The Most Common Reasons You Are Feeling Bloated
No matter how old you are or how long you've been living in your body, you can still be surprised by the occasional curveball. For example, after eating an almost-uncountable amount of meals, you kinda get used to the digestive process through which your body takes in meals and other nutritious substances while expelling the unneeded excesses, via Medicine Net.
Despite getting accustomed to how this natural process runs without any issues, you could, out of the blue, start to experience some bloating and gas, which may make you wonder if your body has forgotten how to complete the digestive process and has instead chosen to keep way too much content trapped in your stomach. This, rather than letting out what's not needed after retaining the nutrients required to keep you functioning normally.
Bloating can be really uncomfortable and distressing (via Family Doctor), just as it happens when anything goes wrong with the natural operation of bodily functions. But what exactly is the root cause of bloating?
You could be feeling bloated for reasons other than what you eat
One of the most common reasons for bloating is your diet. What you eat could increase the air or gas in your gastrointestinal tract, per Family Doctor. So you may want to avoid certain foods like beans and vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, and asparagus (via Healthline). Being lactose intolerant also contributes to bloating issues, according to Family Doctor. Lactose intolerance is the medical condition which causes your body to not process dairy products, including milk and cheese, well — or at all. Also when you eat too quickly, you are putting yourself at risk of bloating. So you may want to slow down, per WebMD.
More commonly, the reason for bloating could be that there are too many bad bacteria in your stomach, as opposed to having a fine balance of the good and the bad. The stomach is home to millions of bacteria which help us achieve great gut health, per Eat This. But when the bad crowds out the good bacteria, the symmetry is disturbed and one of the results is bloating. "Gut health has an influence on our overall well-being and is determined by the bacteria in there," Cara Harbstreet, a registered dietitian in Kansas City, says.
Per WebMD, other causes of bloating include salty food, consuming too much carbs, weight gain, menstruation, pregnancy and celiac disease – amongst others.