Extreme Bloating!

[Katester]

I've noticed that whenever I eat straight up eggs I get very bloated. That's with omelets, scrambled eggs-things like that. Since yesterday I have been very very bloated but I don't know why. Does anyone else have this problem? I had Tinkyada pasta with red sauce and homemade gluten-free cornbread for dinner. I've been having fruit smoothies and fruit juices lately to get extra calories. I feel huge even though I'm very much underweight. Is this common? What causes it?

[cindy lou]

Katester,

I often deal with extreme bloating- I waddle like I'm pregnant with triplets (I weight 98 lbs, 5'6" tall), it is miserable! I can ask the obvious questions like- is your whole kitchen gluten-free? Does this include old cooking utensils? I had to replace all my plastic, wood, etc with glass, stainless steel, and new bamboo cutting boards since I continued to get sick even after "eating" gluten-free. Are you sure about your red sauce? Is it fresh or canned? Sometimes "spices" on the label are not your friend, that's what I've found. Also, try adding a bit of good fat (virgin coconut, ground flax, etc) to your fruit smoothies along with some protein (I don't recommend soy or dairy). These can help with the fruit digestion and vitamin absorption. You are sure you don't have any other intolerances/allergies? I have heard of others having many issues with certain fruits, etc. I wish you the best, sorry I can't be more help right now. I think your aim of eating healthy, lighter foods is good to help your impaired digestion adapt. Your reaction to eggs might also be a lingering reaction in addition to your immediate reaction. I'd cut them out and check your cornbread, any gluten-free mixes, etc for all egg product.

[ShayFL]

Like you guys...I am skinny. I went through some horrible bloating for a few weeks after going gluten-free. One night I almost went to the ER. I looked 6 months pregnant. And it hurt and I couldnt breath easily. Gas Ex hardly touched it.

Anyway....I have been taking Intestive, PepZin GI, Probiotics and Digestive Enzymes and NO MORE BLOATING!! I am so relieved. So very relieved. Thought I would share this.

[AliB]

It's interesting that you are taking digestive enzymes Shay. I have been looking into the effects of low stomach acid and how it impacts on digestion and on the body and our health, in general.

Apparently, if those for whom this is a problem supplement with Betaine then normal enzyme activity should resume, as the enzymes are triggered by stomach acid levels.

If we do not have enough stomach acid then incomplete digestion of proteins occurs which means that a lot of the protein goes straight through rather than being able to be utilised for cell repair and renewal. If the body cannot repair itself properly then leaky gut becomes a problem and we find ourselves unable to tolerate a lot of different foods.

At the moment I can cope with little fruit apart from blueberries, unless it is cooked or dried. I had the same problem with eggs after my digestion collapsed in January, but gradually I have been able to cope with them and can eat them now without problems. Today I had some Emmenthal type cheese and coped with that so am hopeful that I will gradually be able to resume dairy eventually. I still can't cope with carbs, though and my digestion is better off without them as I know eating them will only delay my recovery even further.

It is slow progress but the closer I stick to the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, the better I get. I am now supplementing with Betaine and hope that things will improve even more. In the brilliant 'Gut and Psychology Syndrome' book, Dr. Campbell-McBride suggests taking 200 - 300mg of Betaine and 100mg of Pepsin with each meal. I am having to take 3 or 4 tablets rather than the 1 suggested on the bottle, in order to supply that amount! I'll let you know how it works......

[ShayFL]

I had SEVERE low stomach acid shortly after my DD was born 12 years ago. If I ate anything with protein...it felt like someone was stabbing me all the way through my intestines. Horrifying pain really. I was so desperate one night at 3 am, alone as Hubby was overseas and with a newborn. So much pain, all I could do was call a 24 hour prayer line. I went vegetarian naturally. Then I went to a health food store and read some books and bought some HCL. 2 tabs with each protein meal did the trick. No more pain.....over time I weaned off of them and could digest protein fine. I wonder if a little could help now. The enzymes I take dont have HCL. I have no pain digesting protein.

Sorry...didnt mean to hijack the thread.

But maybe bloat could be related and others can find a gem of wisdom somewhere in here.

[home-based-mom]

I've noticed that whenever I eat straight up eggs I get very bloated. That's with omelets, scrambled eggs-things like that. Since yesterday I have been very very bloated but I don't know why. Does anyone else have this problem? I had Tinkyada pasta with red sauce and homemade gluten-free cornbread for dinner. I've been having fruit smoothies and fruit juices lately to get extra calories. I feel huge even though I'm very much underweight. Is this common? What causes it?

Tinkyada is made with brown rice which causes me to bloat.

[AliB]

The bloating is due to rogue bacteria feeding on incompletely digested carbohydrates. The gas is a by-product of the bacterial activity. They are not digested properly because there are not enough enzymes. There are not enough enzymes because the stomach acid is low - it may be enough to partially digest protein but not enough to trigger enough enzymes to digest the carbs. If it is low then pathogenic bacteria can get a foothold in the stomach and the bacteria can themselves reduce or even stifle stomach acid production. If the stomach is inflamed, mucous is produced and that in itself may limit the amount of acid coming into the stomach.

It is a vicious cycle. Supplementing with acid can help to reverse the cycle and get the bacteria under control. Unlike some cultures, in the 'West' we do not consume much in the way of fermented foods like good natural probiotic yogurt or sauerkraut to daily replenish the good bacteria. Yogurts usually come dead as a dodo and packed full of sugar and other toxic ingredients.

There will always be a little gas production after eating but it would be minimal within a good balanced gut. If we have excessive bloating that is a sure sign that our glut flora is out of balance and occupied by rogue bacteria. External indications that yeasts are a problem for instance is dandruff, athlete's foot, the disgustingly named 'jock' itch, thrush, tinea outbreaks, etc.

The SCD addresses all of this. Natasha Campbell-McBride does not recommend supplements. Not only can they end up feeding some of the bacteria, making them even stronger, but they may interfere with the healing process too. So little is known about them and what our bodies need - we can end up under supplementing with some nutrients and being over-supplemented with others. Some nutrients can end up competing for absorption sites within the gut causing further deficiency. She feels that it is better to get the digestion and gut healed and working properly so that we can then absorb what is needed from the food we eat, as long as we are eating healthily.

She has found this to work well within her practice. Usually, once the digestion is working properly all the underlying deficiencies go away. Hippocrates said 2,500 years ago that 'all diseases begin in the gut'. What was true then is just as true today. He set the pattern as the 'father' of medicine. Unfortunately that is one area that modern science has completely overlooked.

[boron]

It is FRUCTOSE MALABSORPTION which many people (and doctors!) are not aware of.

@Katester...it may just be that fruit smoothies which may be a problem. Eggs could be a problem in fat malabsorption, but this would go with obvious intestinal/pancreatic/gallbladder disease. Eggs allergy is common in children.