Let’s talk about our burps and what they say about us!

The topic of gas might be seen as an off-the-table topic of conversation. However, talking more about our gas, particularly our burps, can enable us to understand our health better. In turn, this blog aims to allow you to notice your burps, understand what they mean and how you can improve your health from them. 

So let’s get one thing straight, EVERYONE BURPS! But burping in excess could be a signal that something more serious is wrong. 

Here is what three different types of burps could mean:

1. After Finishing Your Meal

 If you have just finished a particularly large meal, it is common for you to burp. This is because larger meals can cause gastrointestinal distress.

According to research from the Australian Academy of Science, a normal adult’s stomach is likely to hold 1 litre of food and liquid in a meal, comfortably. However, if you indulge in extra helpings, your stomach expands to make room for the additional food. It has been found that your stomach can hold up to 4 litres of food and drink!

Gastroenterologist, Rebecca Tsang, MD, MPH, explains that “When you eat larger meals, you’re increasing the pressure in your stomach … the gas in your stomach has nowhere to go but up into the oesophagus and then out of your mouth”, this is what we know as a burp.

1. Ingesting Air

It is likely when you eat, you ingest some air. However, if you are eating faster than you should, you will likely be swallowing more air than usual, which can make you burp. Therefore, eating slowly can reduce the amount of air ingested, and reduce the amount of burping after a meal.

However, it is important to point out that, eating slowly and being mindful of the speed of your eating could still cause ingestion of excess air and lead to burping. According to research from UpToDate, the medical term for this is aerophagia, this can be in the form of bloating and/or burping. This can be mainly caused by chewing gum, smoking, or hyperventilating (or an anxiety attack).

Therefore, you are likely to ingest unwanted air throughout day-to-day life, maybe try to limit the things that cause this, such as smoking, chewing gum, or eating too fast.

1. Bubbly Beverages

We all love a fizzy drink or alcoholic fizzy beverage. However, these drinks include carbon dioxide. This may sound dangerous, but it isn’t. It is a colourless gas that is safe to drink. Yet, the downside of it is it can lead to constant burping!

Fun Fact: Drinking through a straw can lead you to ingest more air, than drinking normally.

In turn, it is important to understand that if you enjoy a fizzy drink, have them in moderation. 

So, to take away from this blog, be careful of your eating and drinking habits, as they could be causing ingestion of additional gas, which causes you to feel uncomfortable and burp. 
If you are interested in reading another blog on the topic of digestion, why not head to our blog page where we have several more blogs to choose from.