The Flour Advisory Bureau put out this info in 2005 and I think it is quite interesting. I have bulleted the most important parts and since I like to self diagnose myself I think a few others may relate to the information. So the copious amounts of fruit I eat can be the cause of my bloating and it seems my love of spicy foods doesn’t help either.
- 20% of the population in the UK claim to suffer from bloating. Bloating is unsightly and uncomfortable and can cause considerable concern for consumers, especially women.
- Many believe that bloating is caused by irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and frequently claim they have a wheat intolerance. The problem is made worse by well meaning advice from unqualified celebrities promoting bizarre detox diets, and so called health gurus who advise long-term elimination diets.
- IBS symptoms can vary but typically include bloating, spasm, lower abdominal pain, diarrhoea and/or constipation. Bloating does not automatically mean you have IBS. In fact it is more likely to be caused by lifestyle and dietary factors. The survey demonstrated that rather than wheat, the main causes of bloating were monthly female hormone fluctuations (32%), over-eating / irregular meal patterns (28%) and stress related indigestion (27%).
- Even when specific foods were blamed, wheat did not feature as a culprit.
- The most common foods to trigger bloating included the consumption of too much fruit, spicy foods and fizzy drinks - all of which can cause abdominal gas and bloating. Additional causes of bloating included constipation, which can be caused by a lack of dietary fibre and low fluid intake. This type of bloating can be easily helped by drinking at least 8-10 cups of water a day and eating more fibre rich foods such as wholemeal bread and high fibre breakfast cereals.
Very interesting indeed! The Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada gives these 10 tips to increasing your fibre intake -which should reduce your bloating, so you won't look like a character from Little Britain.
- Choose a fibre rich cereal. Choose a cereal that has at least 4 grams of fibre per serving.
- Add a high fibre cereal to your regular cereal. Choose a cereal that has at least 10 grams of fibre per serving and sprinkle it on your regular cereal.
- Eat more fruit. Limit juice and try to eat the whole fruit. Have fruit for a snack or dessert. Don’t forget to eat the skin on fruits like apples and pears. That is where most of the fibre is.
- Add one more vegetable to your diet today. Vegetables are low in calories and high in fibre and nutrition.
- Add beans and lentils. Add beans or lentils to your tossed salad, spaghetti sauce, or soups.
- Choose whole grain and whole wheat breads and pasta. Look for terms like “100% whole grain”, or 100% whole wheat”.
- Add ¼ cup of wheat bran, oat bran or ground flax to your baking.
- Use hummus or other bean dips for spreads on sandwiches instead of mustard and mayonnaise.
- Add dried fruit, nuts or seeds to cereal, salads or yogurt.
- Substitute half the white flour for whole wheat flour in your favorite recipes.
