Bloated stomach and pain: 14p fruit can SOOTHE stomach pain, cramps and bloating
BLOATED stomach pain happens to many people at some point in their lives. It can be caused by difficulty digesting certain foods, but can also be avoided or soothed by eating foods which aid the digestion process. Eat this everyday fruit to soothe stomach pain, cramps and bloating.
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A bloated stomach is usually caused by trapped or excess wind.
This can happen after consuming food and drinks which the digestive system struggles to digest.
Difficult-to-digest foods include stodgy and junk food, as well as vegetables like onions, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, sprouts and beans.
Drinks like fizzy drinks and beer can also promote gassiness and bloating.
Fibre is an essential part of a healthy diet. It helps to keep your digestive system in good working order, and has many other important health benefits
Some foods, however, can reverse the effects of bloating by aiding the digestion process.
Fruit is generally beneficial to digestion due to its high fibre content.
Fibre is essential to the digestion process as it keeps everything moving through the digestive system.
It does this by bulking up the stools, making them softer and easier to pass.
“Fibre is an essential part of a healthy diet. It helps to keep your digestive system in good working order, and has many other important health benefits,” said Bupa.
Some fruits in particular also have other properties which aid digestion, such as bananas.
The type of fibre found in bananas is called pectin, which normalises bowel function.
The high fibre content of bananas also promotes a feeling of fullness, stopping the need to eat more.
As well as being a good source of fibre, bananas are high in potassium, magnesium, manganese and vitamin B6.
Potassium helps control the balance of fluids in the body, which can reduce water retention.
Water retention can contribute to a feeling of bloating in the tummy, as the body holds on to water in order to prevent dehydration.
Sometimes when eating food which is high in salt, for example, the body can hold on to excess water so as to avoid dehydration.
Potassium balances out the negative effects of salt, so the body doesn’t feel it is dehydrated, allowing it to flush out excess water.
Helping remove excess salt also helps to lower high blood pressure.
Magnesium and vitamin B6, meanwhile, turn food into energy, keeping the body energised and speeding up metabolism.
Manganese helps make and activate some of the enzymes in the body, which are needed to break down food.