12 Proven Ways to Reduce or Stop Bloating

Bloating is a condition where your abdomen feels full, tight, and distended often due to gas. It could be accompanied by other symptoms, such as belching, flatulence, and pain.

Everyone experiences these digestive issues from time to time, making it difficult to perform daily activities.

Here are some scientifically proven ways to quickly reduce bloating.

3 ways to expel gas

1. Burping or belching: Swallowed air may stay in the stomach and can be released through belching.
2. Abdominal bloating: This occurs when air is trapped in the colon or small bowel.
3. Flatus: Air passed through the bowel is typically released as flatus.

12 proven ways to reduce or stop bloating

1. Eat slowly: Besides eating the right food, chewing slowly can prevent bloating. Eating quickly can introduce air into the stomach, causing a balloon-like feeling. Chewing food well allows for sufficient time for digestion.
2. Eat at regular intervals: Large gaps between meals can lead to gas formation by gut bacteria. Having small, frequent meals throughout the day keeps the digestive system active. Snacking on nuts or fruits between meals can prevent bloating.
3. Consume a fibrous diet for regular bowel movements: Sufficient fiber intake helps food pass through the digestive tract at the right pace. This is crucial to prevent constipation (when food moves too slowly) or diarrhea (when food moves too quickly). Soluble fiber slows down food movement, adding bulk to stool, while insoluble fiber softens stool for easier passage.
4. Avoid overeating: Feeling bloated after a large meal is common, especially when eating quickly. Eating too quickly can make it difficult to gauge food intake and lead to overeating. Portion control and mindful eating are key.
5. Stay hydrated: Fluids work in conjunction with fiber to maintain a healthy digestive system. Adequate hydration softens stool. Insufficient water intake can result in dry, hard stool that is difficult to pass.
6. Foods that may help prevent or treat constipation: Incorporating the following foods into your diet can aid digestion and prevent bloating: quinoa, oatmeal, pineapple, watermelon, apples, berries, green tea, celery, ginger, cucumbers, and fermented foods.
7. Include probiotics: Probiotics promote healthy gut bacteria, reducing bloating. Yogurt, kefir, and pickles are good sources of probiotics.
8. Limit sodium intake: High sodium content in snacks and processed foods causes water retention, leading to bloating. Reduce consumption of salty, processed, spicy, and fried foods.
9. Limit specific bloating-triggering foods: Vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and cabbage; fruits like prunes, apples, pears, and peaches; whole grains like wheat, oats, and wheat bran; legumes; sugar alcohols and artificial sweeteners; soda and carbonated beverages; and tea and coffee can all contribute to bloating.
10. Watch out for food allergies and intolerances: Food intolerance or allergies can cause discomfort and bloating. Pay attention to how your body reacts to certain foods, especially those containing lactose, fructose, eggs, or gluten.
11. Avoid swallowing excess air: Consuming carbonated drinks, chewing gum, and using straws can lead to excessive air swallowing, resulting in abdominal discomfort.
12. Be cautious with high-fiber and fatty or processed foods: High-fiber foods like legumes, beans, and lentils can cause gas production. Fatty foods can slow down digestion and exacerbate bloating.

QUESTION

13 additional tips to help prevent or stop bloating

1. Have your dentures checked for a good fit
2. Increase physical activity during the day
3. Sit up straight after eating
4. Take a post-meal stroll
5. Avoid or limit alcohol consumption
6. Massage your stomach from right to left to release trapped wind
7. Avoid large meals late at night before bed
8. Drink beverages at room temperature
9. Try natural home remedies and over-the-counter medications to reduce gas and bloating. Natural remedies include peppermint tea, chamomile tea, anise, caraway, coriander, fennel, and turmeric.
10. Over-the-counter gas remedies include Pepto-Bismol, activated charcoal, antacids, lactase enzyme, and Beano.
11. Try a low FODMAP diet to reduce bloating.
12. Manage weight and avoid rapid weight gain.

What causes bloating?

Intestinal gas, containing oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and methane, is caused by various factors. The two most common causes are eating behaviors and bacterial fermentation of certain foods.

• Food behaviors and activity levels: Unhealthy habits like eating quickly or consuming alcohol while eating can cause swallowing of excess air. Bulky foods also contribute to swallowing air. Certain behaviors like talking while eating, eating when upset or stressed, smoking or chewing tobacco, using a straw or sports bottle, overloading the stomach, deep sighing, drinking very hot or cold beverages, chewing gum or eating hard candies, drinking from a water fountain, wearing tight-fitting garments, and long-term use of cold-relieving medications can increase gas production. The colon’s bacteria, yeasts, and fungi ferment undigested carbohydrates, leading to gas production. Lactose and beans are common sources of gas-causing carbohydrates.
• Stool backup in the bowels: Constipation can cause gas and distention of the lower stomach.
• Other triggers of bloating: Food allergies, intolerances (lactose, gluten), celiac disease, irritable bowel syndrome, hormonal fluctuations during menstruation, and pregnancy can all cause bloating.