3 Answers

Bloating causes many people to feel uncomfortable and become upset. However, having gas in the body is normal. The average person has 1 to 4 pints of gas in the body during a typical day, according to the National Institutes of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Many reasons for bloating exist; some causes are preventable and others are not.

Too Much Food
Eating too much food at a single meal or throughout the day may cause bloating because the body may struggle to digest a large load of food. After a large meal, some food may move through the system partially undigested, which leads to bloating.

Constipation
Constipation may lead to an excess amount of gas and bloating, according to the National Institutes of Health. When the body holds onto waste for longer than average periods, gases may build up and cause painful bloating.

Fructose
Fructose is a common sweetener ingredient used in soda and fruit beverages. It is also present in sugar-free products and fruits such as apples, prunes, pears and peaches. Fructose intake may cause bloating. Many sugar-free candies and gum may cause bloating because they contain fructose.

High-Fiber Foods
High-fiber foods typically only break down when they reach the large intestine. Beans, fruits, oat bran and peas are typical examples of fiber-rich foods. The digestive process for these fiber-rich foods may cause gas and bloating. The ingredient raffinose (a type of sugar) in beans contributes to the delayed digestion of this food.

Lactose
The lactose in milk, ice cream, cheese and commercially prepared foods like cereal, salad dressings, and bread causes bloating and gas in some people. People with low levels of lactase, an enzyme that breaks down lactose, may experience higher levels of gas after consuming foods with lactose.

Large Intestine Digestion
Potatoes, wheat, corn and pasta are starchy foods that may cause bloating. These foods are digested mostly in the large intestine and thus produce gas.

Some carbohydrates are not fully broken down in the small intestine. Then, as they move into the large intestine, they are more fully digested and gases are created. This leads to possible bloating.
Ascites
When the body holds fluids (ascites) it may cause a bloated feeling. Fluid retention may occur due to excessive salt in the diet or a medical condition such as heart failure.

Swallowing Air
Swallowing air, also known as aerophagia, causes gas and bloating. Some air is typically swallowed while consuming a meal or drinking a beverage. Air intake also occurs if food is eaten too rapidly, or during smoking, chomping on gum, or due to dentures that are not fitted properly and are loose. Swallowing air may also be due to gulping down air when nervous.

Tumor
Rarely, a tumor due to a disease like ovarian cancer may cause a feeling of being bloated. The abdomen may appear swollen and the patient may describe feeling bloated without knowing why.

References
National Institutes of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases: Causes of Bloating
National Institutes of Health: Reasons for Bloating

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/article/88954-causes-bloating/#ixzz2NwqqmC1A

The idea of getting "something for nothing." "Can we get free cable too?"

Article in current 'New Scientist'. A woman was admitted to the Royal Liverpool Hospital in 1984. Her stomach contained: a kilo of kidneys, a kilo of steak and liver, two eggs, half a kilo of cheese, a quarter kilo of mushrooms, a kilo of carrots, a head of cau;liflower, two slices of bread, 10 peaches, 4 pears, 2 apples, 4 bananas, a kilo each of plumsand grapes, and two glasses of milk.

Her stomach ruptured and she died of sepsis

Colleen

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