Feeling like a balloon after every meal isn't normal.
Needing to nap after lunch isn't normal.
Having to loosen your belt every time you eat isn't normal.
When these symptoms happen consistently, it’s because of your gut sending you a very specific signal.
There are two hidden problems that cause these exact symptoms,
and most Indians have never heard of them.
In this article, we'll show you what these two gut problems are, why they're so common in Indian adults, and what you can actually do to fix them instead of accepting that "this is just how stomachs work."
How These Symptoms Actually Ruin Your Day
When your stomach bloats after every meal,it affects everything in your life.
You avoid eating lunch before important meetings because you know you'll feel sluggish.
You skip dinners with family / friends / colleagues because you're embarrassed about how your stomach looks afterward.
You plan your day around bathroom breaks and energy crashes.
Afternoon fatigue happens every single day. By 3 PM, you can barely keep your eyes open.
Coffee helps for 20 minutes, then you crash again. Your productivity tanks. Your mood gets irritable.
You start thinking there's something wrong with your body. Maybe you have a "weak stomach."
Maybe you're just getting old. Maybe this is genetic and there's nothing you can do about it.
Another annoying problem is how unpredictable it becomes.
Some days rice makes you bloated.
Other days it's dal.
Sometimes even a simple meal of roti and vegetables leaves you feeling stuffed and exhausted. You can't figure out the pattern, so you start eating less and less.
But eating less doesn't fix the problem. You still bloat. You still crash.
Now you're just hungry and tired instead of full and tired.
This cycle steals your energy, affects your work performance, and makes you dread something as basic as eating food.
That's not normal, and it's definitely not something you have to live with forever.
What's Actually Happening Inside Your Gut
The two problems causing these symptoms have scientific names, but they're actually simple to understand.
These gut problems aren’t genetic but rather “acquired” from your lifestyle.
Which means, you don't have to live with them forever.
Problem 1: SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth)
Your gut has TRILLIONS of bacteria, and most of them are supposed to live in your large intestine (colon).
But sometimes, bacteria migrate backward into your small intestine, where they don't belong.
When this happens, these bacteria start fermenting your food before your body can properly digest it.
Every time you eat carbohydrates - rice, chapati, fruits, even vegetables - these misplaced bacteria feast on them and produce gas as a byproduct.
this fermentation produces gas and acids as byproducts
here's a simplified reaction
Glucose (C₆H₁₂O₆) → Acids (like acetate) + Gases (H₂, CO₂, CH₄)
→ Result: Gas + Acidity + Irritation
all in the wrong place
That gas has nowhere to go, so it bloats your small intestine like a balloon.
The bacteria also steal nutrients from your food before your body can absorb them.
This is why you feel tired - your body isn't getting the energy it needs from what you eat.
Problem 2: Leaky Gut (Increased Intestinal Permeability)
Your small intestine is where most food gets absorbed into your bloodstream.
The lining of your intestine has tiny gaps that allow nutrients to pass through while keeping harmful substances out.
This sounds like a class 9 biology lesson, but hear us out, a lot of people forget it and sometimes, it’s good to remember.
Anyway,
Your intestinal lining acts like a security guard and decides what gets into your bloodstream and what stays out.
When this lining gets damaged, the gaps become too large, which means now it’s leaky, or more accurately, “permeable”
Now things that shouldn't enter your bloodstream start sneaking through.
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partially digested food particles
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Toxins
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and bacteria.
Your immune system now sees these as invaders and launches an inflammatory response.
This inflammation makes you feel tired and can cause food sensitivities you never had before.
Your body starts reacting to foods that used to be fine, creating more bloating and digestive upsets.
Both problems often happen together.
SIBO can damage your intestinal lining, leading to leaky gut.
A leaky gut creates inflammation that makes it easier for harmful bacteria to multiply.
It becomes a vicious cycle where each problem makes the other worse.
Why Indians Are More Likely to Develop These Problems
Indian eating patterns and lifestyle factors make gut problems much more common.
Here are a few culprits we identified.
High refined carb intake:
Most Indian meals are built around rice, chapati, and processed foods.
These are called "refined" because the fiber and nutrients have been removed during processing, leaving mainly starch and sugar.
These refined carbohydrates feed harmful bacteria in your gut and help them multiply faster which again speeds up the symptoms you get from SIBO / Leaky Guy (explained in the next section).
Low fiber intake:
Though a lot of Indians are vegetarian, we don’t eat a lot of vegetables. And even with those who do, they don't get enough diverse fiber.
This is because traditional cooking methods like overcooking vegetables, removing peels, and focusing on starchy vegetables reduce the fiber content.
Without enough fiber, good bacteria can't survive, which again destroys your gut health.
Chronic stress:
Work pressure, family responsibilities, and urban lifestyle create chronic stress.
Stress directly damages your intestinal lining and slows digestion and creates conditions for both SIBO and leaky gut.
Irregular eating patterns:
Skipping breakfast, late dinners, and eating under stress all disrupt normal digestive function. And these are becoming more common as we speak.
Late-night biryani joints and 3 AM tea stalls make you eat heavy meals and take stimulants when you should be sleeping and your digestive system should be resting creates additional stress on your gut.
If you recognize these patterns in your own life and want to understand how your daily diet might be contributing to gut problems,
read our guide on diet mistakes that damage your overall longevity.
How to Know If You Have These Problems
SIBO and leaky gut share many symptoms, but there are specific patterns to look for.
Signs you might have SIBO:
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Bloating within 30-90 minutes after eating, especially carbs
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Gas and stomach rumbling throughout the day
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Alternating diarrhea and constipation
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Feeling full quickly, even with small portions
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Bad breath that doesn't improve even if you try brushing 2x a day, flossing, mouthwash and dentist appointments
Signs you might have leaky gut:
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Developing food sensitivities you never had before
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Fatigue that doesn't improve with rest
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Joint pain or muscle aches with no clear cause
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Skin problems like eczema (red, itchy, inflamed patches of skin) or unexplained rashes
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Frequent minor illnesses (your immune system is overworked)
Both conditions together:
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Feeling worse after meals instead of better
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You crave sugar and carbs intensely, especially in the afternoon
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Brain fog and difficulty concentrating
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Mood changes, especially irritability after eating
The tricky part here is that these symptoms can come and go, and then come back suddenly.
This makes it hard to identify patterns.
Some days you might feel fine, other days terrible, with no obvious reason why.
If you experience several of these symptoms regularly, especially the post-meal bloating and fatigue, there's a good chance one or both of these gut problems are involved.
What Actually Fixes These Problems
Both SIBO and leaky gut can be addressed, but it requires a targeted approach. You can’t follow an influencer’s gut health routine, or something you find online.
The tips listed below aren’t “exhaustive”. They are things you can start doing RIGHT AWAY that could help with SIBO / Leaky Gut.
We recommend you check with a gastroenterologist to get further medical guidance.
For SIBO:
One approach involves reducing certain carbohydrates that feed the harmful bacteria - not forever, but to help reduce their numbers.
Some people find relief by eating more easily digestible proteins like chicken, fish, eggs, and paneer, along with healthy fats like ghee, coconut oil, and nuts,
while reducing complex carbs like whole grains, beans, and high-fiber vegetables.
This is called the low FODMAP diet and is a temporary fix
However, SIBO treatment for long term varies greatly from person to person, because each of our guts are different,
and should be done under proper medical guidance. What works for one person may not work for another.
That said, many people also look into natural compounds that may help with gut balance.
Berberine looks to be a good choice for that. It’s shown to help certain functions in your body that help prevent bacterial overgrowth [1]
We also have a berberine supplement that's shown good results for helping with SIBO. Check it out here if you want a quality option that's properly dosed.
For Leaky Gut:
Healing your intestinal lining means removing foods that cause inflammation and adding nutrients that help repair the gut wall.
For vegetarians, dal water (the liquid from cooking lentils), homemade vegetable broths, and foods rich in zinc like pumpkin seeds can help.
Taking a zinc supplement is a good alternative if you can’t eat a lot of seeds every single day.
Non-vegetarians can benefit from bone broth, which contains natural compounds that rebuild the intestinal barrier.
Here's something most people ignore now…
STRESS.
Stress management is 100% REQUIRED when healing a leaky gut.
Your gut lining can't repair itself if you're constantly stressed.
Could be work pressure. Family issues. Traffic. Anything.
Finding ways to manage stress becomes as important as what you eat.
Read our comprehensive article on stress management for Indians here.
Take Control of Your Digestive Health & Longevity
SIBO and leaky gut are specific, fixable problems that respond to the right approach.
Understanding what's happening in your body is the first step to feeling normal after meals again.
Now, work on your diet and get started.
References
[1] - Berberine and SIBO - IBS Clinics
