Whether you suffer from aerophagia (intestinal bloating) or meteorism (stomach bloating), bloating is always uncomfortable regardless of the digestive stage concerned. Bloating is usually accompanied by belching, rumbling, flatulence and a swollen and painful belly that can be very disturbing daily. Fortunately, there are effective natural remedies to relieve all bloating problems permanently.
Anti-Bloating Essential Oils
There are many essential oils with antispasmodic and carminative properties that can eliminate bloating. Peppermint essential oil is one of them. Thanks to the menthol it contains, it is antispasmodic and acts by relieving digestive and intestinal spasms and suppressing muscular contractions of the small intestine.
Also antispasmodic, cardamom essential oil can also effectively relieve bloating. It is also an excellent digestive tonic that stimulates digestion and promotes the expulsion of intestinal gas.
Caraway essential oil also plays a carminative role. It is also exciting in bloating because it helps fight against all the imbalances of the intestinal flora, which lead to belly swelling and pain.
Antinociceptive also reduces pain sensitivity. The bitter orange petitgrain essential oil is also ideal for dyspepsia, slow digestion, and bloating. It is both antispasmodic and analgesic. Whatever essential oil or mixture of essential oils is selected must be used through the skin and applied to the abdomen after diluting 10 to 20% in vegetable oil.
Attention:
Before using essential oils, always check that you are not concerned by any contraindications to using these products. The use of caraway essential oil is, for example, contraindicated in pregnant and breastfeeding women and children under six years of age. Its use is also not recommended for people with asthma and epilepsy without the prior advice of a therapist.
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Probiotics
When the microbiota is disrupted, it leads to excess fermentation in the digestive tract. This excess fermentation is responsible for the production of gas and abdominal dilation, often the cause of stomach aches.
Taking probiotic-based food supplements can therefore help rebalance the intestinal flora and relieve bloating caused by dysbiosis… The idea is to make a cure for it for at least three months, then maintain the health of your intestinal microbiota by supplementing yourself three days a week after that.
Choose quality probiotics, including several bacterial strains, dosed from 1 to 10 billion CFU daily and take them outside meals at least 15 minutes before. If you do not show any improvement in your symptoms after a fortnight, do not hesitate to change probiotics by choosing supplements with other bacterial strains. To choose quality supplements, contact your pharmacist, who will be able to advise you best.
Review Your Diet
Certain foods can cause bloating or can make it worse. If you are a victim, you can limit your consumption of so-called vasogenic foods, which promote the production of excess intestinal gas during digestion. More specifically, gas-forming foods are:
- Sweets
- Light products sweetened with polyols such as sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, maltitol, isomalt or lactitol. These “synthetic sugars” are found in chewing gum, sugar-free drinks, sodas, and sugar-free confectionery, among other low-fat industrial products.
- Fiber-rich vegetables such as onions, salsify, artichokes, cabbage, turnips, soybeans, leeks, asparagus, peas and mushrooms.
However, these last two categories of food should only be temporarily excluded or limited from the diet because they also play a prebiotic role that promotes the proper development of the microbiota, which, as we have seen, is helpful in the fight against bloating.
These foods will then have to be reintroduced very gradually into the diet, taking the precaution of cooking them well to improve their tolerance. In case of bloating, you will also benefit from restricting large, high-fat meals. By lengthening the digestion time, they can promote bloating by stagnating longer in the intestines and fermenting.
Avoid consuming foods rich in lipids and saturated fats, such as red meats, meats in sauces, fried foods, cold cuts, rich cheeses, and ultra-processed industrial products, which, in addition to often being rich in lipids, are also rich in poorly tolerated additives.
Also, be aware that specific food intolerances can also cause bloating. Thus, it is possible that
you do not tolerate lactose-rich foods (dairy products and foods containing milk) and foods containing gluten (wheat, barley, oats, rye, spelt and products containing them) well. Foods are rich in fructose (honey, dried fruits, fruits rich in fructose, etc.).
If you cannot determine which food(s) gives you these symptoms, eliminate the foods you suspect are not suitable. You can also keep a food diary where you record everything you eat and when you feel discomfort to help identify the foods responsible for your bloating.
Anyway, in case of bloating, remember to:
- Split your diet into 4 to 6 meals a day so as not to overload your digestive system with overly large meals.
- Eat slowly and calmly, taking your time. Chew your food for a long time and, in particular raw vegetables, which should, however, be limited in favor of cooked vegetables.
- Do not drink too much water at mealtimes so as not to excessively dilute gastric juices and slow down digestion.
- Compose balanced meals consisting of 1/3 cooked vegetables, 1/3 starchy foods and 1/3 a source of lean protein (skinless poultry, white fish, eggs).
Green Anise Tea
In case of bloating, prepare an infusion of green anise seeds for better digestion. Easy to make and pleasant to taste for fans of anise flavors, this herbal tea will help relieve dyspepsia, aerophagia, gas, feelings of oppression after meals and painful contractions of the digestive system.
Pour boiling water over a teaspoon of green anise seeds in a cup and consume this infusion after each meal to enjoy better digestion. Please note that green anise is contraindicated for pregnant women and children under 12 years old.
Activated Charcoal
To find a flat stomach, avoid bloating and absorb gas, nothing like activated charcoal or activated charcoal. Available in capsule or powder form, it should be taken in the evening at bedtime and away from taking medication or food supplements; otherwise, the activity of the active ingredients will be reduced. Preferably, choose vegetable charcoal from the coconut, which has an antifungal action and normalizes intestinal flora.
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