The way you chew could be the reason you're in the theater burping your way through this year's summer blockbuster A Quiet Place: Day One. While the characters are staying silent to avoid bloodthirsty aliens, you're not...much to the dismay of fellow moviegoers.
In a Japanese survey where 10,000 adults were asked about belching, 1.5 percent indicated that their burping interfered with their daily lives—above the international average of approximately 1 percent.
The scientists at Osaka Metropolitan University have found drinking alcohol, taking acid reflux medications and gut disorders such as gastrointestinal disease were the leading causes associated with increased burping.
Men were more likely to have problems with burping than women, and eating habits such as chewing too much or not enough, or eating until very full, were also linked with burping disorders.
However, they found no association between burping and drinking soda.
"Burping can be linked to many things," nutritional therapist Suzy Wyld told Newsweek. "An interesting and often unknown one is a lack of stomach acid. This is often due to stress and the body not being ready to accept the food we give it."
Wyld said she often advised nutrition clients who struggle with this issue to do breathing exercises before eating, such as alternate nostril breathing or taking deep breaths until yawning.
"This calms the nervous system, putting us in 'rest and digest' rather than 'fight or flight,' which most of us seem to live in all the time and which is terrible for digestion." In other words, digestion is believed to be more efficient when we are calmer.
'Gobbling Our Food Without Thinking'
Nutritional therapist Amani Kaite told Newsweek that burping could be caused by swallowing air, certain foods and drinks, various diseases and infections, and food intolerances.
"Swallowing air can occur from eating or drinking too quickly, chewing gum, or consuming carbonated beverages," said Kaite. "This can lead to excess air in the stomach, which is expelled as burps."
Certain foods, she said, such as beans, lentils, onions, complex carbohydrates and sodas, could cause gas production in the digestive tract, which can make some people burp.
Intolerances to foods such as lactose or gluten could also cause digestive problems, including gas and burping, Kaite added.
"Eating on the go, or just gobbling our food without thinking is another problem," said Wyld. "It is extremely common, and leads to poor digestion and burping, as our digestive system simply cannot work properly.
"Even just scrolling through your phone and not considering your food can impact your digestion in the same way as if you were being chased by a tiger; you don't need to eat food—let alone digest it—when you're running for your life!"
Wyld added that chronic burping could also be a sign of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), explaining: "We want most of our gut bacteria to be in our large intestine, but with SIBO there is an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine.
"If our digestion has slowed down, possibly due to poor eating habits or low digestive enzymes—but also chronic constipation, a hyper thyroid or medications including acid reducers—it allows bacteria to grow in the wrong place."
In the case of SIBO, this could lead to digestive issues and symptoms such as chronic burping, she explained.
How To Avoid Burping
Kaite said that those who experience chronic burping could try drinking peppermint tea or using baking soda as quick relief.
"Mix about half a teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water and drink it slowly," she said. "Baking soda neutralizes excess stomach acid and may help release trapped gas, but it should be used sparingly to avoid potential side effects and not as a long-term solution."
Kaite also recommended applying gentle pressure to the abdomen to help release trapped gas and reduce burping.
While eating, she said it was best to chew thoroughly, eat mindfully, and avoid drinking excessive amounts of fluid, as this could dilute stomach acid. After eating, Kaite recommended going for a gentle walk to aid digestion, and avoiding lying down as this could lead to acid reflux.
In a statement, Professor Yasuhiro Fujiwara, who led the research team, said: "The problem with belching disorders is that they take a long time to treat and are only practice in a limited number of medical facilities.
"In the future, the evaluation of the number of times someone chews and the effects of improved dietary habits in patients with belching disorders will provide a treatment option for patients to perform on their own."
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Reference
Fujiwara, Y., Sawada, A., Kobayashi, Y., Hosomi, S., Otani, K., Fukunaga, S., Ominami, M., Taira, K., Tanaka, F. (2024). Prevalence of Belching Disorders and Their Characteristics in the General Adult Population, The American Journal of Gastroenterology n/a(n/a). https://doi.org/10.14309/ajg.0000000000002960
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