“Eurovaistinė” pharmacist Elvyra Ramaškienė often receives people complaining of these unpleasant symptoms in the pharmacy, so she reveals what advice she shares with them.
Foods that cause bloating
Belly bloating can be caused by a variety of reasons, but the most common of them are eating habits and food products. It’s no secret that legumes, cabbage, broccoli, dairy products and carbonated drinks are the most common causes of gas accumulation in the intestines. Also, in order to avoid bloating, it is advised to eat foods with a high fructose or salt content less often”, says pharmacist E. Ramaškienė.
If you often experience bloating, the pharmacist advises you to choose easily digestible foods – lean meat, fish, rice, oats, boiled vegetables.
What eating habits should be changed?
The pharmacist says that sometimes people open up in pharmacies that even though they pay enough attention to a balanced diet, they still have to face bloating. According to her, the reasons sometimes lie not in food, but in eating habits.
“Sometimes bloating can start even simply by eating too fast. When we eat in a hurry or talk, we swallow more air, which accumulates in the intestines and causes a feeling of bloating. Also, more air can enter our intestines due to smoking, chewing gum or drinking through a straw”, says pharmacist E. Ramaškienė.
Flatulence is a consequence of long-term stress
The pharmacist advises not to forget another common cause of bloating – long-term stress and anxiety. The nervous system is closely related to the digestive system, so when you are worried, the digestive processes may be disrupted, leading to bloating, diarrhea, and heaviness.
“Don’t forget to move. Physical activity is particularly important for the nervous system and has a positive effect on digestion. A light walk after a meal helps speed up digestion and reduce gas accumulation in the intestines. You can also try yoga or pilates exercises, which help you relax and stimulate the digestive system,” advises pharmacist E. Ramaškienė.
How to reduce abdominal bloating?
“In order to reduce the resulting bloating, it is first advised to drink more water. Water helps digest food and reduce excess salt, which causes water retention and bloating. In addition, warm water with lemon can also be useful, as lemon stimulates the release of bile and thus stimulates the digestive system,” says pharmacist E. Ramaškienė.
For those who often experience bloating, the pharmacist advises them to take a course of probiotics. Probiotics help restore healthy intestinal microflora, which is important for digestive processes. Probiotics can also be found in such fermented foods as yogurt, kefir and pickled vegetables.
2024-08-19 13:46:42