8 Proven and Healthy Ways to Reduce Bloating

Is your stomach constantly expanding, feeling like a balloon about to drift away, and you don’t know why? 

Well, don’t worry. We have 100% natural and proven ways to reduce your bloating and improve your gut health.

Why Do Our Stomachs Bloat?

Bloating is usually caused by a build-up of gas in your gastrointestinal (GI) tract. This gas can be caused by gas-producing foods or eating too quickly, which can cause you to swallow air. 

This gas build-up can also be caused by food sensitivities, food intolerance, constipation, fluid retention, parasites,
menstruation and hormone fluctuation, or undying health conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) which can directly affect your gut health.

Bloating makes your stomach appear larger than normal, causing tenderness and pain. To reduce bloating or attempt to stop it entirely, let’s look at the best and most natural ways to help.

8 Natural And Proven Ways To Reduce Bloating

Two ways that gas can get into your stomach is by the bacteria in your gut producing the gasses or by swallowing air and gas when eating or drinking. 

Eat Slowly And Chew Thoroughly 

When you eat too quickly, you tend to swallow air along with your food. This air travels into your stomach, where the food becomes trapped, leading to bloating and discomfort. 

People who eat too quickly also don’t chew their food enough. When food isn’t chewed enough, it becomes more difficult for the body to break it down. This will make it more difficult for your gut as larger food particles are harder to break down, which will cause more gas production. 

It can take time for your gut to tell your brain that your stomach is full. When you eat too quickly, you don’t allow enough time for your brain to register that it is satisfied.

This will lead to overeating as you consume more and more food before realizing you’re satisfied, which can cause your stomach to stretch and feel bloated.

To prevent bloating from overeating or swallowing air, aim to chew your food between 20 and 30 times, placing your utensils down until each morsel of food is properly chewed.

Cutting your food into smaller, easier-to-digest chunks will also aid digestion and help to negate bloating. 

Drink Water 

Water plays a crucial role in maintaining overall health and can significantly help reduce bloating and improve digestive function.

Water helps break down food, allowing your body to absorb nutrients more effectively. This ensures that digestive enzymes can function optimally, reducing the risk of bloating and indigestion.

Water also keeps the stool soft and helps it move smoothly through the digestive tract, preventing constipation, a common cause of bloating and discomfort.

Water also flushes out excess sodium from your body and helps maintain a balance of electrolytes. These balanced electrolytes improve digestive efficiency and reduce bloating.

Avoid Carbonated Drinks

There are two ways gas can find itself in your digestive systems. 

1. Gas gets produced by the bacteria that live in our stomach. 
2. Gas finds itself in the stomach by being swallowed during eating or drinking. 

The second one is usually due to carbonated drinks like soda and pops. These have bubbles of carbon dioxide that gets released after it reaches the stomach.

Carbonated drinks are infused with carbon dioxide under pressure, creating bubbles and giving them their fizz. When drunk, the CO2 is released from the liquid. This happens partly in your mouth and throat but continues in your stomach as the liquid warms up.

The released gas from the beverage, combined with any swallowed air that you may have ingested, accumulates in the stomach, building up and increasing pressure, leading to tightness, discomfort, and visible bloating. 

While your body is capable of absorbing CO2, it can’t work fast enough to absorb the vast amounts present in the drink. Some of the gas will be released through burping. However, any remaining gas will continue its journey through your digestive tract, potentially causing bloating and discomfort further along the system.

Of course, you can reduce or eliminate carbonated drinks from your diet to avoid bloating. However, if you still want to enjoy these drinks, drink more slowly to limit the amount of air you ingest, and avoid using straws, as they increase the amount of air you take in. 

Change Your Diet 

Reducing foods high in FODMAPs is another great way to manage bloating and other digestive discomforts, especially for individuals with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).  FODMAPs are a group of fermentable carbohydrates that can be difficult to digest and can cause gas, bloating, and other gastrointestinal symptoms.

Certain fruits are high in FODMAPs, such as apples, pears, and mangoes, and vegetables, such as onions, garlic, and cauliflower. Lactose dairy products, legumes, and artificial sweeteners are also high in FODMAPs. 

For those experiencing digestive issues, it can be more effective to avoid all FODMAPs entirely for one to two weeks rather than eliminating them one category at a time.

This approach not only speeds up the process but also helps identify if symptoms are due to reactions from multiple FODMAP categories or an overall sensitivity, such as in cases of Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO).

If symptoms improve significantly during this period, you can then reintroduce FODMAPs one by one to pinpoint specific triggers.

You can find out more about SIBO testing by watching this short video.

Avoid Sugar Alcohols

Avoiding sugar alcohols is another way that can help reduce bloating and other digestive issues. Sugar alcohols are low-calorie sweeteners commonly used in sugar-free and reduced-sugar products.

While they provide fewer calories than regular sugar, they can be a cause of digestive problems for some people.

Despite the name, sugar alcohols are neither sugars nor alcohols but rather carbohydrates that have a chemical structure similar to both. They are partially absorbed by the body, which is why they have fewer calories.

Unfortunately, the unabsorbed portion travels to the large intestine, where bacteria ferment it, producing gas and bloating.

To reduce bloating, reduce or eliminate sugar alcohols and adopt natural alternatives such as stevia, honey, maple syrup, or monk fruit.

Exercise

Exercising is an effective way to reduce bloating and aid digestion. Physical activity stimulates the natural contractions of your intestinal muscles, helping to move food and gas through your digestive system more efficiently, reducing bloating as movement helps to release trapped gas from your digestive tract.

Regular physical activity also promotes a healthy balance of gut bacteria, which is crucial for optimal digestion and can help prevent bloating and other digestive issues.

If you don’t exercise often, start slow by doing low-impact exercises such as walking for 20 to 30 minutes or Yoga.

The healthier you become, the more strenuous activities you can partake in, such as cardio and weight training, which will help increase your heart rate and muscle tone to aid in better digestion. 

There are also some yoga poses that can help you battle bloating. If you check out blogs like Walk Jog Run , you’ll find this and many other different tips on how to reduce bloating and be less gassy. 

Take Supplements

Supplements can also help reduce bloating. These provide specific nutrients, enzymes, and probiotics that may be lacking in your diet or help manage particular digestive issues.

Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that help balance the gut microbiome. A healthy gut microbiome aids in efficient digestion and can reduce gas production.

They can also improve overall digestive health, reduce symptoms of IBS, and enhance the body’s ability to process food without excess gas.

Digestive enzymes help break down food into smaller, absorbable components. These supplements can be particularly helpful for people with specific intolerances, such as lactose intolerance or difficulty digesting proteins and fats.

Fiber helps regulate bowel movements and can prevent constipation, a common cause of bloating. Fiber intake promotes regular bowel movements and a healthy digestive system.

Activated charcoal can bind to gas-producing compounds in the gut, helping to reduce bloating and gas.

Peppermint oil helps relax the muscles in the digestive tract, which helps reduce spasms and gas. Ginger aids in digestion by stimulating digestive enzymes and increasing gastrointestinal motility.

Lastly, fennel seeds have antispasmodic properties and can help expel trapped gas from the intestines.

Beat Constipation

Constipation can be a serious issue that can greatly worsen the effects of bloating. When constipated, stool remains in your colon for a long period of time. Thanks to this accumulation, it can cause the colon to distend. A distended colon can create a feeling of fullness and bloating. 

Bacteria in the colon ferment undigested food, producing gas. When stool sits in the colon for too long due to constipation, this fermentation process increases, adding extra gas inside your system. 

Eating more fiber can help with constipation. However, it is important to note that more fiber can cause more bloating, resulting in a vicious cycle. 

SIBO
can be a cause of bloating and constipation, so if fiber makes things worse, make sure you assess if you have SIBO.

Conclusion

No matter how much you rest, being bloated will make you tired and uncomfortable. So, make sure to get rid of that problem once and for all and live your life gas-free!

Further Testing