.

Lifestyle changes

There are two sources of gas in the digestive system; gas that is produced by our own gut bacteria and intestinal yeasts, and gas and air that is swallowed. In order to reduce excessive bloating and farting, you should not do a gut restoration and use probiotics but also bring about lifestyle changes which could greatly decrease the amount of air in your digestive system!

Lifestyle changes that reduce excessive bloating

• Move more! – More physical exercise
  • Take a walk after eating
  • Do more sports (e.g. cycling)
• Avoid swallowing Air and Gas
  • Avoid carbonated drinks – Soda, Soft Drinks and Beer
  • Drinking through a straw
  • Eating in a hurry
  • Talking whilst eating or eating while talking
  • Chewing gum all day long
• Avoid certain foods
  • Avoid high-fat foods
  • Avoid fast food
  • Avoid these vegetables
    • Beans, Lentils
    • Brussels sprouts
    • Cabbage
• Avoid aerophagia – air swallowing, as a nervous habit
• Avoid overeating

Fungicidal treatment to kill fungus

Excessive bloating or odorous passing of wind is often due to gas produced by intestinal yeasts. If you are experiencing excessive bloating or odorous passing of wind, especially after eating sweet foods (simple carbohydrates), this is often due to gas produced by intestinal yeasts. The purpose of the fungicidal treatment is to kill fungus, like the yeast Candida albicans, in your gut or at least to limit its spread.

In order to do a fungicidal treatment you should do a gut restoration, which uses a gut cleansing combined with a fungicidal treatment to restore a healthy gut.

Nystatin therapy

Because it has the fewest side effects, doesn´t enter the bloodstream, is cheap and effective, Nystatin is the best antifungal against intestinal fungus. Be aware that in some countries – like the US, the UK, Canada and Austria – Nystatin is a prescription only medicine. Therefore, if you are living in such a country you have to see a qualified healthcare provider that can prescribe you Nystatin before starting a fungicidal treatment.

Probiotic bacteria and fermented foods

The good news is that you can reduce excessive bloating by using certain probiotic products. There is substantial evidence of the beneficial effects of certain probiotic strains – bacteria strains of the lactic acid bacteria Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus – on excessive bloating.

For example fermented milk products containing lactic acid bacteria such as probiotic yoghurts and kefir can be used. Also, Sauerkraut contains hundreds of different probiotic bacteria, among them bifidobacteria and lactobacilli. These are especially helpful for people with excessive bloating.

In order to introduce these beneficial probiotic strains into our gut flora you should do a gut restoration to restore a healthy gut.

Gut restoration

Generally, the frequent cause of excessive bloating can be eliminated relatively quickly. Reducing gas production in your gut requires two steps:

• Antifungal treatment – to kill Candida species in your gut and
• Rebuilding your gut flora – to support antifungal treatment and fill the created niche in your gut flora

A very successfull treatment option that combines antifungal treatment with rebuilding your gut flora is gut restoration. Gut restoration combines a gut cleansing that includes antifungal treatment with rebuilding your gut flora.

Gut restoration involves two steps,

• Gut cleansing and
• Rebuilding your gut flora

The ultimate goal of gut restoration is to stabilise and reconstitute a healthy gut flora which is in balance.

The 30 DAYS GUT RESTORATION PROGRAM for reducing excessive bloating

If you want to perform a gut restoration yourself, visit the website www.gutrestoration.com. On this website, you will find a 30 DAYS GUT RESTORATION PROGRAM for reducing excessive bloating, that exactly uses those probiotic strains that have shown substantial beneficial effects in the treatment of chronic constipation in clinical trials.

References

1. Lacy, B. E., Gabbard, S. L. & Crowell, M. D. Pathophysiology, evaluation, and treatment of bloating: hope, hype, or hot air? Gastroenterol Hepatol (N Y) 7, 729-39 (2011).
2. Agrawal, A. et al. Clinical trial: the effects of a fermented milk product containing Bifidobacterium lactis DN-173 010 on abdominal distension and gastrointestinal transit in irritable bowel syndrome with constipation. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 29, 104-14 (2009).
3. Chmielewska, A. & Szajewska, H. Systematic review of randomised controlled trials: probiotics for functional constipation. World J Gastroenterol 16, 69-75 (2010).
4. De Angelis, M. et al. VSL#3 probiotic preparation has the capacity to hydrolyze gliadin polypeptides responsible for Celiac Sprue. Biochim Biophys Acta 1762, 80-93 (2006).
5. Guyonnet, D., Schlumberger, A., Mhamdi, L., Jakob, S. & Chassany, O. Fermented milk containing Bifidobacterium lactis DN-173 010 improves gastrointestinal well-being and digestive symptoms in women reporting minor digestive symptoms: a randomised, double-blind, parallel, controlled study. Br J Nutr 102, 1654-62 (2009).
6. Kajander, K. et al. Clinical trial: multispecies probiotic supplementation alleviates the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and stabilizes intestinal microbiota. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 27, 48-57 (2008).
7. Nobaek, S., Johansson, M. L., Molin, G., Ahrne, S. & Jeppsson, B. Alteration of intestinal microflora is associated with reduction in abdominal bloating and pain in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Am J Gastroenterol 95, 1231-8 (2000).
8. Ringel-Kulka, T. et al. Probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM and Bifidobacterium lactis Bi-07 versus placebo for the symptoms of bloating in patients with functional bowel disorders: a double-blind study. J Clin Gastroenterol 45, 518-25 (2011).