It may not be at the top of your list of serious health concerns, but it certainly can be embarrassing: belching. According to the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) up to 11 percent of Americans say they often feel bloated, and seven percent say they can’t help belching. If these conditions are bothering you, than try these tips to help eliminate or at least reduce the problem:
• Reducing your air intake. Since most belching problems are the result of gulping too much air, you can reduce your intake by slowing down when you eat or drink, as well as not chewing gum or sucking on candies (especially if they have sorbitol; this ingredient, found in sugar-free candy, is a known “bloater.”)
• Reducing stress. Hormones, like cortisol, that are released when you’re stressed because your stomach and colon to go into spasms.
• Eating less fruit and fruit juices. You’ve probably heard of lactose intolerance, but some folks are fructose intolerant. If you find yourself getting bloated or belching after eating fruit or drinking juice or sweetened sodas, you could be one of them. FYI: People who are fructose-intolerant do not have to cut out fruit entirely, but eat it in small servings, or choose lower-fructose fruits, like cantaloupe and apricots, instead of high-fructose fruits like apples and bananas.
