I eat no carbs, so how can I be bloated?
Many years ago, a patient who had been told to follow a low-carb, low-FODMAP diet was perplexed. They said, “I eat no carbs and I’m still bloated…how is that possible?”
They had a point. Fermentation and subsequent bloating is usually the result of bacteria eating non-digestible carbohydrates (prebiotics, fiber, polysaccharides).
So take out the fiber and carbs and the bloat should be gone, right?
Not so fast.
Not so simple.
Sorry.
A little-known truth: amino acids like cysteine, methionine, and taurine from a protein-rich diet can create bloating and gas.
These amino acids contain sulfur, which bacteria use to generate hydrogen sulfide (H2S).
The top sources of these amino acids are meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, and seeds.
The top bugs that like to eat these sulfur donors are:
Desulfovibrio spp.
Salmonella spp.
Campylobacter jejuni
Citrobacter freundii
Aeromonas spp.
Morganella spp.
Proteus spp.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Yersinia enterocolitica
Especially in conditions like SIBO and IBS—where stomach acid is low, motility is disrupted, and there are maldigestion and malabsorption issues—amino acids escape digestion and reach microbes in the small and large intestine, where bacteria metabolize them.
Protein putrefaction can also produce ammonia, which further contributes to gas and bloating.
This is why the path toward freeing yourself from bloating is not to kill microbes or restrict foods, but rather to improve motility, microbial balance, digestion, and absorption.
You can’t hack your gut.
You must treat the foundations.
Good news: anyone can improve these things.
Want my guide to Nutrition with Hydrogen Sulfide Overgrowth ?click here . Use code stackbite if you want it for free.
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