Have you ever enjoyed a large holiday meal with family and friends only to experience digestive issues that left you feeling reclusive?
Eating a large meal can put a strain on your digestive system, especially for those already dealing with weak digestion.
This usually results in digestive discomforts like bloating, stomach pain, gas and constipation. This may be only temporary and occasional, or it might be a protracted discomfort which detracts from the Holiday festivities.
Assuming the causes of your bloating are not serious (which should be verified by your health practitioner), the reasons for this discomfort could include: insufficient stomach acid, insufficient digestive enzymes, food intolerances, food allergies, stress, poor gut mobility, gut dysbiosis. Or it could be as simple as too high salt intake – this is a common cause of bloating.
Here are some of the main causes of bloating:
Cause of Bloating #1: Low Stomach Acid
- The symptoms of insufficient stomach acid include feeling full after a small intake of food, heartburn and burping. Stomach acid is responsible for stimulating the release of certain digestive enzymes. Without these enzymes, foods such as meat, fish and eggs may be more difficult to digest. Partially digested proteins make their way to the bowel where, because they have not gone through the complete process, they putrefy, causing irritation and inflammation. This in turn causes stomach pain and bloating.
Cause of Bloating #2: Insufficient Digestive Enzymes
- Lower than normal levels of digestive enzymes can be caused by many factors – antibiotics, medications, stress, food intolerances, infections, poor dietary choices, excessive alcohol consumption. When digestive enzymes are in low levels, undigested fats, carbohydrates and proteins transit to the bowel, where once again they begin to ferment, causing irritation and inflammation – and bloating.
Cause of Bloating #3: Food Intolerances
- Unlike food allergies, which have an almost immediate effect, food intolerances are slower to appear – usually over a 48 hour period. It is not uncommon to develop a food intolerance to your favorite foods. Food intolerances can be caused by many of the usual suspects – insufficient stomach acid, insufficient digestive enzymes, stress, hormones, medications, etc.
- Some of the most common food intolerances include gluten, wheat, yeast, dairy foods, shellfish, eggs, peanuts and other nuts, sesame seeds, soya and chocolate
- Bloating is a common symptom of food intolerances – sometimes it may be the only symptom, or it may be accompanied by diarrhea or the opposite – constipation.
Cause of Bloating #4: Dysbiosis
- This terms means a lack of digestive harmony. Basically, it’s when your intestinal tract has too much of the bad bacteria, not enough of the good. This can be caused by antibiotics, steroids, oral contraceptives, NSAIDS, a variety of other medications, poor food choices, exposure to chemicals, high levels of stress, etc. These bad bacteria produce toxins, the symptoms of which can be a primary cause of bloating and stomach pain.
Cause of Bloating #5: Poor Gut Mobility
- Poor intestinal muscle function can be caused by a calcium-magnesium imbalance, insufficient dietary soluble fiber, dehydration. When this happens, good bacteria decline and, as mentioned above, the toxins are produced in vast quantities. Cells of the colon can be damaged, increasing the risk of colon cancer. Symptoms include bloating, pain, constipation, headaches and a coated tongue.
- Regardless of the cause of bloating, it is downright uncomfortable. To keep this under control we recommend a colon cleansing after the Holidays to “Beat the Bloat”. Ultimate digestive health has everything you need to help you feel great.
Pura Cleanse and Pura Cleanse II – loosens and removes putrefied food particles and impacted fecal matter that are most likely causing your bloating feelings.
Cleanse Caps – flushes out any fine particles left behind. Helps manage intestinal gas, bloating, diarrhea, pressure and occasional constipation.
Pura Site, Anti-Parasite Support – targets and kills intestinal parasites that infect 1 in 4 people.
Miracle Choice Probiotic 25 Billion – Restores a healthy balance of stomach bacteria and enzymes.