Most of us have experienced bloating at some point in our lives: that uncomfortable condition in the belly that is marked by some combination of feelings like tightness, fullness and pressure. In fact, a recent study led by Cedars-Sinai asserts that roughly one out of every seven Americans experience bloating on a weekly basis. Most people often assume that the root cause of bloating is always connected to dietary issues like overeating and adverse reactions to specific types of food. While dietary issues are a common source of bloating, this condition can be caused by a wide range of factors in the human body.
In many cases, bloating can be the result of deeper conditions for both men and women. These can range from temporary conditions like constipation and inflammation to more long-term conditions like hormonal imbalances and certain issues in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The good news is, you can say goodbye to bloating! Natural therapies, simple lifestyle tweaks, and the right products can make all the difference.
What Causes Bloating?
The GI tract is a delicate environment that has the potential to be upset by a wide range of sources. While some of these sources may require various forms of medical intervention, many of them can be addressed by healthy lifestyle management.
Digestive Issues
There exists a myriad of potential digestive issues that can lead to bloating in the human body.
Gas is probably the most common condition that can cause the feelings associated with bloating, but even gas can be the result of a variety of sources. Gas is already a natural result of the digestive process; it is a product of gut bacteria breaking down carbohydrates. However, sometimes there can be excessive amounts of gas that can contribute to bloating. This can be the result of eating an excessive amount of carbs or even an individual body being sensitive to carbs. This type of sensitivity can also extend to other specific types of food, and those sources vary from one individual body to another. Gas can also be a symptom of more intense digestive issues like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Constipation is another digestive issue that contributes to bloating. When the GI tract is backed up, it often must expand to account for any accumulating mass. This is another condition that can be caused by diet and lifestyle factors, including dehydration, lack of exercise, stress, excessive consumption of dairy products and lack of fiber.
Inflammation in the GI tract can also lead to bloating. Unfortunately, inflammation is a condition that can occur throughout all parts of the body, including all the organs that make up the GI tract. Inflammation, like the other conditions that have the potential to cause bloating, can also be caused by a wide range of factors. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) describes two distinct types of inflammation that can occur in the GI tract: Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative colitis (UC). Both conditions can cause bloating in addition to a host of other symptoms and conditions. While IBD is not the direct result of a food sensitivity, certain types of food like red meat, processed foods and foods with high levels of saturated fat can increase the risk of IBD. Smoking can even increase the risk of Crohn’s disease.
Hormonal Imbalances
Various types of hormonal imbalance are also a common cause of bloating for both women and men. Abdominal weight gain and bloating are so prevalent in women and men going through menopause and andropause that it’s often dubbed the “hormonal belly”.
Women are so susceptible to hormonal sources of bloating that they are roughly twice as likely to experience bloating as men. Bloating is one of the more common and pronounced symptoms of both menopause and perimenopause, which is the time in a woman’s life when her body starts to transition to the menopause phase. Increased body fat, especially in the abdomen, is a leading cause of bloating. This increased abdominal fat is also a staple condition of the low estrogen levels that company menopause.
Unfortunately, hormonal imbalances can lead to bloating in women well before perimenopause, because hormones are also responsible for the bloating that women experience during their periods. This condition is so common that an estimated three out of four women experience bloating both before and during their periods.
For men, bloating is a common symptom of the low testosterone levels that accompany andropause. As is the case with women, this version of bloating in men can be attributed to gain in abdominal fat that results from hormonal imbalance.
Cortisol is known as the “stress hormone” due to its role in stress response. When the body is exposed to extended and repeated periods of stress, it can overproduce cortisol. High levels of cortisol can then lead to bloating and a wide range of other symptoms and conditions for both men and women.
Hypothyroidism describes a condition marked by chronically low levels of thyroid hormones. Bloating is one of the many common symptoms of this condition.
How Can I Get Rid of Bloating?
The good news is that many of the conditions that lead to bloating can be addressed by consistent healthy lifestyle habits! While hormone levels need to be measured and analyzed by a highly trained expert in integrative medicine, you can often promote balanced hormone levels by making healthy lifestyle decisions and sticking to a healthy routine.
Eat Right and Exercise
Avoid processed foods and foods that are high in fat content. It may also be necessary to identify food sensitivities, either through analysis from a dietician or just trying an elimination diet to figure out which foods trigger bloating and other adverse reactions.
Eat foods that are rich in fiber and drink plenty of water to reduce the risk of constipation. Fiber also helps the body feel full, reducing the urge to eat too much food at once.
Not only can exercise help reduce abdominal fat, but it also promotes healthy bowel movement and helps prevent water retention. Don’t worry if you lack the time for a rigorous exercise routine; just getting up and walking around can make a huge difference. Abdominal and core strength exercises can also be helpful in addressing and preventing abdominal bloating.
Reduce Stress and Get Quality Sleep
With cortisol having the potential to increase abdominal fat and bloating, it is critical to find ways to manage and reduce stress effectively. Practicing healthy sleep hygiene, another word for sleep habits, is essential to reducing the risk of chronic stress and high cortisol levels.
Fortunately, a lot of healthy lifestyle habits already support healthy sleep hygiene, including healthy diet, exercise (not close to bedtime) and even stress management! Stress and sleep are two intertwined conditions that feed off one another; improving one of those conditions will often improve the other. Meditation and deep breathing exercises can also go a long way in reducing stress throughout each day.
Supplement With Nutraceuticals
The nutraceutical industry has developed a wealth of products over the years that take advantage of certain nutrients with an ability to support optimal GI function and address bloating. Professional grade nutraceutical products work best when taken in tandem with a healthy lifestyle routine.
While dietary changes are crucial, sometimes we need a little extra help. That’s where fiber supplements come in. With a wide variety of option available, from convenient pills to mixable drinking powders, these products can play a key role in promoting regularity and overall gut health.
Probiotics and prebiotics have long been recognized for their contributions to GI health. Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that are known to naturally support healthy GI function by overpowering harmful bacteria in the gut. Prebiotics are the food source for probiotics and help the beneficial bacteria function at an optimal level. Active Probiotic ND 50 from EVEXIAS Health Solutions combines 9 strains of probiotics with a prebiotic fiber to promote healthy GI function.
Magnesium is another nutrient that has long been recognized for supporting a healthy GI tract. Complete Magnesium from EVEXIAS Health Solutions is packed with three highly absorbable forms of magnesium for the support of optimal whole body health.
Inflam-X LPT from EVEXIAS Health Solutions is a professional grade nutraceutical that utilizes the GI-supporting properties of curcumin, which is the main active ingredient in the gold-colored spice known as turmeric. Curcumin has long been recognized for its ability to address inflammation in the GI tract with its strong anti-inflammatory properties.
Discover Advanced Therapies
While hormonal imbalances can be addressed by adhering to healthy lifestyle habits, more advanced therapies like hormone replacement therapy (HRT) are sometimes required. EvexiPEL certified practitioners have been highly trained to help women and men enjoy greater vitality and whole body health by balancing their hormone levels with bioidentical hormone pellet therapy. EvexiPEL certified practitioners can also offer expert lifestyle management guidance and help you find the right professional grade nutraceutical products to meet your specific needs.
Find your nearest EvexiPEL certified practitioner today to learn more about the best ways to stop bloating and support optimal whole body health!
