Bloating stretches the belly, making it seem as though you’ve piled on the pounds. And, if it happens often, it can be misleading. One dietician recommends one natural remedy to break the illusion.
Brigham Health explained that bloating occurs when air is trapped in the small bowel or colon (large bowel).
The intestines
The intestines is a muscular tube which extends from the lower stomach to the anus.
Food and the products of digestion move from the small intestine to the large intestine.
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The small intestines have three parts: the duodenum, jejunum and ileum.
In short, the duodenum takes semi-digested food and uses bile to help digest food further.
From there, the jejunum carries food rapidly, with wave-like contractions to the ileum.
At the ileum, nutrients from the food is absorbed, and the liquid food is transported to the large bowel.
The purpose of the large bowel is to absorb water and salts from the material that hasn’t been digested, and to get rid of the waste.
Brigham Health noted: “Intestinal gas is made up of oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen and methane.”
The first three gases contribute to the discomfort associated with bloating.
Dietician Natalie Egan suggests one natural remedy to beat the bloat – chamomile tea.
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Chamomile tea
Chamomile is a herb from which daisy-like flowers sprout.
These flowers are then dried and steeped in water to make chamomile tea.
This warming beverage can be swapped with a builder’s tea to help beat the bloat.
However, do not take yours with milk – hot water and a chamomile tea bag is all you need.
Another herbal tea recommended by the dietician is peppermint tea.
As with chamomile tea, only hot water and a peppermint tea bag is needed to enjoy this brew.
The Human Nutrition Research Center at Tufts University explored the link between peppermint tea and its potential health benefits.
Reviewing clinical trials, the research team found that peppermint tea relaxes the gut.
This, in effect, can relieve bloating and the pain that comes with it.
Dietician Natalie Egan stressed the importance of good eating habits to prevent bloating in the first place.
She suggests to eat slowly, and to consume smaller, more frequent meals.
Egan added that it also helps to take a stroll after eating.
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