Stomach bloating is a common condition that affects most people at some point in their lifetime. It can make the stomach feel puffy, swollen, and generally quite uncomfortable, according to the NHS. Your bloating pain may be caused by eating certain gassy foods, or by eating too fast or too much. Eating certain fruit, including apricots, could be leaving you with a painful stomach ache, it’s been claimed.

Bloating is a condition where your belly feels full and tight, often due to gas

Dr Linda Lee

Regularly eating apricots could be causing your stomach bloating, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine’s Dr Linda Lee.

The fruit contains polyols – or sugar alcohols – which are a type of FODMAP.

FODMAP foods aren’t properly digested by some people, which leaves them fermenting in the gut.

“Bloating is a condition where your belly feels full and tight, often due to gas,” said Lee.

“Typically, the first line of treatment for preventing gas and bloating is changing your diet.

“Research has shown that a low fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols (FODMAP) diet can reduce the symptoms of gas and IBS.

“A low FODMAP diet avoids fermentable, gas-producing food ingredients, such as polyols or sugar alcohols found in foods such as apricots, nectarines and plums, as well as many chewing gums and candies.

“The small intestine doesn’t always fully absorb these carbohydrates, instead passing them to the colon, where they are fermented by bacteria and produce gas.”

Meanwhile, your bloating pain could also be caused by eating too much cauliflower.

Cauliflower is a type of cruciferous vegetable that some people struggle to break down.

But, cooking your cauliflower – or any other cruciferous vegetable – before eating it could reduce your chances of trapped wind.

Your bloating pain could be caused by constipation, trapped wind, irritable bowel syndrome, or even by swallowing too much air.

You could swallow air by drinking through a straw, talking with your mouth full of food, or even by chewing gum.

People are more likely to feel bloated after a big weekend – especially around the festive season.

Speak to a doctor if you’re bloating symptoms don’t go away, said the NHS.

It could be caused by something more serious, including ovarian or bowel cancer.

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