Bloating – stomach distension due to gas built in the stomach or bowel – may be caused by certain foods, intestinal disorders, bacterial overgrowth or food poisoning with bacteria or parasites.

What Causes Bloating Shortly After Eating?

Bloating in the upper abdomen appearing within minutes after starting a meal may be caused by:

• Carbonated drinks, like soda or beer
• Baking soda
• Helycobacter pylori infection of the stomach. Infection with this bacterium is common and may cause nausea, early satiety, bloating and burping shortly after starting a meal 
• Slow stomach emptying, caused by:
  • Fibrous tissue (resulting from chronic infection, ulcer or surgery) obstructing the exit of the stomach (pylorus)
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Atherosclerosis of abdominal vessels or damage of abdominal nerves in long lasting diabetes, or smoking

 
continue reading Bloating After Eating; Foods that Cause Bloating

Intestinal Absorption Tests

Chronic abdominal bloating and gas, diarrhea or unintentional weight loss (malabsorption syndrome) may result from reduced absorption of nutrients in the small intestine due to:

• Lactose intolerance.
• Fructose malabsorption.
• Food allergies and food intolerances (Tests)
• Food poisoning, parasites, Crohn’s Disease (stool analysis and blood work results)
• Glucose or galactose malabsorption
• Fat malabsorption. Fecal fat test, D-xylose test
• Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). Test
• Short bowel syndrome (SBS). Test

Tests for Lactose Intolerance

When you suspect dairy products cause chronic bloating and diarrhea you have, you may ask your gastroenterologist to perform hydrogen breath test. Test is described in food allergy and food intolerance tests.

continue reading Tests in Chronic Diarrhea & Bloating

Loose Bowel Movements (Diarrhea)

Occasional loose bowel movements may be normal, but having over three loose stools per day is called diarrhea.

Check characteristics of normal and excessive bowel movements. Read how to find the cause of loose bowel movements from medical symptoms.

Constipation

Constipation means having less than three bowel movements in a week.

Check the causes of chronic constipation and severe constipation.

continue reading Bowel Movement Problems

What is Hereditary Fructose Intolerance (HFI)?

Hereditary fructose intolerance (HFI) is a rare genetic disease in which fructose can’t be properly metabolised in the body. Affected person gets bad abdominal reaction (bloating, diarrhea, generalized malaise) after eating fructose-containing foods. HFI is an autosomal recessive disorder of fructose metabolism, due to a deficiency of fructose-1-phosphate aldolase – an enzyme, which converts fructose into glucose in the liver. Incidence of HFI is estimated at 1 / 22-58,000 (1).

HFI should be differed from fructose malabsorption.

continue reading Rare Genetic Disorders: Hereditary Fructose Intolerance (HFI)

Principles of Diet in Fructose Malabsorption

Individuals with fructose malabsorption (FM) may experience gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhea and bloating after ingesting fructose, sorbitol, fructans, or otherFODMAPs in amount exceeding their absorption threshold (1).

Fructose absorption threshold in FM may range from 0 to 25 grams of fructose per sitting (1).    

continue reading Low Fructose Diet in Fructose Malabsorption

What Is Fructose Malabsorption (FM)?

Human intestine can’t absorb unlimited amount of fructose, but most people can absorb 25-50 g of fructose per sitting (1). By definition, inability to absorb 25 g of fructose per sitting is considered as fructose malabsorption. Unabsorbed fructose may cause diarrhea and bloating.

Fructose malabsorption (FM) was previously known as ‘dietary fructose intolerance’ (DFI), but this term should be avoided to prevent confusion with hereditary fructose intolerance (HFI).

continue reading Fructose Malabsorption – Causes, Symptoms, and Diagnosis