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Published Apr 17, 2024

Science Behind Bloating: Triggers & Effective Remedies for Stomach Bloating ft. Dr. Kumkum Patel

Dr. Kumkum Patel delves into the science behind bloating, highlighting triggers like fibrous foods, bacterial infections, and stress, while offering effective remedies and practical advice on combating constipation with magnesium, hydration, physical activity, and the impact of coffee.
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Episode Highlights

  • Fibrous Foods

    Dr. Kumkum Patel explains that fibrous foods like broccoli, asparagus, and salads are common culprits of bloating. These foods contain non-digestible plant sugars that ferment in the small intestine, leading to gas and discomfort. She also mentions visceral hypersensitivity, where stress signals cause the gastrointestinal tract to react excessively, further contributing to bloating 1.

    A lot of people are like, you know what? I'm gonna eat that salad. I'm gonna eat broccoli and asparagus, because I've heard all over the Internet that I need to have high fiber foods. So people start introducing it, they're like, oh, well, it makes me bloated. Well, yeah, those are non digested, you know, plant sugars.

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    Bacterial Infections

    Bacterial infections, particularly H. pylori, can also lead to bloating and other gastrointestinal issues. Dr. Patel highlights that H. pylori is prevalent worldwide and can be contracted through food and utensils. This bacterium can cause ulcers and gastritis, leading to bloating 1.

    There is a bacteria called H. Pylori, helicobacter pylori, that is very prevalent in some countries, and now it's all over the world, truly, because you can get it from anywhere, from foods, from utensils, from one another.

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    Stress Effects

    Stress plays a significant role in causing bloating through mechanisms like visceral hypersensitivity. Dr. Patel explains that stress signals sent through the vagus nerve can cause the gastrointestinal tract to either make room for more food or push everything through quickly, leading to bloating. This stress-induced reaction can occur suddenly and without warning 1.

    Stress is then giving signals through the nerves, the vagus nerve, down to the nerves in your GI tract that says, okay, well, we are in a state of stress. We need to either accommodate by making room because we're not sure when we're going to eat.

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