Bloating Solution from Gut Health Dietitian
Bloating is a common symptom of dysbiosis
Apart from bloating, other common symptoms of dysbiosis and SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth) include abdominal pain, nutrient insufficiency (e.g. B12 or iron), aching joints, excessive gas, belching, diarrhea, or constipation.
Our small intestine is where nutrients from our diet are absorbed, and this is often where bloating can begin if food is not properly broken down and absorbed.
Malabsorption can be caused by several things such as:
Damage to the villi – villi are small finger-like protrusions in the intestines that help absorb nutrients and they can be damaged in untreated coeliac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, alcohol misuse, scarring, or other causes of damage to the gut. (for gut health analysis and stool test schedule a consultation)
Insufficient chewing – large chunks of food take more chemical processing inside the gut. This is the reason I wrote about why chewing is so important.
Digestive enzyme insufficiency – we have enzymes that break down fats, protein, and carbohydrates. The bacteria particularly love carbohydrates, and these may be triggers of your symptoms like bloating, gas, stomach cramps, or diarrhea. Bacteria can damage the brush border enzymes, so our body doesn’t break it down as well. High chronic stress or anxiety can also reduce levels of digestive enzymes. So this leaves more food sitting in the small intestine.
For Enzyme sufficiency and gut health analysis with stool test schedule a consultation with Ella Davar RD
How does dysbiosis cause bloating?
When carbohydrates are left in the small intestine they can be food for bacteria living there. The small intestine shouldn’t normally have a large number of microbes, but they can start to overgrow if you have issues such as slow gut motility, poor diet, surgery, adhesions, or medication.
So when these bacteria start to eat the carbohydrates they produce gas. This gas can be hydrogen, methane, or hydrogen sulfide.
Gas in your small intestine may take a long time to come out, and can really add to bloating. You may also get abdominal pain from the stretching of the intestines.
Bacteria in the small intestines - SIBO
Bacteria in our gut love to eat carbohydrates. They ferment the food we eat causing gas.
However, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t eat carbohydrates. Here are three important reasons
Firstly, we need to feed the bacteria in our large intestine with fiber and starches in carbs. Fibre also helps regulate bowel movements, reduces the risk of heart disease, maintains a healthy weight and so much more!
And secondly reducing carbohydrates won’t get rid of the SIBO, so cutting out carbs on it’s own won’t improve your digestion long term. You need to look at the causes of SIBO and reduce the bacteria (more on that below).
Lastly, carbohydrates are a fantastic source of energy, and removing them from your diet long-term may leave you feeling tired, hungry, and miserable.
As a quick reminder here is a list of foods containing carbohydrates:
Grains – bread, pasta, crackers, rice, oats
Sugars and all sweeteners – honey, syrups
Starchy Vegetables
Nuts and seeds
Fruits
Lactose in milk
Difference between SIBO and carbohydrate malabsorption
SIBO symptoms are caused by bacteria fermenting foods in the small intestine.
Carbohydrate malabsorption symptoms are caused by poor digestion and absorption of sugars (e.g. fructose or lactose)
Some people struggle to digest sugars in our food such as lactose in dairy, or fructose in plants, due to an inability to break them down. We need to break our food into smaller molecules to be absorbed into our intestinal cells.
For example, you may feel more bloated with dairy in your diet, which could be lactose malabsorption.
Lactose is found in milk, cheese, and yogurt. When we eat lactose-containing foods an enzyme called lactase breaks down lactose into glucose and galactose so it can be taken into the cells.
If you don’t have enough lactase some of the lactose stays whole. A larger molecule of lactose then travels to the large intestine.
This can cause bloating and gas as the large intestine bacteria ferment the lactose. This process can also draw more water in the large intestine which may trigger diarrhea or more bloating.
Can improving SIBO reduce bloating?
The good news is that reducing SIBO can improve the levels of enzymes in your small intestine. Which means you could reduce the symptoms of carbohydrate malabsorption.
The key is reducing the amount of microbes causing the excessive gas.
Your SIBO-driven reaction to foods is an individual
Unfortunately, there is no standard set of symptoms or treatment plan for SIBO. This is because:
Different bacteria all like different types of sugars, so not everyone will react to the same foods, or react in the same way
Depending on the location of your small intestine overgrowth will depend on your reaction times and types to different foods. For example, if the overgrowth of bacteria is in the upper part of your small intestine you might get a reaction quicker than if the overgrowth is lower down.
How much damage you have to the brush border enzymes ( schedule a gut-health evaluation)
Your overall health – do you have good stomach acid levels, do you have other conditions or take medication
Should you go low carb during SIBO treatment?
The way to treat and overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine depends on your symptoms, your budget, your lifestyle, your current diet, and more!
Most approaches to SIBO include some kind of agent to reduce bacterial overgrowth, whether that is through antibiotics or herbal antimicrobial supplements. You need advice from a nutritionist or doctor on the best approach for you and your situation.
There are two dietary approaches for managing SIBO either
Feeding the bacteria so killing them whilst they replicate
Reducing the food for bacteria so there are fewer to kill off
With my clients, it depends on how significant the bloating is, and how much it’s affecting their life. Reducing the symptoms of bloating can be done by reducing carbohydrates because it takes away the food for the bacteria.
But this alone doesn’t resolve the overgrowth, so you’ll need a comprehensive gut health analysis followed by a full treatment protocol, including looking at lifestyle elements such as sleep, eating patterns, supplementation, stress management, and timing of food. Schedule a consultation here
Additionally, There are teas help reduce bloating and alleviate some digestive discomfort. While scientific research on this specific topic is limited, teas may offer digestive relief through various mechanisms:
Ginger Tea: Ginger tea is one of the easiest and most potent ways to improve digestion, reduce bloating, and ease any digestive discomfort like stomach flu, upset stomach, diarrhea, or constipation. PubMed Link I also like recommending adding thin slices of fresh ginger to a pitcher of water, to hydrate throughout the day on gut health-supporting flavonoids. The taste however is not most people's favorite, ginger tends to be fiery and spicy.
Chamomile tea and mint tea are great options to have after dinner, especially when dining out. Both are great for relaxing the gastrointestinal muscles and reducing bloating. When dining out, I recommend my clients end a meal with fresh mint tea, which is essentially just mint leaves and hot water. Most restaurants don't have it on the menu, but if you ask the waiter, you'll get it, because most restaurant bars have mint for the mojitos! Mint tea contains menthol, which may relax the muscles of the gastrointestinal tract and alleviate gas-related bloating.
Fennel Tea: Fennel tea is my favorite recommendation to clients when they’re experiencing bloating because most people are surprised by the delicious taste of anise. It is naturally sweet and herbal making it an excellent beverage to offer and share with your loved one after a meal.
Dandelion root tea is my top recommendation for reducing bloating related to PMC. For women, who get swollen, sore breasts before their period, I suggest ditching regular tea and coffee and replacing it with dandelion tea. Its diuretic properties help shift extra water out of your system; helping to reduce your breast swelling and bloating.
I hope you found this article valuable, and I encourage you to schedule a consultation with me for personalized assistance and guidance on your journey to better gut health.
Sincerely,
Ella Davar RD