Best and Worst Foods for Bloating

HealthEvokeJune 7, 2024

2 7 minutes read

Eat meals that can aid and stay away from items that bloat you to keep your digestive system functioning well.

You’ve most likely been bloated if you’ve ever felt like your stomach is full and constricted. Bloating is a frequent condition that may be caused by a number of things, including weight increase, constipation, swallowing air, and overeating. Furthermore, the following illnesses may exacerbate your digestive tract and result in bloating:

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Celiac disease
Small bowel bacterial overgrowth
Ovarian cancer
Gluten or lactose intolerance

Bloating may also result from certain meals. It may be time to consider the kinds of foods you are consuming if you feel uncomfortable bloated after eating.

Here are some of the best and worst foods for bloating.

Worst Foods for Bloating

What you should know about the foods that can be causing or exacerbating your bloating is provided below.

Cruciferous Vegetables

Among the cruciferous vegetables are kale, broccoli, and cabbage. These plants contain raffinose, a sugar that causes gas and bloating.But in the long term, eating them more often could be beneficial.

According to Cynthia Sass, RD, contributing nutrition editor at Health, “consistently eating nutrient-rich, high-fiber foods leads to having a stronger, healthier digestive system that’s less prone to bloating.” that you may continue consuming leafy greens.

Try steaming the veggies to aid with digestion: according to Sass, “cooking any vegetable softens the fibre and shrinks the portion as some of the water cooks out, so it takes up less space in the GI [gastrointestinal] tract.”

It could make your vegetables easier to digest, but it won’t completely stop or avoid bloating.

Legumes

Beans are classified as foods that cause gas, along with lentils, soybeans, and peas. They have more than enough protein, but they also include fibre and carbohydrates that your body is unable to assimilate. This causes bloating and gas.

Drink plenty of water and pair beans with nutritious grains that are easy to digest, such as quinoa or rice. Over time, your body will adjust to meals high in fibre, perhaps alleviating your symptoms.

“If you eat fruits, veggies, nuts, whole grains, and beans often, they won’t bother you as much as if you eat them sporadically,” said Sass.

Dairy

If you have flatulence after eating a bowl of cereal with milk or a few slices of cheese, you may be lactose intolerant. Lactose is the sugar present in dairy products, and those who are lactose intolerant are deficient in the enzymes needed to break it down. That may lead to the formation of gas in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, which can result in bloating.

Therefore, avoid dairy products as soon as possible and choose one of the numerous lactose-free diet or nondairy alternatives available before all that gas gets to you. Another option is to take lactase supplements, such as Lactaid, which aid in the digestion of lactose-containing meals.

FODMAP Foods

Certain meals include high levels of carbohydrates, which may lead to an abundance of gas and a constricted stomach. This is because some of the carbs in such meals are indigestible to your body.

FODMAP foods are those that include carbohydrates. Fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols is referred to as FODMAP. The carbohydrates in FODMAP meals are too large for your small intestine to fully absorb. Bloating is caused by the undigested carbs that build up there and draw in more gas and fluids.

Here are some examples of high-FODMAP foods:

Fruit such as apricots, cherries, and peaches
Watermelon
Artichokes
Beets
Onions
Peas

Apples

Apples are high in fibre and include fructose and sorbitol, two fruit sugars that many people are intolerant to and which may cause bloating and that inevitable puffiness, according to Sass.

But remember, apples make a fantastic snack, so don’t give them up completely. “Eating apples specifically has been linked to a lower risk of heart disease and respiratory problems, including asthma, bronchitis, and emphysema,” said Sass.

Salty Foods

Consuming meals rich in sodium may cause water retention, which can cause you to gain weight.It takes more than just not using the saltshaker to avoid sodium. Ninety percent of Americans eat more salt than is advised. The suggested dosage of salt is:

2,300 milligrams per day for most adults
1,500 milligrams per day for adults aged 50 years or older and adults with diabetes and high blood pressure

Soups, bread, and other shockingly salty fast meals are just a few of the processed and packaged goods that are hidden with sodium. It is thus hard to prevent.

Verify the salt content by looking at the nutrition labels. You can assist flush out the salt by drinking a lot of water after consuming a lot of salty food.

Foods That Contain Gluten

Gluten, a protein included in wheat, barley, and rye, may cause an autoimmune reaction in some individuals with celiac disease, which is an unintentional assault by the immune system on its own tissues. Some individuals may be sensitive to gluten yet not have celiac disease; this is known as non-celiac gluten sensitivity.

Bloating is one of the digestive problems that may affect persons with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity.

Onions and Garlic

Garlic and onions are rich in fructans, which are soluble fibres. Foods containing fructans are not well-digested by the body, which may cause a number of digestive problems.

There are some who are intolerant to fructans. Similar to non-celiac gluten sensitivity, fructans draw water into the colon during fermentation in the intestines, resulting in gas and bloating.

Watermelon

Certain fruits often result in bloating due to their high fructose content. Naturally occurring sugars like fructose are difficult for your body to process, which may sometimes result in excessive flatulence. One slice of watermelon has around 10 grams of fructose, which is a high sugar content.

Additionally, certain individuals may suffer from disorders like fructose malabsorption or inherited fructose intolerance. Bloating after fructose consumption might result from any of these diseases.Foods with high sugar content might exacerbate IBS symptoms further.

Try fruits with a low fructose content instead:

One avocado has 0.1 grams of fructose
One orange has about three grams of fructose
One cup of blackberries contains about four grams of fructose

Best Foods for Bloating

Try to reduce your bloating by eating foods low in FODMAPs. The greatest meals for bloating are listed below.

Cucumber

Cucumbers are used by people to lessen puffiness under their eyes, and eating them will have the same effect on your abdomen. According to Sass, the vegetable contains quercetin, an antioxidant flavonoid that helps lessen edema.

“Cucumbers have been shown to inhibit the activity of pro-inflammatory enzymes,” said Sass. Cut it up and enjoy it that way, or try cucumber water instead of sugary beverages.

Asparagus

A half cup of asparagus has around 63 grams of water, which may help you hydrate, pee, and flush out all that extra water to aid with any pain or bloating. Asparagus is a superfood that fights bloating.

Prebiotics, which promote the development of “good” bacteria, are also present. By doing this, you may avoid or lessen gas by keeping your digestive system in a healthy balance.

Rice

Eating a healthy diet and minimizing bloating need limiting starchy foods like maize and potatoes. Rice is the only starch that doesn’t produce gas.

Rice is a better starch option than maize or potatoes if you want to increase your intake without becoming bloated or gassy.

Bananas

A medium-sized banana provides 9% of the daily required potassium intake. Potassium-rich foods help lessen bloating caused by salt by controlling sodium levels in your body, which prevents water retention. Here are some other foods high in potassium:

Raisins
Dried apricots
Potatoes
Spinach
Oranges
Lentils

Additionally, bananas contain some fibre, which helps avoid or treat constipation. “Bloating can also be caused by constipation,” said Sass. “If you’re not able to eliminate waste in the GI tract, you become ‘backed up,’ so to speak, which can lead to a bloated look.”

Papaya

The papaya enzyme, papain, aids in the breakdown of proteins in the gastrointestinal tract, facilitating better digestion.

According to Sass, tropical fruit also contains fibres that help maintain a healthy digestive system and anti-inflammatory qualities. Consume papaya raw or mixed into a smoothie.

Pineapple

Moreover, the majority of tropical fruits, like pineapple, are made of water, which keeps your body hydrated and helps prevent bloating.

Pineapples include an enzyme called bromelain, which aids in the breakdown of proteins to support digestive health. Bromelain is one of the best enzymes for dissolving collagen, according to study.

Yogurt With Probiotics

Probiotics, or beneficial bacteria found in your stomach, support the general health of your digestive system and aid in the regulation of digestion. Probiotic pills are available, but you may as well have breakfast instead.

So, consume yogurt with active cultures to help you lose weight. To enhance the sweetness, use a little amount of honey, jam, or granola.

Fennel Seeds

Fennel is quite beneficial to your digestive system, particularly because it has various uses. According to Sass, a chemical in the seeds relaxes GI spasms, allowing gas to flow and relieving bloating. After a meal, you may drink fennel tea or chew on the seeds directly.

Ginger

The digestive enzyme zingibain, which is found in ginger, aids in the breakdown of protein in your stomach. The substance may facilitate better food digestion, hence reducing gas, bloating, and constipation.

You probably don’t want to eat if you already feel bloated, so have some homemade ginger tea instead: In a cup of boiling water, steep a few slices of sliced ginger for five to ten minutes.

Peppermint and Chamomile Teas

After supper, have a hot cup of chamomile or peppermint tea if you’re feeling puffed. Both types assist release the gas that makes your stomach swollen by relaxing the GI muscles.

In addition to aiding in digestion, chamomile has calming and relaxing properties that assist reduce stomach pain of any kind.

Cinnamon

The high antioxidant content of cinnamon makes it a potential gas reliever. Studies show that cinnamon has been used for thousands of years to alleviate digestive problems, including bloating.

Conclusion : Worst Foods for Bloating

Bloating may have a variety of reasons, but sometimes it can be as simple as what you eat. If you find yourself feeling bloated, consider your diet. You could wish to substitute things like bananas, carrots, and yogurt with items like apples, dairy products, or cruciferous veggies.

To find the source of your bloating, see a healthcare professional if changing your diet doesn’t help.