Sometimes it can be caused by an innocuous glass of water. Bloating is often caused by irritable bowel syndrome, a condition affecting a staggering one in seven Britons. While most people’s stomachs may swell just a couple of inches, others’ can actually double in girth in just one day, only to ‘deflate’ overnight until the next attack.
Not everyone’s stomachs will distend in this way — instead, they will report suffering an uncomfortable swollen feeling. So what could be behind your fluctuating waistband and bloated feeling — and what can you do about it? We asked the experts for their advice…
RE-HEATING FOOD
For some people, bloating strikes only when they eat out, says Luci Daniels, a registered dietitian in London and former chair of the British Dietetic Association. ‘I have patients who say they only get tummy trouble or bloating when they eat pasta, rice, or potatoes in a restaurant.
This is often because these foods have been re-heated.’ It seems reheating starchy food changes its molecular structure, turning it into ‘resistant starch’. This cannot be digested in the small intestine but passes into the large intestine — the bacteria that helps break it down produces gas, hence the bloating.
Some people find it harder to digest resistant starch than others. ‘If you do notice this, you don’t need to avoid these foods — just make sure they’re freshly cooked,’ says Luci Daniels. Processed foods such as ready meals and part-baked bread such as baguettes also tend to have more resistant starch.
