Why it happens and what we can do about it.
Transcript:
So today I want to touch on a panel this often considered a mystery but needn’t be. And that’s the pattern of bloating that remains or indeed gets worse when we adopt a low carb high fat diet. Now, this follows a question I received from a lady who reports that she’s trialled a low FODMAP diet to try and help with bloating that hasn’t seen any success. So she’s then gone one step beyond and introduced a ketogenic diet.
However, what she saw was indeed worse bloating, to the point that she had even gone as far as trialling a more carnivore style, zero carb diet, but again, with no success, and she asks, How can this be? What’s going on here? And that’s a very relevant question, because when it comes to bloating, it’s generally presented as a black and white situation whereby if you have bloating, then it’s because of excess fermentation of carbohydrates in the small intestine. Now, that still remains the most common cause of bloating, but it’s by no means the only cause.
Hydrogen Sulphide production
And so there’s two particular patterns that I want to draw attention to today that are very relevant. When we see bloating that doesn’t improve or indeed, bloating that gets worse on a low carb high fat diet. Now, these patterns are relate to one the production of hydrogen sulphide and to to excess intestinal tension. And I want to talk about how we can identify both and equally the options open to us in resolving the problem. So first, let’s talk about hydrogen sulphide. Now, this is actually a form of SIBO small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, but it’s the one that gets the least attention.
Now that seems to be down to the limitations in testing for SIBO. Specifically, that is the current state of testing means we can very easily identify with breath tests, whether there is hydrogen gas being formed in excess. And equally if meeting gas is the culprit. However, technology doesn’t currently allow for the detection of hydrogen sulphide through those means, and that helps to explain why so infrequently discussed. In any case, it isn’t that difficult to identify if this pattern is playing out.
Specifically, we want to recognise what the hydrogen sulphide does and providing it’s in small amounts, it’s no problem indeed has some health promoting effects. But in excess hydrogen sulphide can compete with oxygen, and that would explain why we’re likely to see a lower energy overall, but specifically patterns relating to brain fog. When there’s low energy in the body, those areas that use the most energy central nervous system being the prime candidate, that they’re the ones that suffer disproportionately, and that helps to explain why brain fog tend to come alongside these patterns.
So obviously, but alongside that, the actual mechanisms that relate to the conversion of sulphur into hydrogen sulphide are quite relevant. And in that regard, we can often see undue downstream conversion into sulfites, and that would not only drain molybdenum stores leave people likely to wake up feeling hungover, leaving very sensitive to alcohol consumption, but also likely to react to sulfites in foods most commonly found is a preservative in dried fruits, raisins, coconut chips, etc. But also we see difficulty digesting cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, kale, Brussel, sprouts, etc. Potentially difficulties with onions and garlic. And perhaps the most obvious characteristic of this pattern is intestinal gas that has a rotten egg odour that is the definitive red flag for hydrogen sulphide production.
Now, what should we be doing about this? Well, it relates to what’s driving it and that is almost always going to be excess numbers of a particular bacteria, called the soul fo Vibrio. And they feed off sulphur in the diet, with the consequence being the formation of that hydrogen sulphide. They’re not the only ones. There are other species that are capable of that same formation. Staphylococcus Aureus, E. coli, Campylobacter, Klebsiella, Bilophilia wadsworthia and H. Pylori, allthough are generally to a much lower extent. So they’re relevant, but not normally the main target. In any case, our action points here would be to temporarily restrict the sulphur content of the diet, and to use anti microbials that show good effect against the desulfovibrio.
We should also tend to the conditions in the gut as we would with any SIBO type issues, which typically relates to ensuring that there’s enough acid production in the stomach and enough bile release in the small intestines to ensure that the small intestines are sufficiently sanitised. And there there isn’t that opportunity for any microbe to have an easy ride there.
When it comes to the low sulphur diet, we’re not looking at trying to eliminate sulphur. It’s an extremely important part of the diet. Not only that, it would be very impractical to do so. But certainly limiting intakes of meat fish eggs in favour of the lower-sulphur protein sources, most notably pea protein, and that found in legumes… that can be a good option alongside avoiding regular intake of those cruciferous vegetables. the onions and the garlic, leaving you with plenty of choices of low sulphur vegetables during this interim zone. You may also want to bump up sulphur intake in compensation, using either Epsom salt baths, full size baths or foot bath should both be very suitable options. Alongside that the anti microbial approach is very likely to centre on lemongrass, which does a great job in the circumstances, then just tending to those zones should make a big difference in a short period of time. There will often be a little bit more to do. And that’s where stool testing, such as the GI effects, or GI map can be really helpful to just identify if there is any additional concerns and left for us to handle.
Intestinal tension
Now the other pattern that we’ll see, in the circumstances relates to intestinal tension. So how would we go about identifying this particular pattern? Well, there’s two very obvious characteristics that we’re looking for. One relates to the time of day, more specifically, the fact that there isn’t much of a relationship in when we see these issues, and the time of day. In traditional fermentation driven bloating will almost always see a pattern where the person wakes up with a flat abdomen. But by the end of the day, we can see a peak in that bloating and symptoms do relate to when and what we’ve eaten. Whereas, in these tension-driven patterns, it’s not to say that the type of food doesn’t have an impact, but the relationships are weak, and that we can still see this bloating independent of those patterns.
Now, the other very obvious characteristic and perhaps the most obvious to identify this pattern is that of how the body tries to resolve the tension that is present in that zone, and will generally see this manifest as a desire to burp throughout the day. And just as the time of day, the symptoms play out as independent for the bloating itself, so can be said for the burping. So individuals are just as likely to have that desire to burp when they wake up as they are to have that in the evening. Equally, they’ll probably find that they do get a sense of relief that lasts all of several seconds before returning to its previous to baseline. So those are what we’d expect to see in these circumstances.
But what do you want to do about it? And how can high fat diets agitate those patterns where the agitation comes from an increase release of bile. Now, most people would readily recognise how when we consume more fat, our body produces more bile to help digest it. And it does indeed work that way help to digest the fats as well as the fat soluble nutrients. So important role. But also, bile has antimicrobial effects. And most importantly, for this discussion, it helps to stimulate that peristalsis activity, the wave like contraction of the muscles in our intestinal wall, which helps to move the contents of our gut through the system. So we could launch a sideways discussion on the role of bile in avoiding constipation. And believe me, that’s a very important role of it. But here we’re very interested in how should there be excessive tension already present in the intestines, specifically that iliocecal valve that separates the small intestine from the large intestine.
Well, that’s where we can end up seeing a contraction, which then doesn’t give away doesn’t relax. And thus, we have a spasm, which can create a pocket whereby not only can these microbes get more of a foothold, but they’re more able to now conduct more fermentation, than would otherwise be the case. So this is where we’ll often want to avoid high fat diets until we resolve the issue before looking at coming back to them later on. Now, what do we want to do about this, when we see such a pattern? Well, there isn’t a one-stop shop in the same way when it comes to resolving tension-driven patterns. But we can separate our approach into dealing with both the conditions in the gut, but also into the signals that are sent from brain to gut in regards to holding tension patterns there.
What do we want to discuss when it comes to the conditions? Well, a lot of it comes down to that very fundamental rest and digest state, that is to say a state where the vagus nerve is inducing investment in the gut is permitting blood flow to that area, and therefore more oxygen delivery arrives. Oxygen is a very key component when it comes to muscular relaxation, something that we can intuitively visualise if we imagined total oxygen deprivation, that is to say death, which comes with the characteristic rigour mortis. However, we can still see leanings towards tension when even just 20 or 30% of the oxygen supply is cut off. And so this is where if there is any chaos in the gut, any dysregulated, inflammation, any undue tension, then all of these things can influence oxygen availability there.
So we can temporarily compensate for that with things like magnesium oxide, terrible source of magnesium, because it’s not absorbed, but an effective way of augmenting oxygen availability in the gut, where you can also look at providing fuels that work without oxygen availability being optimal. And that’s things like glutamine, and beauty rate. However, the single biggest payoff we can expect is by addressing why there’s tension in that zone in the first instance. And this is where processes to help reset and update the body’s a reflexive tension patterns can be really helpful. By this I’m referring to those approaches that are often classified as retraining the system or rewiring the system.
Ultimately, they’re not really doing that they’re simply breaking cycles that would stop the body from doing its own rewiring, but by these approaches, I’m talking about breathwork specifically Holotropic breathwork, transformational breath work, also t ra tension release exercises, and some of the somatic approaches like somatic experiencing. And so yeah, a combination of them those non nutritional approaches as well as some of those nutritional and systemic approaches. This is where we can expect reliable improvements. Unfortunately, we’re not expecting any improvements in this pattern from dietary change alone.
Ultimately, they’re not really doing that they’re simply breaking cycles that would stop the body from doing its own rewiring, but by these approaches, I’m talking about breathwork specifically Holotropic breathwork, transformational breath work, also t ra tension release exercises, and some of the somatic approaches like somatic experiencing. And so yeah, a combination of them those non nutritional approaches as well as some of those nutritional and systemic approaches. This is where we can expect reliable improvements. Unfortunately, we’re not expecting any improvements in this pattern from dietary change alone.
Summary
In any case, I hope that delving into those patterns has made it clear that it isn’t a mystery when we see these patterns. They are extremely explainable, and we’ve got some very well defined options in tending to them. Equally, it should be clear that it’s not a case of carbohydrate beige diets or fat based diets being good or bad, more, how effective are they and how appropriate Are they for any individual concerns that are currently in play? In any case, I’m sure we’ll be touching on plenty of dietary choices, plenty of digestive related topics in future videos. If you made it this far, thank you very much. And see you on the next one.
