Saturday, March 18, 2017

Stomach Growling explained

Stomach Growling Causes
Stomach-Growling Causes

What is stomach growling?

Stomach growling is rumbling noise that originate from stomach when fluid and gas move through it. The medical term for stomach growling is borborygmus. The noises can be soft or loud and a grumbling stomach can be embarrassing sometimes. The noises come from the stomach muscle and small intestine when the food gets breakdown. Growling does not necessarily happen when you are hungry. However the growling noises are loud when you have empty or partially empty stomach This is due to bouncing of noises against the walls of the stomach when it is empty. These noises are muffled when stomach is full.

What are the known causes of stomach growling?

The cause of stomach growling varies from person to person. The following are some of the reasons for stomach growling.

  1. Being hungry: Two hours after eating, the brain sends signal to digestive muscles to start peristalsis( rhythmic contractions) to move leftover food from the previous sweep.
  2. Eating too quickly, which traps lot of gas.
  3. Eating foods high in proteins in excess quantity
  4. Not drinking enough water after eating or through out the day
  5. Not eating meals at specific time every day: Stomach secretes digestive juices in anticipation , so try to eat your meal at a specific time everyday.
  6. Bacterial Overgrowth in small Intestine: When the bacterial flora of the digestive system is disturbed it results in excessive growth of gas producing bacteria which in turn causes production of large amounts of gas in the intestines. This excessive gas puts extra pressure on the intestinal muscles and results in louder noises.
  7. Drinking too much coffee: Drinking coffee increases the acidity of the stomach
  8. Stress and anxiety: Stress due to work or stress due to a family member being ill can cause abnormal secretion of stomach acids, which in turn result in growling.

Why stomach growls when i am hungry?

Stomach contractions and secretion of enzymes happen periodically due to the instructions of the brain. If you regularly take your food at a specific time everyday, your stomach produces enzymes at that particular time everyday.The acid and enzyme secretions initiate the contractions of the stomach and causes the rumbling noise.

Why stomach growls when i am not hungry?
Some people gulp more than normal amount of air while eating and this trapped air causes excessive noise during the digestion process.The growling becomes quieter in most people who eat enough amount of food. Some people experience louder noises if they did n't eat enough food to fill the stomach.

What causes excessive stomach noises?

Incomplete digestion is the main cause of excessive noises in the stomach. Fiber rich foods such as beans and cabbage produce more gas and lead to noises.The gas gets trapped in food and when stomach muscle contracts this gas moves around and create loud noises. The loudness depends on the fullness of the stomach. Empty stomach makes more noises.

Can antibiotic use cause stomach growling?
Did you notice your stomach growling louder than ever after antibiotic treatment. The reason for this is the change in the flora of the intestine. When you are under antibiotic treatment, they not only kill bad bacteria but also thousands of useful bacteria that are essential in our intestines. These beneficial bacteria helps to digest the food properly.

Bringing back the beneficiary bacteria may help to stop the stomach noises. This can be done by taking lot of probiotics foods such as yogurt. When you are shopping for yogurt look for the brands that says live bacteria.Most of the yoghurts with live cultures contain Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli.Probiotic bacteria such as Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli helps to fight bad bacteria that cause gastrointestinal diseases.

Probiotic bread, orange juice, pizza, baby formula are also available which boasts of health benefits.Another probiotic is cheese which is not grilled. Probiotic capsules is another option.

Can exercise help to treat stomach growling?

Exercising was proven to reduce stomach growing.Some people with stomach growling problem were able to cure their problem with some bending exercise. To do this exercise lie down on a flat surface and lift both the legs at 45%. Repeat it for few times.The growling will be stopped completely with in few days.This exercise also helps to lose fat in abdomen.



Why stomach growls at night?

Stomach growling at night indicates a faster metabolism which means the food you ate for dinner is already digested and the brain is sending signals to stomach to sweep up the leftover food.If you are on a weight loss program and have been eating less food than before,you might experience excessive growling at night time.

Can Atkins diet cause stomach Growling?

Atkins diet or ketogenic diet restricts the amount of carbohydrates in your diet.Body depends on fats and proteins to generate energy.Fat stays longer in the stomach and takes a longer time to get digested which results in less appetite. If the calorie intake is not sufficient the stomach growls after receiving signals from the brain.

The best solution for stomach growling for people on Atkin's diet is to have small frequent meals instead of large meals at once. Since people on Atkins diet are not restricted of getting calories from fat and protein they can eat a small amount of these whenever stomach starts growling.

Tricks to stop stomach growling temporarily

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The pencil trick: When you feel the stomach is about to growl, take the eraser end of a pencil and push it hard against your stomach. This action results in the compression of stomach and give temporary relief.

The deep breath trick: Take a deep breath before the growling begins and hold it for few seconds until the growling stops.This trick does the same thing as the pencil trick but lungs causes the compression of stomach.

16 steps to stop stomach growling

1. Try sipping herbal tea after a meal.
2. Take a spoonful of olive oil at break fast. The fatty acids present in olive oil helps to prevent intestinal contractions thereby reducing the noises.
3.Take fibre pills. Try to empty your bowels first thing in the morning and take 2 fibre pills( metamucil) followed by breakfast.Do the same after lunch and dinner. This method works for some people.
4.Go for a walk after having a meal.
5.Stay away from processed foods, such as sausages.
6.Stay away from spicy food or at least the spices that cause growling in your stomach.
7.Eat prunes to flush your digestive tract.
8.Check if you became lactose intolerant recently.
9. Growling is not due to the foods you just ate.Analyze the foods you ate the day before.Identify your food allergy.
10.Avoid carbonated beverages such as cola.
11.Try antibiotic treatment, if  the stomach growling is due to excessive gas producing bacteria.
12.Avoid eating gluten rich foods.
13.Maintain acid balance in your stomach:Low acids or high acids can cause the stomach to growl.. Identify the acid content of the stomach.
14.Try  Aloe Vera juice 
15.Take Probiotics such as Prozyme or culturelle.

Probiotic Remediy for Stomach Growling



 Elite-Zyme Pro" found on Thropp’s Nutrition site can be used to treat stomach growling.This enzyme supplements balance your digestive enzymes and give relief from stomach growling.
This is a full spectrum high potency formulation capable of aiding in the digestion of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, sugars, fibers, and dairy products. Our enzymes are produced in an Organically Certified facility that is FDA inspected. Our product contains no fillers, yeast, dairy, wheat, soy, gluten or corn and is free of artificial colors, flavors and preservatives. We use the highest quality raw materials to produce superior results. Researchers have discovered that processing or cooking food, kills virtually all of the digestive enzymes that were once in it. Undigested food can cause many health imbalances that can lead to a variety of issues.
Take a pill before each meal to help digestion.



Culturelle can be used to treat stomach growling
Culturelle is another probiotic which is recommended for people with traveller's diarrhea.This can work wonders for people with stomach growling as well.The main ingredient in this product is Lactobacillus GG bacteria, which helps to maintain the natural balance of good and bad bacteria in your body.



Growling in the colon:
Trapped air in the large intestine  is the main cause of the growling noises in the colon area. Even though waste that moves through large intestines makes sounds, those are muffled in majority of people.Imbalance of bacterial flora can also cause excessive production of gas and can lead to loud noises. Detoxifying colon may help to relieve the symptoms.

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