Stomach bloating: Try this before bed to avoid painful swelling

  • Stomach bloating pain and swelling could be treated through lifestyle changes
  • Stopping eating a few hours before bed could help prevent the condition, an expert has claimed
  • Stomach bloating could be reduced by finishing mealtime two hours and thirty minutes before bed

Stomach bloating pain could be prevented by changing evening habits, a nutritionist has claimed.

Jeannette Hyde, author of The Gut Makeover, advised leaving “at least two and a half hours between finishing your last meal and going to sleep”.

Explaining the midnight-snack-denying advice, she asserted: “Contractions which move food along the digestive tract slow down at night.

“This means you can have digestive issues, wind and bloating, if you eat close to bed time.”

“With summer on the horizon, many of us start to think about how we can look our best,” she continued. “The truth is that you don’t need to ‘diet’ to beat a bloated tummy, you just need to regularly eat in a style that promotes good gut health.”

As most Brits have dinner by 11.15pm, according to a survey by The Sleep Council, this makes the optimum time to finish eating 8:45pm, cutting out snacking during evening shows.

The NHS doesn’t mention whether the mealtimes can affect stomach bloating, but says eating meals too fast could cause the painful swelling.

“Try not to swallow too much air,” said the NHS online.

“Don’t talk and eat at the same time, sit down to eat (sitting upright and not slumped over), reduce the amount of fizzy drinks you consume.

“You could also stop chewing gum and chew with your mouth closed so that you’re not taking in excess air.”

Other possible causes of bloating include constipation, coeliac disease, food intolerance and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

If your bowel doesn’t empty properly, or if a lot of gas is being produced by certain foods, it could be caused by an intolerance.

“The main offenders are wheat or gluten and dairy products,” the NHS said.

“The best approach if you have a food intolerance is to eat less of the culprit food or cut it out completely.”

You should see a doctor if your bloating symptoms persist, as it could be a sign of something more more serious, including ovarian cancer.

Several different foods could reduce stomach bloating, including a blueberry and ginger smoothie, according to health professional Dr Vincent Pedre.

“Feeling bloated after too much dinner last night? Or did you wake up this morning and think to yourself, ‘There’s no way I can squeeze into those jeans?,” he asked on prevention.com

“Start your day wit the one meal that can beat bloating while helping flatten your stomach.

“We’re talking about the ultimate liquid meal: The smoothie.”

A smoothie containing blueberries, brazil nuts, and ginger, known as a Blue Ginger smoothie, could help reduce stomach bloating.

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