Bloating support supplements for women's gut health

Many of us will be familiar with that feeling in our tummy after we have enjoyed a delicious meal. We may have overeaten, or perhaps there was something in the meal our stomach didn't quite agree with.

That sensation may feel like your stomach is overstretching or tight, and you feel full to the brim. This is because the organs in the digestive system are being stretched. It can result from a build-up of liquid, gas, or solids in part of your gut.

Accompanying symptoms can also include cramps, constipation, burping, diarrhoea and flatulence. 

Many other factors, including what we eat, can cause bloating and the build-up of gas that leads to uncomfortable stomach sensations. 

Diet

With the joys of eating comes the need to be mindful of how and what we eat.

If you eat too much or too fast, you may swallow too much air, leading to a build-up of gas. 

What you eat can play a significant role, and the foods that are more likely to cause bloating include salty foods, carbohydrates, fizzy drinks, foods high in fibre like beans and lentils, processed foods, and alcohol. 

As Johns Hopkins Medicine explains, some foods contain carbohydrates that the small intestine cannot fully absorb; instead, they go to the colon, fermented by bacteria, producing gas. These fermentable gas-producing foods are called FODMAP foods, fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols, sugars that the small intestine absorbs poorly.

According to John Hopkins, research has shown that a low (FODMAP) diet can reduce the symptoms of gas. 

These foods include:

• Oligosaccharides in wheat, onions, garlic, legumes and beans
• Disaccharides, such as lactose in milk, yogurt and ice cream
• Monosaccharides, including fructose (a type of sugar found in fruits and honey), apples and pears
• Polyols or sugar alcohols are found in foods such as apricots, nectarines, plums and cauliflower, as well as many chewing gums and lollies

Hormonal factors

Abdominal bloating is often experienced before and during menstrual periods. Hormones play a role in this. According to Cleveland Clinic, estrogen causes water retention, while estrogen and progesterone can both cause intestinal gas through their impacts on how food moves through the digestive system. 

Bloating is also common during the hormone fluctuations of menopause and perimenopause, the period leading up to menopause. According to the Menopause Centre, the term ‘menopause bloating’ is when fluctuating oestrogen and progesterone levels cause water retention levels to also fluctuate. 

The centre describes how changes in oestrogen levels also impact bile production in our bodies and lead to bloating. Bile, stored in the gallbladder, plays an essential role in digestion and lubrication of the small intestine. Discomfort can result when stools in the large intestine dry up, become hard and accumulate from a lack of lubrication. 

Digestive issues

When you swallow air or drink carbonated beverages, the Cleveland Clinic describes how these gasses are mostly released via burping before they reach your intestines. 

According to Cleveland, gas in the intestines is a natural byproduct of gut bacteria digesting carbohydrates in a process called fermentation. Too much fermentation may occur because too many carbohydrates weren't naturally absorbed earlier in the digestive process.

It could be because you overate or ate too fast for adequate digestion. It could also be due to a specific food intolerance, such as lactose or gluten, in which you lack the digestive enzyme to digest that food.

Also, any build-up of digestive contents along the digestive tract means less room for gas to process through. 

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, constipation is an example. Bloating results when stool stays in the colon for longer, with more time for bacteria to ferment. As Cleveland Clinic describes, everything expands to contain the extra volume, leading to bloat.

John Hopkins Medicine also notes that weight gain can mean it goes to the belly, leaving less room for normal digestive processes, causing bloating after consuming even a normal meal.

Bloating usually goes away on its own; however, knowing the cause is important to prevent it from recurring.  

However, there are many lifestyle changes to try first to see the difference these may make.

Diet

A high-fibre diet, exercise, and water could assist if bloating is due to constipation. 

Try to eat slowly to prevent swallowing excessive air and having it enter the digestive system. 

Making gradual changes to the diet may help identify which foods may trigger bloating and can be eliminated.

Avoid processed foods, as they are low in fibre but high in salt and fat. Salt causes water retention, and fat takes longer to digest, slowing digestion. 

Fibre may cause more gas initially, but according to Cleveland Clinic, it will help clear out any stuck fermenting faecal matter. 

Water will encourage food movement along the entire digestive tract and soften food to pass through. 

Exercise

According to Cleveland Clinic, exercise helps prevent water retention. It also helps strengthen stomach muscles to combat bloating and stimulate the digestive system to keep the bowels moving and push food through. 

Its stress-relieving benefits also aid the digestive system in working optimally. 

Probiotics

Bacteria in our guts help break down food, turning it into nutrients our bodies can use. However, eating the right food is important to fuel a balanced gut microbiome.

However, as Piedmont Healthcare describes, bacteria in the gut can become imbalanced due to stress, antibiotics, and eating too many processed foods. When gut bacteria are imbalanced, bad bacteria can thrive, and bloating is a symptom of this.

According to Cleveland Clinic, probiotics may help support good gut bacteria and support digestive system health. It's best to take them consistently to experience results. 

Natural sources of probiotics include food that has undergone a fermentation process in which its sugars are broken down by yeast and bacteria. These foods include plain yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kombucha and kimchi, which contain helpful bacteria from the fermentation process.

If you are considering a probiotic supplement, it is ideal to consult a healthcare practitioner to discuss the best and specific probiotic for your health goal. 

Smoking also has a negative effect on the digestive system, so it's ideal to try to quit.

Seek medical advice if bloating doesn't get better, is painful or there are other concerning symptoms. 

Digestive Enzymes

Digestive enzymes help break down food. However, sometimes, the body doesn't make enough of these enzymes, which can slow digestion and lead to uncomfortable symptoms like bloating.

A very common type of enzyme insufficiency is lactose intolerance, whereby the small intestine doesn't make enough of the enzyme lactase. This makes it difficult to digest lactose, the sugar in milk and milk-based products, which can lead to bloating. 

According to the Cleveland Clinic, a lactase supplement can help people manage lactose intolerance. [TC1]