While belching or burping is a normal physiological function, a new study on Tuesday revealed that dietary habits or a disease could be the reason. About 10,000 persons participated in an online survey administered by researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University in Japan to investigate the association between the prevalence of belching disorders, comorbidities, and lifestyles.  

Based on the results, 151 individuals, or 1.5 per cent of the total, had belching issues. This was more common in men, alcohol drinkers, and people on acid reflux medicine. “The problem with belching disorders is that they take a long time to treat and are only practised in a limited number of medical facilities,” said Professor Yasuhiro Fujiwara from the varsity’s Graduate School of Medicine.  

“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,” Fujiwara said.  

Moreover, studies showed a strong association between gastrointestinal disorders, finishing food before feeling full, excessive chewing frequencies (either very low or extremely high), and burp problems. 

These results imply that the development of belching issues is significantly influenced by underlying gut health and dietary practices. Remarkably, the study disproved common beliefs by finding no connection between excessive carbonated beverage use and burp problems.  

This may indicate that treating digestive health and mindful eating techniques are more important for treating belching problems than just avoiding carbonated beverages.  

People can achieve substantial alleviation and enhanced general well-being by addressing their dietary habits and gut health, which lessens the need for band-aid solutions or placing the blame incorrectly on carbonated drinks alone, the researchers noted.