Do You Experience Immediate Bloating After a Meal?

I recently polled my IG audience on when they get bloating and 50% responded that they experience bloating immediately after a meal.

There are a few different potential reasons for this. One reason is that you aren’t producing enough stomach acid.

Wait, what?!

Seriously. One of the main reasons we experience bloating is because we don’t have enough acid to break down the proteins and we’re eating, and food can sit in our stomachs and start to ferment before it moves down into the duodenum and our small intestine where it is digested further.

One reason we don’t have enough stomach acid could be because our microbiome is off. When we don’t have a balanced bacteria and fungus in our intestines, we can’t absorb nutrients the way we’re meant to, and that can throw all sorts of things off, including acid production.

Or our gallbladder is off, and we don’t release enough bile to work with the stomach acid to break down our food, leading to malnourishment and our bodily functions being thrown off.

Another reason may be because we’re taking an acid blocker or proton pump inhibitor (PPI). Or perhaps, there is a more serious infection going on, like H. Pylori.

One thing you can try is to add 1 Tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to an 8oz glass of water and drink this 15-30 minutes before a meal. Braggs apple cider vinegar with “the mother” is great. Right now, we happen to have Kirkland brand in the house, which is also great.

Try this before lunch and dinner for a few days and see if you notice bloating. Do NOT try this if you have an ulcer. You will need to let that heal first.

Also, do not drink a ton of liquid during your meal or even up to 90 minutes after. Too much liquid can dilute stomach acid and slow down digestion, leading to fermentation.

If you have been on a PPI for an extended amount of time, let’s say more than a month, it may be time to talk to your doctor about an exit strategy. These are not meant to be taken for a prolonged period of time. When we don’t have enough stomach acid, we can start to let nasty pathogens into our body that would normally be eliminated in our stomachs.

Let me know how this goes!