Feeling bloated? The diet and lifestyle changes that can help you avoid it

If you’ve had a gutful of painful bloating – be it cramping, a swollen stomach or uncomfortable gas – these tips may ease your symptoms.

For those suffering from bloating, it is not limited to that once-a-year feeling after a big festive lunch, but a painful – and occasionally embarrassing – condition they have to manage on a regular basis.

However if you’re prone to bloating, it doesn’t have to be a lifelong punishment as there are options available to reduce its symptoms and frequency.

What is bloating?

Bloating is essentially an increased pressure sensation in the abdomen, which may be related to visible waist enlargement or abdominal distension, gastroenterologist Dr Vincent Ho says on The House of Wellness TV.

Dr Ho explains bloating in the upper gut is typically caused by swallowing a lot of air and chemical reactions in your stomach producing gases such as carbon monoxide.

Lower gut bloating can be a result of poor digestion in the small bowel caused by some fats, sugars and carbohydrates, which produces a lot of gas when they are fermented by bacteria in the colon, Dr Ho says.

“Bloating affects one in six people worldwide, and three out of four people who have irritable bowel syndrome will also have bloating,” Dr Ho says.

What causes bloating?

At least 50 per cent of Australian adults experience unpleasant gut symptoms such as bloating, gas and constipation.

Nutritionist Bec Miller says food intolerances, gut bacteria imbalances, parasites and missing digestive enzymes are often to blame for bloating.

“For instance, women with dairy intolerance lack the enzyme lactase to break lactose down, causing bloating,” Bec says.

Likewise, some short-term bloating can be attributed to eating high-fibre foods such as legumes and cabbage.

Nutritionist and dietitian Maddi Parsons says other triggers can include stress, hormone changes, fluid retention and undereating.

“Restrictive diets or undereating can slow down the digestive tract, and as a result of the slowed rate of food passing through, bloating can occur,” she says.

Dietitian Aleisha Paten says an accumulation of gas in the bowel from swallowing air when eating or drinking, chewing gum, eating too quickly, or drinking through straws can also cause bloating, while some women may experience it around their period.

While it can cause a sore stomach, burping, constipation, flatulence and cramps, bloating is completely normal.

Which foods trigger bloating?

Foods high in dietary fibre

Some foods are more likely to cause bloating, including foods with certain sugars, starches and fibres.

In other words, eating a lot of carbohydrates or chugging back fizzy drinks can also cause issues.

“A number of foods you may eat every day, such as garlic or brown rice, contain a special type of soluble fibre known as a prebiotic dietary fibre,” Aleisha says.

This fibre can help the gut’s good bacteria “grow and thrive”.

Foods that can commonly cause bloating, include:

• High-fibre foods (wholegrains, lentils, legumes, certain fruits)
• Salty foods
• Fizzy drinks
• Alcohol
• Dairy products

Gluten-containing foods

“If women experience ongoing, very painful bloating after eating other foods, it can be different and mean that certain foods are triggering it and that they have a possible food intolerance,” Bec says.

“This will be different for everyone, but the most common trigger is gluten-containing foods. The second is dairy.”

However, Aleisha adds you may still end up experiencing pain even if you opt for a gluten-free option.

“It may not be the gluten in the pizza that is causing symptoms – it could be the fatty meat or greasy oils that are used,” she says.

“Eating large volumes of food, especially rich and fatty foods such as creamy curries or takeaways, slow down digestion and can lead to bloating and fullness.”

How to reduce bloating fast

“One of the first tips I’ll recommend in someone addressing bloating is dietary modification because if you get less of those foods that are not broken down well by the small bowel into the colon, then there’s less fermentation by the bacteria,” Dr Ho advises.

“The second step is to look at the bacteria in the colon.

“If the colonic bacteria ferment foods and produce a lot of gas, then it makes sense that if we change the types of bacteria in the colon from gas producing to non-gas producing or minimally gas-producing, that can make a difference.”

A 2018 study suggests following a low FODMAP diet may help reduce the total colonic gas production.

How to avoid bloating

Dietary tips to avoid bloating

Simple dietary strategies such as drinking lots of water, reducing alcohol consumption and processed foods can play a part in lowering the risk of bloating.

Bec also advocates leaving a gap of three to five hours between meals to give your body time to digest food properly.

Adding foods such as oranges, yoghurt, banana and ginger to your diet can aid in reducing gas produced by your gut.

“However, it is still important to eat lots of good fibres to keep the gut thriving,” Aleisha says.

Move more, stress less

According to a recent study, exercise after meals was positively associated with improvements in gas and bloating.

“Even if you’re in pain, going for a walk out in nature can help you by getting it moving and simultaneously lowering your stress levels,” Bec says.

“Try to reduce your stress levels too, as anxiety and stress can absolutely make symptoms worse.”

Herbal remedies to prevent bloating

Some gentle herbal remedies may assist with symptoms of fluid retention causing bloating, according to community pharmacist, master herbalist and The House of Wellness commentator Gerald Quigley.

“Gentle herbal remedies for that occasional fluid retention – things like dandelion, things like phyllanthus, there’s celery – these things have been clinically proven to make a difference,” Gerald told The House of Wellness radio.

Can a woman’s age and life stage play a role in bloating?

Yes. The hormones in a woman’s body at different stages of her menstrual cycle and in menopause can contribute to bloating symptoms.

“Before a woman starts her period, and during, she is more likely to experience increased gas and bloating due to hormonal shifts that affect how quickly food moves through the GI tract,” Bec says.

“Also, prostaglandins increase – which can cause smooth muscle contractions and lead to enhanced gastrointestinal distention, pain, and sometimes diarrhoea.”

For more on caring for your stomach:

• Dining out with a sensitive stomach? Here’s what to do
• 8 super herbs and spices for gut health
• Why microscopic colitis could be the reason you have bowel pain
• Jacqui Felgate: Why we need to talk about IBS

Words by Alexandra Feiam and Siobhan Duck. Updated by Melissa Hong, January 2024.