You probably know bloating from your own experience. This flatulence is nothing more than air that accumulates in the intestines. At some point, this air has to escape and so everyone regularly excretes such gases. This is also completely normal in small quantities.
Flatulence is therefore caused bytoo much air in the intestinewhich then escapes via the anus. There are mainly two different "winds", the noiseless but smelly ones or the loud and mostly odorless ones.
In the case of noisy and odorless flatulence, the problem is usually due to carbohydrate digestion. However, if the flatulence smells bad, this is due to the sulphurous gases produced by the intestinal bacteria that digest the food. Particularly strong-smelling intestinal winds indicate problems with protein digestion.

Symptoms of flatulence

In addition to the above-mentioned"winds" mentioned above,that escape from the anus also indicateabdominal rumbling orgurgling noisesin the gastrointestinal tract also indicate flatulence.
Likewise abulging stomachimmediately after eating or throughout the day. This can go so far that women say they look as if they are pregnant. Although this is not "bad" at first, it is unpleasant and sometimes embarrassing when you are asked about it.
Another sign of bloating is afeeling of fullness after eatingeven if you haven't eaten that much.What many people don't recognize as a symptom of bloating arePain in the lower back! This is because flatulence does not always inflate the intestines towards the front, but sometimes also towards the back, which then puts pressure on the back. Apparently, this pressure can even lead to herniated discs! So my tip for chronic back pain is not to forget the intestines when you are looking for the cause of the pain.

When should you see a doctor for bloating

In my opinion, bloating is always worth treating! This is because it is a clear sign thatsomething is wrong with your digestion. However, it is not always necessary to go to the doctor straight away; a change in diet coupled with a bowel cleanse can often bring the desired relief and make the symptoms disappear.
However, as flatulence, which is usually regarded as harmless, can also concealserious illnesses, you should check whether it is accompanied by other symptoms. These include, for example, persistent nausea, constant diarrhea, painful abdominal cramps, regular vomiting, chronic constipation, skin rashes, allergies or even blood in the stomach. Stool.
If you notice such signs, you should definitely consult a doctor to clarify further issues and, if necessary, to treat them.
Flatulence can also occur with diseases such as chronic pancreatitis, coeliac disease, food intolerances, Crohn's disease, irritable bowel syndrome, bowel cancer or liver cirrhosis.

For all those who prefer listening to reading, I recommend my popular Darmglück podcast. With lots of exciting health topics, tips and tricks for a healthy lifestyle in everyday life and a balanced diet. Listen to episode 149 What to do about flatulence now:

Causes of flatulence

Below I will describe the main causes of bloating in more detail, namely

• General causes - lack of exercise, ingestion & co.
• Bloating foods and drinks
• Food intolerances
• Dysbiosis in the gut
• Flatulent medication and supplements

I will refrain from giving a detailed description of two other causes, as this would go beyond the scope of this article:

• Stress and psychological strain. No other organ reacts as quickly and sensitively to stress as the gut. All digestive problems and therefore also bloating can be caused by excitement and stress.
• As already indicated above, flatulence can also be caused bymore serious illnesses such as chronic inflammatory bowel disease and many more. This should of course be ruled out.

General causes - lack of exercise, ingestion, etc.

Basically, if you have digestive problems (and this includes bloating), you should always first check youreating habits and yourlifestyle first. Too little exercise in everyday life, eating too often or too quickly and unhealthy meals such as convenience food or fast food can be the cause of your bloating.

• Too little exercise can lead to a sluggish intestine. The longer food remains in your intestines without being passed, the sooner this semi-digested food starts to ferment and gases form. You may have noticed that as soon as you go for a walk in the fresh air, the air simply escapes.
• Constant eating (snacking) leads to similar problems as described in the last point. If you eat again shortly after a meal, the previous meal has not yet been fully digested. As a result, food is left lying around, starts to ferment and gases form.
• Eating too quickly and gulping down the food leads to you swallowing air, which is then found in the intestines in the form of flatulence.
• In industrially produced food and infast food often contain additives that are difficult to digest, thickeners and usually a lot of sugar. Too much of this also leads to hyperacidity, which in turn slows down digestion and leads to further bloating.

For an initial overview of a gut-friendly diet, I recommend reading my blog article Tips for a healthy diet: 10 rules to help you get ahead.

Bloating foods and drinks - what you can do without

If you suffer from bloating, I recommend that you avoidtypical culprits such asleeks, onions, garlic, cabbage, pulses and stone fruit for the time being. Although these are healthy foods in principle, they can also have a bloating effect.
I will come to another problem below, namely the issue ofintolerances, so it may well be that milk, fructose or gluten can cause you to feel bloated. The best way to find out is to avoid these foods for 14 days and then test them again one by one.
What can also have a bloating effect istoo many raw vegetables andtoo much fiber such as whole grain products or seeds and certainprebiotic fibers such as inulin. That's why I recommend that you avoid eating salads, especially in the evening, and instead eat cooked vegetables and a little fiber-conscious.
I generally recommend that everyone avoidsproducts and drinks withsweeteners (including chewing gum, zero drinks and sugar-free sweets). I also advise you toavoid carbonated drinks,too much coffee and only a little alcohol if you suffer from bloating.little alcohol to drink.
Not food, but still worth mentioning: alsoSmoking messes up your bowels! If you have chronic intestinal problems, I strongly advise you to stop smoking.

Food intolerances - gluten intolerance, lactose intolerance or fructose intolerance

As already mentioned, food intolerances can also be a trigger for bloating.
If your intestines are intolerant to lactose, fructose or gluten, then the amount of food you eat doesn't really matter. I once had a customer who strictly followed all my dietary advice and bowel cleansing recommendations and still couldn't get rid of her bloating.
When I went through everything with her again, she told me that she still put a sip of milk in her coffee, but she thought that because it was so little milk, it certainly didn't matter.
I advised her to cut out the milk completely, even though it was so little, and within a few days her years of bloating were completely gone! Because of a small amount of milk.
Now you may be wondering how you can find out if you are intolerant to one or more of these substances (and yes, it's not uncommon to be intolerant to more than one). To diagnose it correctly, I would of course recommend an analysis by a doctor.
If you simply want to test whether you feel better if you leave out lactose, fructose and gluten, then I recommend, as described above, that youfor 14 days and then test them again individually. However, this only works if you really give up lactose and gluten completely.
Eliminating fructose completely is difficult. But I would certainly also make sure not to eat too much fruit.
Another indication could come from amicrobiome analysis could come from a microbiome analysis. I will come to this in the next section:

The non-negligible cause of flatulence: Dysbiosis in the gut

When researching this article, I noticed that most other articles don't talk about "the elephant in the room" at all:
If the intestinal environment is not right, it is not surprising that bloating occurs. For example, if thepH value in the intestine is too high, good, beneficial bacteria do not feel comfortable in the intestine. In addition, a pH value that is too high, i.e. too alkaline, means that food is not broken down properly.
It is not uncommon fortoo little stomach acid is present. As a result, too large pieces of food arrive in the intestine, are not digested properly, remain there and start to ferment, which then leads to gas production.
An unfavorable environment therefore leads to an imbalance in the distribution of bacteria and thus to digestive disorders, which can also lead to flatulence.

Medication and supplements can also lead to flatulence

There are various active ingredients in medications that have side effects such as acarbose, miglitol, diclofenac and antibiotics containing penicillin.
Antibiotics generally kill off good intestinal bacteria and increase the pH value in the intestine, so repeated courses of antibiotics without accompanying probiotics can also lead to bloating in the long term.
Alsosupplements such as inulin or psyllium husks can also cause flatulence. In addition, many supplements or shakes also contain sugar substitutes, additives, lactose or similar substances, which can also cause digestive sensitivity.
It is therefore important to take a close look at what you take every day.

What helps against flatulence

In summary, the first thing to do with flatulence is to find out what thecause(see the list above) and then to take the appropriate remedies.

First aid in acute cases

There are a few household remedies that can have a soothing effect on acute flatulence.

• Abdominal massagesJust as you do with small children, gently massage the tummy in a circular motion in a clockwise direction.
• Bed bottleor a warmed cherry stone cushion on the stomach: Warmth has a relaxing effect on the intestines.
• Warm compressesPlace a damp cloth between the bedpan and the abdomen. Potato compresses are also possible: boil the potatoes, mash them and place them on a cloth. Place the cloth with the warm mixture - not too hot, of course! - on the stomach and secure it with another cloth and a blanket.
• Variousmedicinal plants in the form of tea. These include, for example, fennel, aniseed, caraway and peppermint. The essential oils relieve intestinal cramps and ensure that intestinal gases escape unnoticed.
• Do notcarbonated drinks and alsodrinks that are too cold

General lifestyle measures to reduce or prevent bloating

• Regularly alsodigestion-promoting spices when cooking, such as caraway, ginger, coriander, turmeric, camomile and peppermint oil. All of these have a decongestant and antispasmodic effect.
• Pay attention to this,which foods trigger flatulence and it is best toavoid them for a while or at least reduce their consumption.
• Eat slowly and chew well. Healthy digestion starts in the mouth! Among other things, chewing thoroughly makes fiber more digestible for the body.
• Exercise regularly. This stimulates the movement of the intestines so that the food passes through the lower part of the digestive tract more quickly and does not remain there and start to ferment.
• Gladly alsowarm water especially in the morning after getting up and in the evening before going to bed.
• Do not smoke andno or little alcohol drink

Reduce stress. Mental stress can have a negative effect on the intestines and digestion and trigger flatulence.

Support the gut and liver

As flatulence can also occur more frequently with liver weakness and the liver is an important ally of the intestine, I recommend supporting this important organ withalkaline-rich foods such as vegetables and fruit, but also with bitter substances.
In addition, aintestinal cleansing or detoxification cure is certainly never wrong, because if you regenerate your intestinal mucosa and rebuild your intestinal barrier protection, then harmful substances can also be removed more easily and digestion normalizes.
In any case, aa gut-friendly and anti-inflammatory dietthe intake of dietary fibers such asacacia fibers and the use of products to build up the intestinal mucosa and support the intestinal environment, such asprobiotics and also selectedamino acids such as L-glutamine.

Relieve flatulence with supplements

At Arktis BioPharma, we pay great attention to the purity of our products and do not use any artificial additives, flavorings, colorings or preservatives. Almost none of our products contain lactose, gluten or other bloating ingredients.
The following products can help you to alleviate or get rid of your flatulence together with the measures described above.
The products in theBitter Elixircan not only support your liver but can also help to regulate the pH value in your intestines. This means that your food is digested better and there is less fermentation and therefore less gas during digestion. In addition, bitter contains a number of plant substances that relieve bloating and cramps.
Our fermented herbal drinkHerbal contains lactic acid-producing bacteria and is ideal for improving the digestibility of food and supporting your intestinal flora. Herbal also contains valuable herbs and plants that can counteract flatulence.
Cleavecontains substances from papaya and pineapple to help break down proteins better and improve digestion. The substances are also suspected of having an anti-inflammatory and circulation-promoting effect.
Numerous feedbacks confirm that ourGrow acacia fiber powder has no bloating side effects, as can often be the case with other dietary fibres such as inulin, psyllium husks or pectin. Acacia fibers help you to build up your intestinal mucosa and also regulate your digestion, resulting in less gas.
To provide additional external support for your liver, intestines and metabolism and also help you to relax, why not try a relaxing alkaline bath with our certified natural cosmeticBath Alkaline Bath.

Please contact us if you need further information and support!