Bloating is an encoded message

That side-on selfie says it all. These flow into my inbox regularly along with a plea to ‘please help me!’

When bloating happens, it can feel like it has come out of nowhere. The waistband on your outfit becomes too tight.

You feel squeamish, uncomfortable and a bit perplexed and wonder ’how did this happen?’

The negative impacts of bloating

It is not only uncomfortable but can also cause a sense of embarrassment, possibly even hindering our social calendars.

Has bloating ever caused you to refuse those invitations because you know it’s a disaster waiting to happen?

What many people may not realise is that the negative impacts of bloating impact more than just your social life though.

Let’s talk about what is really going on.

Cracking the code

From a gut health perspective, bloating is an encoded message and we have to crack that code to get your gut back on track.

This is not just about damage control; it’s about addressing what is happening upstream so that damage control is hardly ever needed.

Gut bacteria, fibre and bloating

You see it is all about what you are fermenting and the bacteria that are not present. Those missing bacteria are supposed to be dealing with the fibres in the foods you eat.

As always, we are looking for the sweet spot – that threshold – which tells us that everything is in balance.

Yes, bloating is an encoded message which is also the red flag that means you are out of balance and your digestive tolerance threshold has been exceeded. It’s time to address those fibres and nurture your gut.

The solution to bloating

The truth about bloating is you can’t handle all the fibres you are consuming.

It’s time to give your gut the chance to build the much-needed bacteria that do this vital job, that is, firstly your Bacteroides and secondly your Eubacteria as well.

Geek alert – here is some science coming at you.

The roles of Bacteroides and Eubacteria

Facts about Bacteroides

• Bacteroides should be the most abundant anaerobe present in the colon accounting for 90% of the bacteria present there

• Bacteroides protect the fragile inner surface of the gut, to prevent us from becoming unwell from nasties such as Salmonella

• There is no probiotic available which contains Bacteroides as they cannot exist outside the gut

• We have to eat the right foods to feed the varied subspecies of Bacteroides and keep their levels high

• Bacteroides are gram-negative bacteria that are responsible for fat burning

• They are also the key bacteria responsible for producing the short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) from vegetable fibers – a range of between six to seven species provides a great start

• SCFAs are a major source of fuel for the colonocytes

• Bacteroides are important for fat emulsification

Facts about Eubacteria

• The second most abundant anaerobic bacteria that need to be present are the Eubacteria

• Eubacteria provide the other necessary part of fat emulsification and absorption

Other important considerations

• Bacteroides and Eubacteria are like the right and left hand, both these guys are needed inside the human digestive system – a lack of one of these major players will alert me to fat malabsorption, which will play out as cholesterol issues and hormonal dysregulation among other things

• Unfortunately, many probiotic supplements contain key bacteria that can also be in overgrowth and contribute to digestive symptoms

• If you’ve been taking a probiotic for some time and are experiencing any symptoms, try coming off the probiotic for a while, especially if you’ve been relying on the probiotic to keep digestive symptoms at bay

Next, I share my checklist for giving our Bacteroides a leg up as a way to deal with bloating upstream.

Here are my tips

1. Alkalise – because these guys are gram-negative they need an alkaline environment so let’s give them what they want and need

2. Reduce the insoluble fibres that are making all the fermentation happen

3. Concentrate on mainly soluble fibres for 1 week, as well as following recommendations for a FODMAP-friendly eating plan

4. After 1 week, slowly introduce insoluble fibre – but very very slowly to keep an eye on that threshold-

Your body is giving you signals all the time. Listen in, respond with some action, and you will be rewarded with ease and flow because you addressed the cause upstream.