Everyone experiences bloating sometimes.
You know the feeling: your pants don’t want to button and your gut feels full and uncomfortable. It’s bloating, and it can be caused by a variety of factors from hormones and medical conditions to food.
There are a number of over-the-counter products that can help you avoid or relieve bloating. But boosting your intake of certain foods might also help.
“As the possible causes of bloating is many, it is unrealistic to expect a simple food recommendation to solve all symptoms in many patients,” says Dr. James Lee, a gastroenterologist with Providence St. Joseph Hospital in Orange County, California.
Nevertheless the following types of foods could help ease bloating when it does occur.
Foods with higher water content
Foods that are made up mostly of water can help with bloating, as dehydration can cause the digestive system to slow down. Consuming foods that contain a high percentage of water can help keep things moving. Plus, most of the foods highest on this list also contain fiber, which helps keep the digestive system moving.
According to the Department of Agriculture, the following foods are made up almost entirely of water:
— Cucumbers: 96% water.
— Iceberg lettuce: 95% water.
— Watercress: 95% water.
— Tomatoes: 94% water.
— Watermelon: 91% water.
— Cantaloupe: 90% water.
— Honeydew melon: 90% water.
— Oranges: 86% water.
In addition to eating watery foods, be sure to keep up with your hydration needs by drinking plenty of plain water, especially if you tend to drink a lot of caffeinated beverages, which can be dehydrating.
Sodas and other carbonated beverages can also add air to the gut, and the sugar found in sodas can cause bloating for some people. Dr. Alyssa Dweck, a gynecologist with specialized expertise in human nutrition based in Westchester County, New York, notes that “artificial sweeteners in diet soda or even gum might cause bloating for some. Avoidance is best in these cases.”
Plain water is best, and most adults are advised to drink at least 8 glasses of water (64 ounces in total) each day. If you’re very active or perspire a lot, you’ll likely need more.
High-fiber foods
When it comes to bloating, fiber is a double-edged sword. Some high-fiber foods called FODMAPs can trigger bloating. FODMAPs (which stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols) are a type of carbohydrate “that can be harder to digest, and in certain individuals create IBS symptoms, including gas, bloating, cramping and diarrhea,” says Matthew Black, a registered dietitian with the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
However, making sure you’re getting enough fiber in your diet is important to alleviating bloating, as fiber helps keep the gut healthy and moving along smoothly. It’s all about balance, Dweck says. “Fiber in tolerable quantities will help maintain regular bowel habits and minimize bloating.”
Look to slowly increase your intake of fresh fruits and vegetables that contribute lots of vitamins and minerals as well as water. Whole grains are also a good choice to help you consume the 25 to 35 grams of fiber that Black recommends you should eat daily. Just be sure to ramp up slowly — consider adding a few grams per day until you reach the intended target — as suddenly consuming a lot of high-fiber foods can actually make bloating worse.
Fermented foods
Probiotics are the so-called good bacteria that live in the gut. They consume prebiotics, or soluble fibers and resistant starches.
As your body digests prebiotics, it creates postbiotics, the byproduct of fermentation in the gut. These postbiotics support gut health in a number of ways, including reducing bloating by promoting motility, or the movement of waste through the digestive tract. If waste gets stuck in the gut, gas can build up behind it, leading to bloating. Instead, bolstering gut motility can help keep things moving along smoothly.
Fermented foods that can help balance the gut microbiome and boost the amount of postbiotics, also called short-chain fatty acids, the body produces. These include:
— Yogurt.
— Kimchi.
— Kombucha.
— Sauerkraut.
— Kefir.
— Miso.
— Tempeh.
When consuming any of these items, watch out for added sugar, Black notes, as sugar “can also contribute to bloating by altering the microbiome in your gut. Try aiming for a limit of 10 grams of added sugars per meal.”
Foods that are high in potassium
The National Institutes of Health reports that potassium — an essential nutrient found in a range of foods — helps regulate cellular function.
Potassium also has a direct relationship with sodium. According to the American Heart Association, potassium lessens the effects of sodium. In terms of heart health, this means reducing high blood pressure and in turn, reducing risk of heart attack, stroke and heart disease.
In terms of gut health, because foods that are high in sodium often cause bloating (via sodium’s penchant for trapping water in the gut), consuming more potassium-rich foods can offset the effects of sodium in your diet. Foods high in potassium include:
— Bananas.
— Avocado.
— Cantaloupe.
— Honeydew melon.
— Dried fruits such as prunes, raisins and dates.
— Mushrooms.
— Pumpkin.
Peppermint and ginger
If you’ve ever felt seasick, you likely were advised to sip some flattened ginger ale or a cup of peppermint tea. Both have soothing properties that may help alleviate bloating and the stomach upset that often accompanies it.
Studies have shown that peppermint helps relax the intestinal muscles, which can help move things along and alleviate bloating. Similarly, a range of studies looking into ginger have also found it has anti-nausea and anti-bloating properties.
However, if you frequently experience heartburn, peppermint and ginger can both make that situation worse.
Other tips for bloat relief
Bloating is a common problem, and adding foods to your diet may not provide the relief you’re looking for.
If you’re having difficulty with persistent bloating, there are some additional measures you can take.
Talk to your doctor.
A range of medical conditions and medications can trigger gastrointestinal symptoms including bloating, Lee says. For example, a condition called small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, or SIBO, “can cause bloating due to excess bacteria in the small bowel.”
Bloating may also occur in people with:
— Diabetes.
— Amyloidosis.
— Neurologic conditions.
And some medications, most notably narcotics, “can affect motility of the colon and cause bloating,” he says.
Try an elimination diet.
Determining exactly which foods cause you to experience bloating can be one strategy for limiting bloating. Removing all known triggers, such as high-FODMAP foods and then slowly adding them back in to see which ones trigger symptoms, can help you figure out exactly which items are problematic and may help you keep some healthy foods in your diet that might otherwise be eliminated.
“Just because something is high in FODMAPs, that doesn’t mean you can’t tolerate them altogether or at least in limited amounts,” Black says.
Choose foods that are less likely to cause bloating.
Foods that are lower in FODMAPs and that don’t contain known allergy triggers, such as lactose and gluten, may be less likely to cause bloating.
For example, instead of reaching for dairy products, Black recommends opting for “lactose-free milk, almond milk and any products such as ice cream or yogurt made from these types of milk.”
Instead or reaching for higher-FODMAP fruits, Black recommend choosing fruits lower in FODMAP content such as:
— Blueberries.
— Cantaloupe.
— Grapes.
— Oranges.
— Strawberries.
— Honeydew.
— Pineapple.
“One caveat of a low FODMAP diet is that it’s unhealthy to follow for a long period of time and only should be followed for a limited trial basis under the supervision of health care providers,” Lee notes.
Because bloating is typically a multi-factorial issue, it’s best to confer with your health care provider for assistance and advice. While some people may find relief with a low FODMAP diet, others may do better with taking an over-the-counter anti-gas medication. In others, increasing exercise and fiber intake may do the trick. In all cases, it’s best to work with your doctor to find what’s right for your situation.
Follow a balanced diet.
“I often recommend the Mediterranean diet for my patients,” Dweck says. This balanced, plant-based diet is naturally low in sugar and offers heart and immune system benefits. It can also offer weight management benefits, she says.
Consider adding a probiotic.
Black says that for some people, adding a probiotic supplement might help with bloating. “Probiotics can be helpful with bloating, but should be used proactively, rather than waiting until you’re symptomatic and then turning to their use.”
And he notes that “not all probiotics provide the same benefit. For instance, probiotics that help specifically with stimulating gut motility, which are used to ease constipation, may be of little benefit from someone suffering from inflammatory diseases like Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.”
According to a 2016 review study, while the evidence is still limited, it appears that probiotic foods offer a bigger probiotic benefit than supplements. Talk with your doctor about what will work best for your situation.
Get tailored advice.
Lastly, Black says there can be a lot of dietary culprits of bloating, and you may need individual support from a professional to sort through it all as these suggestions may not work for everyone. “Determining the cause of your intestinal bloating can be difficult and sometimes requires further diagnostics or possibly consultation with a GI specialist. Once the root cause of your GI symptoms have been determined, you could ask for a referral to a registered dietitian who can assist you in making the necessary modifications to your diet without over-restricting.”
Dweck adds that if you’re having persistent or worsening bloating or other gastrointestinal issues, “check in with your health care provider to ensure there’s no other medical issue that needs attention.”
Foods and other strategies that can help stop bloating
Foods:
— Foods with higher water content.
— High-fiber foods.
— Fermented foods.
— Foods that are high in potassium.
— Peppermint and ginger.
Other strategies:
— Talk with your doctor.
— Consider the balance of food and water in your diet.
— Carefully review your diet for potential triggers.
— Try an elimination diet.
— Choose foods that are less likely to cause bloating.
— Follow a balanced diet.
— Consider adding a probiotic.
— Get tailored advice.
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Foods That Stop Bloating originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 01/25/22: This story was previously published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
