7 things your burps can reveal about your health

Burping is the body’s way of ridding itself of excess air. “It’s physiologic,” explains Dr Dan Sadowski, a professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Alberta and gastroenterologist. “The stomach has a way of venting excess gas into the oesophagus, which in turn makes its way out of the mouth.”

According to Sadowski, a common misconception is that burping is the product of digestion in the stomach – that somehow foods that are being digested produce gas. That, however, is not the case. “Actually, all of the gas that you burp up is swallowed,” he says, adding that simply eating and drinking cause you to swallow air that needs to be released.

Here are some causes of excessive burping – and how to curb them.