Tag: food intolerance testing

Stomach bloating after eating is quite common, but it could be a matter of concern in some cases. Between 10% and 25% of healthy individuals complain of occasional abdominal bloating. Statistics show that about 75% experience symptoms that range from moderate to severe. About 10% say they experience it regularly. Among those diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), it may be as much as 90% {1}. Up to 75% of women experience bloating before and during their period. Only 50% of people who experience bloating also report a distended abdomen.

Bloating is when you feel tightness, fullness, or pressure in your stomach. Some people have bloating accompanied by a swollen stomach while others don’t. When bloated, it can either be intensely painful or mildly uncomfortable. In most cases, bloating goes away after a while, while in others, it tends to be a recurring problem, especially if they have other underlying conditions. The most common causes of recurring bloating are digestive issues and hormone fluctuations.

What causes stomach bloating after eating?

Many foods and conditions can result in your stomach bloating after eating. Most of the time, it’s not a matter of concern, and all you need to do is adjust your diet. Below we will explain the possible causes of a bloated stomach after eating and explain further how to prevent them. Stomach bloating issues could be as simple as eating too much food way too fast or more complicated issues like intolerance and digestive issues.

Excessive fbire intake

Fibre is a plant-based carbohydrate that helps in various functions in the body, such as regulating blood sugar levels and sugar consumption. However, fibre cannot be digested, which, when taken in excessive amounts, produces too much gas, which results in stomach pain and bloating after eating. A heart-healthy diet is supposed to have enough fibre. To have high amounts of fibre without feeling constipated, you need to gradually increase your fibre intake, allowing your body to adjust. According to research, reducing fibre in a diet can relieve bloating. Foods high in fibre include:

• Beans
• Whole grain oats
• Fruits, such as apples and oranges
• Lentils
• Split peas
• Broccoli
• Brussel sprouts

Food intolerances and food allergies

Bloating and stomach pain after eating is a common symptom of food intolerance or allergy. It is especially common in all food intolerances. When your body rejects or reacts to any food you consume due to allergies or intolerances, it leads to gas production in the gastrointestinal tract and gets trapped, leading to bloating. The biggest culprits of bloating are gluten and wheat. If you have an intolerance to either or both, you will most likely have symptoms of stomach bloating and pain after eating.

To get a clarification on which foods are causing you to have these symptoms, you can get yourself an intolerance test online. If you aren’t sure whether this could be because of bloating or allergies, you can get an Allergy and Intolerance Test that will give you a list of foods you’re either allergic or intolerant to. Avoiding these foods or the intolerances and limiting them, you won’t experience stomach bloating after eating.

Fatty foods

You need fats since they are a necessary part of a balanced diet, which means sticking to mostly unsaturated healthy fats from nuts, seeds, and avocado. Your body needs these healthy fats to make cell walls, nerve tissue (like your brain), and hormones. The side effect of eating fats is that they take longer to digest, so the fats move slowly through the digestive tract, and if you’ve consumed too many fats, you’ll end up bloated. You’ll mostly find that your stomach will feel like it wants to burst out of your clothes after eating a meal loaded with fried foods. Overall, reducing fried foods from your diet can improve your digestion and overall health. Even though fats are an important energy source, it is better to consume healthy fats.

Fructose

It is difficult for the body to break down fructose compared to other sugars. Because of its difficulty breaking down this type of sugar, it results in gas, bloating, and pain. Fructose is naturally found in dried fruit, onions, honey, and garlic. In processed foods, you may find some foods contain this sugar, causing digestive issues like bloating.

Weight gain

If you’ve recently added ten pounds or more, you may notice that you get a little more constipated than usual{2}. That’s because, when you gain weight, most of it settles around your belly, taking up space and leaving little space for the stomach to expand. So, when you gain weight, it hinders your normal digestive processes as there won’t be enough space for digestion to take place well. At times, weight gain can also result in water retention, making you feel bloated with fluids in your stomach and elsewhere.

Consuming too much salt

If you have a heavy hand when putting salt in your food, that could be what causes stomach bloating after eating. Even though your body needs salt, people consume more salt than is necessary most of the time. Excessive salt causes the body to hold onto water, resulting in long-term health issues like high blood pressure. Always check your foods for sodium levels since most fast foods come already seasoned. When cooking at home, you can avoid using too much salt by adding flavorful herbs. It would be best to reduce the amount of packaged processed foods you consume.

Limit carbonated drinks

The bubbles in champagne, beer, and soda are mostly gas which is a major culprit of bloating. As you consume these drinks, the carbon dioxide gas present in them builds up in your body which can easily lead to bloating, especially if you drink them hastily. Sometimes you may burp, but there will remain some gas, and once it enters your digestive system, it stays there until you pass it. Most carbonated drinks are also full of sugar which may retain water, further making you feel bloated. The best way to reduce the consumption of these drinks is by drinking water instead.

Eating too fast

Normally, we swallow air when eating food. But if you eat it quickly, you will keep swallowing more air, leading to gas retention. Like carbonated drinks, once gas enters your intestines, there’s no going back until you pass it. Meanwhile, you’ll feel bloated. It takes your stomach approximately twenty minutes to send a message to your brain saying that you’re full. So, before this message is passed along, you will have already overate and feel bloated. To beat bloating, you should take your time when eating a meal.

FODMAPs

These are carbohydrates digested near the end of your intestine, where bacteria feed on them. Since all bodies are different, this may cause fluid and gas buildup, bloating, and stomach cramps in some people. FODMAPs are in some grains, dairy, vegetables, and fruits. Some people experience stomach pain and bloating after eating foods labelled as FODMAPs.

Hormones

Premenstrual syndrome, also known as PMS, can cause some side effects in women like achiness, tiredness, and irritability the week before periods. PMS also makes the body retain water which often results in you feeling bloated. Most women report experiencing bloating before or during the periods because of hormonal fluctuations. When oestrogen spikes and progesterone decreases in the body, you will notice much bloating since oestrogen causes fluid retention. During the menstrual period, the uterus size increases, taking up space and causing bloating.

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)

This condition occurs when there is an overflow of gut bacteria from the colon to the small intestine. The overgrowth of this bacteria tends to overwhelm the other bacteria meant to balance it out. Some of the bacteria are to absorb gases produced by the others. But when there is an imbalance, this cycle is thrown out of balance. When suffering from SIBO, you will most likely experience stomach bloating after eating very little, and sometimes your stomach will bloat for no reason whatsoever.

How to prevent stomach bloating after eating

If your stomach bloating is caused by foods you’ve eaten and not underlying illnesses, there are various ways you can help your body dispose of the food and clear bloating. Bloating caused by hormonal issues and food tend to ease up within a few hours or even days. Constipation won’t clear up until you’ve pooped. Exercise, water, and certain herbal teas may help you poop and get rid of bloating. There are various ways to relieve bloating. These include:

• Herbal teas- Some herbal teas like peppermint, ginger, chamomile, turmeric, and fennel can help aid digestion and process gas. Dandelion tea will help you relieve water retention if you have water retention.
• Antacids are great for relieving inflammation in the digestive tract, helping you pass gas easily. Antacids often contain active ingredients like simethicone which helps group small gas bubbles together and eventually leads to passing this gas.
• Probiotics are great for rebalancing gut bacteria. Some probiotics will help you digest food better and even absorb excess gas. You must take the probiotics consistently for a few days or weeks to notice a difference.
• Peppermint oil is naturally antispasmodic, which means they help your intestinal muscles relax. When your intestinal muscles have relaxed, you can easily pass poop and gas. It is especially good for you if you’re suffering from motility issues.
• Psyllium husks are a fibre supplement that you can use to help you poop regularly. When getting started on these supplements, you need to drink lots of water and introduce them gradually.
• Magnesium supplements are good at relaxing intestinal muscles and neutralizing stomach acid.
• Regular exercise, especially focusing on your core, will help you become stronger and combat abdominal bloating.

Final thoughts on stomach bloating after eating

Even though bloating is quite common, it can sometimes be a sign of an underlying condition. You need to see your doctor as soon as you can so they can determine whether you have any underlying issues that may be causing excessive bloating. Otherwise, if you can’t find any underlying diseases and only experience stomach bloating after eating very little (and maybe specific foods), it may be due to food intolerance. It is common to have symptoms like gas, constipation, and bloating when you have a food intolerance. Get yourself an Intolerance Test kit today to know which specific foods you need to avoid if you want to curb bloating.

References

1. Lacy BE, Cangemi D, Vazquez-Roque M. Management of Chronic Abdominal Distension and Bloating. (https://www.cghjournal.org/article/S1542-3565(20%2930433-X/fulltext) Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. 2021;19:219-231. Accessed 8/6/2021.
2.  Sullivan, SM. Functional Abdominal Bloating with Distention. (https://www.hindawi.com/journals/isrn/2012/721820/) International Scholarly Research Notices. 2012;721820. Accessed 8/6/2021.

Food intolerance happens when your digestive system is sensitive to certain foods and can’t tolerate them. Food intolerances affect around 15-20% of the population {1}. Most of the time, you will find that food intolerances are rampant in people suffering from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), where most people who have IBS tend to suffer from food intolerances.

Sometimes people believe a food intolerance or sensitivity is the same as an allergy even though the two are completely different. Food allergies stem from the immune system, while food intolerances affect the digestive system. According to research, it is also evident that more women suffer from food intolerance compared to men {2}. We will discuss the symptoms of food intolerance, including potential causes and how to get a diagnosis.

Food intolerance symptoms

The severity of food intolerance symptoms varies from one person to the other. When it comes to food intolerance, the amount of food that one consumes determines the severity of the symptoms. Symptoms of food intolerance take a while to emerge. It may take several hours to occur after eating the food and may last up to several days or hours. Some food intolerance symptoms may overlap with those of food allergy. The most known symptoms of food intolerance include:

• Abdominal pain
• Nausea
• Bloating and gas
• Diarrhoea
• Stomach upset
• Migraine and headache
• Runny nose
• Malaise, which is a feeling of being under the weather
• Skin rashes and itching

How long do food intolerance symptoms last?

Most of the time, after you’ve eaten the offending food, it can take between a few hours for the symptoms to set in. but in other cases, the symptoms may take up to a few days to show. It gets hard to pinpoint the offending food since you’d have eaten various meals in such cases. It is important to note that food intolerance symptoms can be delayed for up to 48 hours.

When you consume a food that your digestive system is sensitive toward, the symptoms will take some time to pass. These symptoms will pass when the food you’re sensitive to is out of your system.

What causes food intolerance?

Experts aren’t sure why there are people who develop food intolerances. But the most common reason is that their bodies can’t make enough of a certain enzyme that helps break down food or a specific ingredient. For example, people with lactose intolerance lack a necessary enzyme called lactase to digest a specific food. Over the years, the number of people suffering from food intolerances has risen.

What experts are sure of is that some illnesses increase your chances of suffering from food intolerances like:

• Celiac disease
• Inflammatory bowel syndrome
• Crohn’s disease
• Ulcerative colitis

There are common food intolerances. These include:

1. Lactose intolerance- Lactose is a sugar found in milk and dairy products. When your body lacks the enzyme lactase to break down lactose sugar, you become lactose intolerant. The enzyme lactase is supposed to break down lactose sugars into small molecules for easy absorption into the body. The symptoms of lactose intolerance are similar to any other food intolerance symptoms.
2. Fructose intolerance- Fructose is a simple sugar present in vegetables, fruits, and sweeteners like honey, corn syrup, and agave. When fructose intolerance results from a lack of certain enzymes, that means it’s hereditary. Most of the time, fructose intolerance results from the body lacking a certain protein that allows it to absorb sugar from the intestines. When someone has fructose intolerance, the fructose in foods ferments in the gut, leading to fullness, gas, cramps, diarrhoea, and gas.
3. Gluten intolerance and Celiac disease- Gluten is a name for proteins found in cereals like tye, wheat, and barley. Celiac disease is an autoimmune response to you consuming gluten. However, the symptoms of gluten intolerance, wheat intolerance/allergy, and celiac disease all have similar symptoms. The way these diseases affect the body varies, but it all leads to eliminating the culprits from the diet. For example, with celiac disease and gluten intolerance, one has to remove gluten from their diet, while with wheat allergy or intolerance, one has to eliminate wheat from their diet.
4. Salicylate intolerance- Salicylates are compounds found in vegetables, fruits, spices, and herbs. Salicylates are also present in artificial flavouring and preservatives. Most of the time, people can tolerate salicylates in moderate amounts. However, some people have a reduced intolerance and can’t consume items like chewing gum, candies, or toothpaste that contain salicylates.
5. Food poisoning- Sometimes, naturally occurring chemicals can cause a toxic effect resulting in intolerance symptoms. For example, when you eat beans that aren’t fully cooked, it can cause digestive issues since it contains aflatoxins when not fully cooked. On the other hand, the ingestion of certain types of spoiled fish can lead to scombroid fish poisoning since it contains high levels of histamines. High levels of histamines in foods mimic allergic reactions.

Food intolerance diagnosis

If you think you might have an intolerance to any foods in your diet due to the repetition of certain food intolerance symptoms, then you may need to talk to your doctor. Your doctor will help you eliminate any underlying diseases or conditions that could cause the repeat of these symptoms. Once you see a repeat of the symptoms afterwards, you can get yourself an Intolerance Test.

An intolerance test will help you know what foods you’re intolerant towards. After you realize that you may be intolerant to certain foods, you will need to eliminate them from your diet with the help of your doctor, and you both can work out a way to reintroduce them back into your diet and make your body tolerant to them again. Being intolerant to many foods in your diet can be difficult as it limits what you can and cannot eat. But a nutritionist will help you realize which supplements you should take to help you prevent any deficiencies.

Sometimes it gets difficult to diagnose food intolerance based on the symptoms because of how similar food intolerance symptoms are to IBS. Of course, a doctor can let you know the difference, and that’s why we recommend you visit a doctor first to rule out such a diagnosis before you start checking food intolerance.

The type of test we use in our labs to check for intolerances measures the levels of IgG antibodies in your blood. If the antibodies are high when introduced to certain allergens, then that means you’re intolerant to that food.

How to treat or manage food intolerance symptoms

The best way for people with intolerance to live free from food intolerance and symptoms is by avoiding the problematic foods by completely cutting them from their diet. Once you’ve known the foods that cause intolerance symptoms, eliminate them from your diet. You can keep a food diary to ensure you don’t consume them at all.

However, some people can tolerate small amounts of the culprit foods in their diet without causing any food intolerance symptoms. But if you suffer from food intolerance symptoms, you can get over-the-counter medicines like antacids or antidiarrheals to help. But if you have specific intolerances like lactose, you can buy lactase enzymes from the store. Lactase pills can be consumed with milk to help break the milk sugars down for easy absorption without any complications. Alternatively, you can drink lactose-free milk.

Final thoughts on food intolerance

Food intolerances tend to be lifelong. You can easily manage the symptoms by cutting back on the problematic foods or consuming them in trace amounts. Even though food intolerances are inconvenient, they aren’t life-threatening. You can also take supplements to aid digestion. Otherwise, if you have food intolerance symptoms and are unsure which food is the culprit, you can purchase your Intolerance Test today and have it delivered to your home within three days. Afterwards, you will get your results within a week of sending your sample back to the lab. You don’t need to live with these symptoms when it is easy to know which foods you need to eliminate from your diet.

References

1. Lomer, M. C. E. (2015). The aetiology, diagnosis, mechanisms and clinical evidence for food intolerance. Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics, 41(3), 262-275. Source: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/apt.13041
2. Young, E., Stoneham, M. D., Petruckevitch, A., Barton, J., & Rona, R. (1994). A population study of food intolerance. The Lancet, 343(8906), 1127-1130. Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0140673694902348

Dairy consumption is high worldwide, in that up to 36% of people drink two to three glasses of milk daily. Dairy is recommended as part of a healthy diet because of how nutritious and beneficial it can be. However, dairy can have negative side effects on you, especially if you’re casein intolerant. Casein is a protein present in milk and other dairy products that contain high amounts of protein. The most common type of intolerance we link to dairy milk is lactose intolerance which has similar symptoms to casein intolerance. Casein intolerance tends to result in gastrointestinal symptoms {1}.

Causes of casein intolerance

Most food intolerances result from the body reacting to the proteins present in those foods or the body lacking the enzymes to break down certain proteins. The main cause for casein intolerance symptoms is the body’s reaction to casein protein. You will find casein in dairy foods containing high proteins like cheese, kefir, ice cream, and yoghurt. But when it comes to dairy products like butter and ghee, people with casein intolerance can still tolerate these products.

But if you’re allergic to casein, you should stay away from aunty foods that contain even trace amounts of this protein. Casein intolerance is the body’s reaction to casein protein by releasing IgG antibodies. The symptoms of casein intolerance tend to get delayed for up to 72 hours sometimes, whereas allergy symptoms always show up almost immediately. People have casein intolerance because casein accounts for 80% of proteins in cow’s milk, in contrast with 40% in human milk. So, humans can’t tolerate high levels of casein.

What are the symptoms of casein intolerance?

Casein intolerance symptoms vary in severity from one person to the next. Because our bodies take a while to digest casein, the symptoms can delay for up to a few days, which makes it difficult to figure out what you’re intolerant to. But the most common symptoms of casein intolerance you’ll observe include:

• Diarrhoea, gas, and constipation 
• Stomach ache, bloating, and cramps
• Hives, eczema, and rashes
• Joint pain and fatigue
• Behavioural changes

Casein intolerance vs lactose intolerance

These two relate to each other because they both stem from consuming dairy products. Lactose is a carbohydrate (milk sugar) found in milk, while casein is a protein found in milk. The two vary because of the way the intolerance symptoms show up. Even though the symptoms are similar, the body reactivity isn’t the same. Casein intolerance occurs because the body finds it difficult to break down the protein, thus causing an inflammatory response by reeling IgG antibodies.

But in the case of lactose intolerance, the symptoms occur because the body lacks the necessary enzyme (lactase) to break down lactose sugar {2}. So, even though these two conditions stem from dairy products and have similar symptoms, the body reacts differently to the casein and lactose, leading to lactose or casein intolerance.

Foods to avoid with casein intolerance

Casein intolerance symptoms aren’t life-threatening, but they can be super uncomfortable and make your life difficult. Once you’ve realized that you have casein intolerance, you should avoid foods like:

• Whey
• Protein powder
• Powdered milk
• Dairy cream
• Custard
• Dairy cheese
• Artificial butter flavour
• Artificial cheese flavour
• Cow’s milk
• Yoghurt
• Protein powder
• Kefir

Foods alternatives for casein intolerance

Most, but not all, dairy products contain casein. For example, the above list contains dairy products that are rich in casein. However, some dairy products like cream and butter contain very little amounts of casein, and people who aren’t severely tolerant to this protein can tolerate it. Even though one can consume these two in small amounts and not get casein intolerance symptoms, it is not advisable for those with severe symptoms to consume them.

Another dairy product that you can consume is ghee. Ghee is clarified butter and doesn’t contain casein, making it safe for those with casein intolerance to consume it. If you need dairy-free milk, you can always purchase nut milk like:

• Almond milk
• Soy milk
• Hemp milk
• Rice milk
• Coconut milk
• Oat milk

When you eliminate casein from your diet, you will also eliminate some of the foods with the highest calcium level, like milk, yoghurt, and cheese. So, it will be best if you find other calcium-rich foods to replace them. You can try:

• Soy products
• Green leafy vegetables
• Dried fruits
• Homemade bone broth (with fresh bones and a splash of vinegar to leach minerals from the bone).

Even though it will be hard at first to consume dairy-free meals, you will get used to it after a couple of days, especially since those casein intolerance symptoms pass and you feel much better. You can always prepare your favourite meals like lasagna and cheese but without cheese or using vegan cheese. Vegan cheese doesn’t contain any dairy. You can also still have your favourite ice cream, but take the vegan version, which is in plenty in the market these days.

Casein intolerance test

If you get casein intolerance symptoms after consuming any dairy products frequently, you will need to take an Intolerance Test to determine the verdict. Since lactose and casein have similar symptoms, it will be nice to get a test so you can know exactly what you should look out for when reading food labels. An intolerance test is easy to purchase online, and all that’s required on your part is to collect the sample and send it back to the labs for the testing to occur. The test will check for casein and other common intolerances that you could come across in your food and environment.

Once you get your results and you have casein intolerance, you’ll need to eliminate dairy products from your diet for a couple of weeks, and if you want to try introducing them back to your diet in order to build tolerance, talk to your doctor so that they can help with this process. Otherwise, you can choose to keep away from casein, and the symptoms won’t reappear.

Casein intolerance treatment

Just like any other intolerance, you can build a tolerance for casein with your doctor, although the best way to keep the symptoms away for good is by avoiding anything with casein. If you consume casein accidentally, it is advisable to take over-the-counter antihistamines or antacids to help relieve the symptoms. Otherwise, you should be very careful when grocery shopping to ensure that you don’t purchase items containing this milk protein.

When eating out or at a friend’s place, you need to explain your intolerance to them to get casein-free food options. This may seem like too much work, but it will keep you from suffering casein intolerance symptoms which are problematic and can interfere with the quality of your life. You won’t want to go back after you’ve stayed for a while without any casein intolerance symptoms because of how great you’ll feel.

Final thoughts on casein intolerance

Since it’s difficult to narrow down your symptoms to casein intolerance, it is advisable to get yourself an Intolerance Test, which will help you determine whether you’re suffering from this intolerance. Once you confirm your results to be positive, you can start eliminating this milk protein from your diet to relieve your symptoms. After you’ve adopted a casein-free or dairy-free diet, you will feel so much better, and the quality of your life will improve. These days, it’s easy adopting a casein-free diet because you will find alternatives to all the dairy products you love, which won’t result in negative side effects.

References

1. Pal, S., Woodford, K., Kukuljan, S., & Ho, S. (2015). Milk intolerance, beta-casein and lactose. Nutrients, 7(9), 7285-7297. Source: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/7/9/5339
2. Swagerty Jr, D. L., Walling, A., & Klein, R. M. (2002). Lactose intolerance. American family physician, 65(9), 1845. Source: https://www.aafp.org/afp/2002/0501/p1845.html?ref=Guzels.TV