Stomach bloating warning: Avoid drinking apple juice – here’s why
Easy Ways to Live Well: Steph McGovern discusses bloating
Stomach bloating is a common complaint whereby gas fills up your gastrointestinal tract. The GI tract is a series of hollow organs joined in a long, twisting tube from the mouth to the anus. With nowhere to turn, the gassy buildup is forced into the stomach.
A swollen tummy can usually be alleviated by shunning foods that are known to cause wind.
Some of these items are obvious, such as beans and cabbage, but there are also some surprising causes.
One of the seemingly healthy dietary decisions that can trigger stomach bloating is apple juice.
“This is because it contains sorbitol – a non-digestible type of sugar which is known to cause gastrointestinal distress in some people,” explains Holland and Barrett.
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Sorbitol is also used widely in many sugar-free products such as chewing gum and artificial sweetener.
Its prevalence in these products help to explain why they are commonly associated with bloating.
Sorbitol is also naturally present in fruits such as apples, peaches, and nectarines.
Other sugar-substitutes to be aware of are mannitol, lactitol, and xylitol.
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Other bloating triggers
If your stomach bloating persists, it may signal you have a food intolerance.
According to the NHS, good intolerance can lead to bloating when:
- Your bowel does not empty properly
- The food causes gas to be trapped
- Too much gas is produced as a reaction to the food.
“The most common foods to cause problems are wheat or gluten and dairy products,” explains the health body.
It adds: “The best approach if you have a food intolerance is to eat less of the problem food or cut it out completely.”
A common misconception is that allergies to bread trigger stomach bloating.
“Probably a third of patients in my allergy clinic complain of digestive symptoms such as bloating, diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach pain after eating bread,” said Isabel Skypala PhD, specialist allergy dietitian at the Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust.
She said that allergies are unlikely to be the culprit, but bread-related symptoms are real, and wheat could be to blame.
“Some people find certain foods are simply hard to digest, and wheat appears to be one of those,” she explained.
Nonetheless, the best approach if you have a food intolerance is to eat less of the problem food or cut it out completely, advises the NHS.
Another approach is to keep a food diary.
“Keep a food diary for a couple of weeks, noting everything that you eat and drink and when bloating troubles you most,” advises the NHS.
“But do not get rid of food groups long-term without advice from your GP.”
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