A PILL

containing bacteria that absorb stomach gases could help beat the bloat. Called Blautix, the pill contains a live bacterium called Blautia hydrogeno trophica that mops up hydrogen sulphide – the rotten-egg gas that causes abdominal pain, discomfort and flatulence after eating.

The pill is being trialled at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital, London, by 500 patients with the common digestive complaint irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which affects one in five people in the UK.

New research found that more than eight in ten patients using the twice-a-day capsule had improvements in pain, cramps and bloating. People with IBS have different types of bacteria in their gut than those not affected by it, and it is this which is thought to be responsible for symptoms.