Stomach Bloating

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Continuation of the main page of the section on stomach bloating.

Some recent research has shown that the stomach actually gets full about 20 minutes before it sends an "I'm full now" message to the brain. So it can be fairly easy gobble up more of mom's mashed potatoes, an extra slice of pie, or another glass of egg nog before you realize there's not really room for it.

But overeating isn't the only reason stomach bloating occurs.

Sometimes the stomach has difficulty digesting the food we put in it.

This typically happens we eat so many different types of food that the digestive system can't handle it all at once.

Some nutritionists believe your stomach works best when you only eat foods that are all processed in the same manner by the digestive system. Mixing them all together can cause something of an overload.

Stomach bloating can also be caused because our stomachs can't tolerate certain kinds of food at all. "Lactose intolerance," for instance, is a condition in which the stomach cannot properly digest most dairy products.

Types of food that often cause stomach bloating include

• fiber from vegetables, fruits and beans.
• carbonated drinks.
• alcoholic beverages.
• processed foods and salt.
• lack of protein in your diet
• fatty food, especially in large quantities, takes longer to move through the stomach and into the intestine,
• eating too many wheat products can cause stomach bloating. Gluten, a protein present in wheat and bread, may cause a burning sensation and gassiness.

There may be other causes of stomach bloating too, like

• being allergic to certain foods
• diseases that cause gastrointestinal obstruction or inflammation, including Crohn's disease or colon cancer
• contraceptive pills may cause a bloated feeling

Regardless of the cause, stomach bloating can be unpleasant, and can result in unpleasant consequences like gassiness and diarrhea.

Related article: Treatment and Prevention of Bloated Stomach

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