The Four Types of Bloating and What They Mean
Bloating – the thing no one wants, yet we all seem to have. Bloating can be one of the most frustrating symptoms and seems impossible to get rid of. At the same time, bloating can tell us a lot about what’s going on inside our bodies. In this post, I breakdown how the time of day, and proximity to eating food can provide great clues into what’s causing the dreaded bloat. Additionally, I explain the difference between bloating and food sensitivities and how the two are quite different!
Bloated Upon Waking
If you are bloated upon waking, this is considered to be abnormal. This type of bloating points to a deeper issue in the body, as you are likely bloated regardless of there being food in your system or not. In this situation, it is important to consider pathogenic overgrowths, such as bacteria. In particular, Helicobacter Pylori is a likely culprit. H. Pylori is an opportunistic bacteria that damages the endothelial cells of the stomach, which are responsible for secreting stomach acid. It also reduces the stomach’s ability to produce mucous, which leads to irritation, damage, and even stomach ulcers. Oftentimes, people will become medicated for gastritis, heartburn or acid reflux, when the reason for those symptoms is an H. Pylori infection from a bad case of food poisoning. The best way to test for an H. Pylori infection is through a stool test.
Bloating within 30 Minutes of Eating
If you are bloated within 30 minutes of eating or so, it is likely a food that is not agreeing with you. There could be lack of enzymes or a lack of hydrochloric acid in your stomach, both of which are needed to properly break down food. For example, if you are lactose intolerant, your body does not produce enough lactase (an enzyme) to break down the lactose (sugar in milk) leaving your body unable to digest the lactose causing bloating. If you find that you burp frequently upon eating, this could be a sign that you have low stomach acid, another common cause of bloating.
Bloating 2-3 Hours After Eating
If you are bloated within a couple of hours of eating, this is likely due to a candida or bacterial overgrowth in the intestines. Depending on the meal you just ate, the food feeds the bacteria or candida, which then causes them to give off methane or hydrogen gas, which then leads to bloating, pressure and gas. Foods that are processed, or higher in carbohydrates and sugar will feed the bacteria or candida more quickly. In this situation, people often assume they can’t eat fruit or various healthy carbs like sweet potatoes and oatmeal because of the bloating that occurs. However, this isn’t usually the case as the reason for the bloating is coming from the intestinal overgrowth. Eliminating certain foods that are higher in carbs and sugar may provide temporary relief, but as soon as the foods are reintroduced, the bloating will return because the root cause has not been addressed. You must rebalance the overgrowth, and find out why the overgrowth happened in the first place.
Bloating at Bedtime
Similar to bloating upon waking, bloating at bedtime, or many hours away from food is not normal. Oftentimes this can point to parasites, as they are nocturnal and like to move around and eat at night. It sounds woo woo, but as Dr. Todd Watts’ says “if you have a pulse, you have a parasite”. They are extremely common, especially if you eat sushi, kiss your pets or walk around barefoot. If bloating and digestive-based symptoms heighten especially around the full moon, this can also be a major indicator of parasites.
A Word on Bloating vs. Food Sensitivities:
While this may come as a surprise to many, bloating is not a common symptom of food sensitivities. Bloating is a digestive-based issue. It has to do with a lack of enzymes or stomach acid, an increase in gas production due to an intestinal overgrowth or presence of a pathogen, or too much stress. Stress slows the digestive system down, which allows for more fermentation of food and slower motility, which will result in bloating. Bloating does not have to do with an immune response, which is what an IgG food sensitivity does. A food sensitivity causes an immune-based reaction to the proteins found in foods, which then causes inflammation in your body. These symptoms often look like headaches, brain fog, redness in cheeks, eczema, psoriasis, lethargy, joint pain, etc. Which symptoms you personally experience will likely show up as any of your susceptibilities. For example, if you have rheumatoid arthritis, then the symptoms you experience from eating a food you’re sensitive to will likely be inflammation in the joints. Further, the symptoms can occur anywhere from 24-72 hours after eating the food, which makes them very difficult to detect and allows inflammation to run unchecked for longer periods of time. The only way to know which foods cause this delayed immune reaction is to run an IgG food sensitivity test.
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