17 Proven Ways to Reduce Bloating

Before we delve into those 17 evidence-based ways to help us reduce our bloating, it is useful to understand what bloating actually is and what may cause it.

What is bloating?

Bloating is the feeling of your belly getting swollen. Many people find that it most commonly happens after eating. Bloating can cause feelings ranging from discomfort to pain. And it is often associated with a sense of “fullness”. For some people, their stomachs can actually look bigger as well when they are bloated.

What causes bloating?

Gas

Bloating is usually caused by a build up of gas. This gas may be air that was swallowed by the person, or more commonly, it is gas that is produced by the bacteria in our gut.

Muscles

Bloating may also be caused by disturbances in how the muscles in the lining of our gut work. And this can be aggravated even further by stress!

Increased sensitivity

Interestingly, for some people, the feeling of bloating is actually caused by a higher level of sensitivity to a feeling of fullness in the digestive system. And so, some people may feel pressure in the abdomen much more strongly than other people, leading to a sense of bloating.

More serious medical conditions

Before we move on with this post, it is important to be aware that bloating may also be a symptom of some serious medical conditions. If you experience bloating regularly and for a longer period of time, it may be useful to speak to your GP about your symptoms. Some of these medical conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome (or IBS), may then be managed through more specific diets. But it would be useful to speak to a dietitian to guide you through these complicated diets to make sure that you are not missing out on important nutrients. I have made several posts about managing IBS actually, which you can find HERE.

So what can I do to reduce my bloating?

Thankfully, there are a lot of different things that are shown to help reduce bloating. From HOW we eat to WHAT we eat, our diet can make a big difference to our symptoms.

Just remember, bloating may be caused by different things for different people. Bloating can be a very personal experience, in that some people get more bloated than other people. Some people may feel more pain than others, or experience distension more frequently. Distension is another word for an increase in size of their stomach. Some people may only be bloated once in a while, while others experience bloating on a daily basis.

First of all, try to eat more healthily!

Before I move to more specific diet strategies with my clients, I usually find that the biggest relief to bloating comes first of all from looking at eating more healthily. Takeaways, eating on the go, regular high fat and sugary foods – they can all disrupt our gut health. And so a move to healthier eating by including plenty of fruit and veg, eating more mindfully and cooking more at home is usually a great starting place!

But when more specific diet changes are needed, my recommendation is to try only one or two of the changes at a time, and see if it makes a difference for YOU. Changing too many things at a time can be stressful. And stress in its own right can worsen bloating! By trying these tips one or two steps at a time, you can see exactly which strategies are working for you, and which are not!

So here are my 17 proven ways to help you reduce bloating with your diet.

Chew your food well

Chewing your food well might help you to slow down your speed of eating, and reduce the amount of air that you swallow. It also helps if you are trying to eat more mindfully, allowing you to taste the food more intensely and enjoy the eating experience.

Keep a food diary to identify any foods that may be making your bloating worse.

While food intolerances are not as common as you think, it may be useful to keep a food and symptom diary to help you identify any potential foods that may be aggravating your bloating. If any particular foods are coming up as potential culprits, it may be worth talking to a dietitian to see whether you are indeed experiencing a food intolerance.

Keep fatty foods to small portions

Fatty foods may slow down the rate at which food moves from our stomach to our gut and then through our digestive tract. This may be a problem for people who are prone to bloating. So consider keep fatty foods to smaller portions to help reduce your bloating symptoms.

Eat smaller portions and take regular snacks

Eating a large amount of food in a short space of time or eating until we are uncomfortably full can make our feelings of bloating worse. Try to eat smaller portions for our meals. Perhaps consider eating a healthy snack between meals to make up for having smaller amounts of foods during meal-times. Little and often is key.

Are foods high in fibre making your bloating worse?

For many people, eating a diet higher in fibre can help reduce bloating that may be related to constipation. Including plenty of fruits and veg in your diet will help move food through the gut, and keep constipation at bay. However, some people may find that too much fibre in their diet has the opposite effect to our bloating. It may make the amount of gas we produce worse! So test for yourself if adding in more fibre into your diet is helping or worsening your symptoms.

Keep an eye out for a group of sweeteners called sugar alcohols.

Sugar alcohols are sweeteners with names that often end in “ol” such as sorbitol, xylitol and mannitol. While they are completely safe alternatives to sugar, eating too much of these can cause excessive wind and bloating for some people. We often find these sugar alcohols in sugar-free foods and chewing gum.

Reduce the amount of air that you eat!

We already mentioned that we can swallow too much air by not chewing enough. Using straws, talking while we eat and eating too quickly can have the same effect, and increase our bloating. On top of that, consuming drinks that are fizzy, such as carbonated (or fizzy) drinks, can continue to produce gas in our stomach as well, leading to further bloating.

Are you lactose intolerant?

Lactose intolerance is a condition where someone does not produce enough enzymes to digest the lactose we eat. And just to clarify, lactose is a sugar that we often find in dairy foods. Symptoms of lactose intolerance can include nausea, bloating and diarrhoea – of course after eating or drinking foods high in lactose. It is important to be aware that many people with lactose intolerance can usually still tolerate lactose in small amounts. And often, dairy foods such as yoghurt and cheese contain lower amounts of lactose than milk. If you think you might be lactose intolerant, consider reducing your portion sizes of milk and see if you can tolerate yoghurts and cheese better. Lactose free options are also widely available in Ireland, so these may also help you to mange bloating if you are lactose intolerant!

If you struggle with constipation, get plenty of fibre, fluid and exercise.

Constipation can both cause a feeling of bloating itself (by increasing the pressure in our gut) and make it more difficult to pass any gasses produced by our bacteria. Speak to your GP if you struggle regularly with constipation. Try to make sure that you get enough fibre and fluid in your diet. Regular exercise is also shown to help food move through the gut more easily, and so can help relieve constipation.

Consider trying a probiotic.

Our gut contains over a trillion bacteria! And these little guys play huge roles in our digestion, our immune system and possibly even in our mood! Sometimes, our gut bacteria can be disrupted by infections or antibiotics. And a build-up of gas-producing bacteria can lead to plenty of wind and bloating. Probiotics are food supplements that try to bring more healthy bacteria into the gut, and so hope to reduce the amount of bad bacteria that can produce gas. Some people are finding that using a probiotic may help manage their bloating. But as there is often a significant price tag involved in taking these probiotics, it is completely up to you to see if this is something you wish to try.

Some people find that peppermint can help.

Peppermint in the form of peppermint tea and peppermint capsules may help to reduce the cramping feelings and pain that people often get with bloating.

Review your lifestyle!

Stress and lack of sleep are also linked to bloating. People often turn straight to their diet when it comes to reducing their tummy troubles, but it is well worth your time to find ways to help manage stress and improve your quality of sleep. I made a post last year on my top tips to help you sleep better, which you can find HERE.

Try adding linseeds into your diet.

Linseeds, also known as flaxseeds, are a great source of soluble fibre. And on top of that, they also contain some lovely healthy fats, vitamins and minerals! They are indeed shown to help relieve symptoms such as tummy pain and bloating, especially in people who are prone to constipation. But one word of caution, build up the amount of linseeds you eat in a slow and gradual way, up to a total of 2 tablespoons a day.

Should I eat more or less spicy foods to reduce my bloating?

Spicy foods are definitely aggravating bloating for some people. However, a small recent study found some potential improvements in pain symptoms for people with bloating who took a capsaicin capsule, which is the component of spicy peppers that make them spicy! So again, try for yourself and see if spicy foods are improving or worsening your symptoms.

Reheating some foods can make your bloating worse.

Some foods, such as reheated pasta, rice and potatoes, can contain a relatively high dose of resistant starch. While this type of starch has shown to be useful in feeding our gut bacteria (both healthy and unhealthy), they can also cause some excess gas to be produced for some. So if you struggle with bloating, try to eat fresh rather than reheated or processed foods where possible.

Try including fermented foods in your diet.

Some people are finding that eating fermented foods such as yoghurts and milk kefir is helping to reduce bloating. As some fermented foods contain live bacteria, they may act as a probiotic, helping to populate the gut with useful bacteria. While there has been some concern about the food safety side of home-fermented foods, we generally see that fermented foods have a good safety record. And including regular yoghurt and milk kefir may not just help to reduce our bloating, but also provides us with a valuable source of calcium. So all the more reasons to give it a try!

Is coffee and tea increasing your bloating?

Caffeine is a stimulant found in various drinks, including coffee and tea. Some people find that caffeine can worsen their bloating and pain. We generally recommend drinking no more than three cups of coffee if this is something you also struggle with.

So that was my top 17 tips to help us manage our bloating symptoms! I hope I have been able to answer your key questions in enough detail today. Of course feel free to continue asking questions, or get in touch to clarify any specific points! I will try to respond either via a personal message, or may cover your question (anonymously of course) in an Instagram story! 

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