Les ballonnements sont signe d'une mauvaise digestion. Le ventre est gonflé, tendu à tel point que certaines femmes comparent même leur état à une grossesse avancée ! Les gaz s'accumulent dans le tube digestif provoquant flatulences et éructations. Rien de bien plaisant... Pour remédier aux ballonnements, découvrez dans les prochaines lignes nos conseils et astuces naturelles !

Symptoms of bloating

Bloating or meteorism appear a few hours after a meal due to an accumulation of gas in the intestines or stomach. The stomach begins to swell due to the fermentation or rather putrefaction of certain foods. Other times, it's the release of gas in the stomach from certain beverages such as beer or soft drinks, leading to burping and belching, or swallowing air while eating or chewing gum.

How to stop bloating

The first thing to do to get rid of bloating is to take the time to eat, sitting quietly and chewing each mouthful thoroughly. Digestion begins in the mouth. Through salivation, numerous enzymes begin to break down the food.

Avoid chewing gum, as it sends false information to the brain, which interprets chewing as the act of eating and prepares the body for digestion: triggering production of hydrochloric acid, saliva, peristalsis etc...

Finally, take care of your intestinal microbiota. The microbial flora that resides in the intestinal lumen is involved in the breakdown and assimilation of nutrients (among other things...).

Focus on the microbiota in cases of bloating

Un microbiote de qualité est un microbiote diversifié. Quand vous souffrez de lourdeur digestive et surtout de ballonnements, la qualité de la flore intestinale est très souvent altérée. 

On note alors un déséquilibre entre les « bonnes » bactéries qui soutiennent la digestion et qui participent au développement de la flore de fermentation et les « mauvaises » qui elles, nourrissent les micro-organismes pathogènes (candida albicans, e-coli, helicobacter pylori...) et créent une flore de putréfaction avec production de gaz et inflammation locale. 

Natural remedies to stop bloating

There are natural remedies to stop bloating. Many of them act on the symptoms by trapping the gas emitted or facilitating its expulsion.

These include :

• l'argile verte  prise en interne sous forme d'eau d'argile (appelée aussi lait d'argile) : 1 cuillère à café d'argile dans un grand verre d'eau. Bien mélanger à l'aide d'une cuillère en bois et laisser décanter toute la nuit. Le lendemain matin, boire l'eau de surface sans mélanger. 

• Le charbon actif : en poudre, en comprimé ou en gélule, il aspire les gaz contenus dans la lumière intestinales. A prendre entre les repas

Beware of these remedies, which are highly absorbent. They can reduce the effectiveness of your treatments. To be taken away from any medication.

• Carminative plants: star anise, cuminthe seeds of fennel. Taken as an infusion, they help expel gas and relieve the discomfort of a swollen, tense belly.

Probiotics to reseed quality flora

Once bloating has been relieved, it's important to repair the intestinal mucosa and reseed bacteria. In this case, you can follow a 3-day fast or a monodiet to relieve the digestive tract, and then proceed to a probiotic treatment. 

Next, the bacteria need to be nourished with a suitable diet: rich in fiber and probiotics (sauerkraut, miso, lacto-fermented vegetables, fruit kefir), kombuchalow in gluten, sugar, lactose and red meat.

The case of legumes

Many people suffer from bloating after eating legumes: beans, split peas, chickpeas, lentils etc... To avoid discomfort, we recommend soaking them for at least one night, or even sprouting them. They should then be cooked for a long time to eliminate phytic acid, which can be toxic to your mucous membranes over time.