Types Of Foods That Cause Bloating And What You Should Eat Instead
- Foods that cause bloating include beans, carbonated beverages, onions, dairy, sweeteners, and cruciferous vegetables.
- Beans cause bloating because they contain two types of fiber that are hard to digest, called galacto-oligosaccharides and resistant starch.
- Carbonated beverages may also cause bloating because they contain carbon dioxide gas, which can expand in your belly.
- This article was medically reviewed by Rudolph Bedford, MD, a gastroenterologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California.
Everyone experiences bloating from time to time: that uncomfortably full feeling and swollen, distended belly. This is a result of excess gas trapped in the gut. While there can be various causes of bloating, sometimes finding relief is as easy as making some simple changes to your diet. There are plenty of foods that can cause bloating, depending on the individual.We spoke to a registered dietician who is an expert on bloating to find out why certain foods can cause bloating, and what we can replace them with to feel better.
Swap Unhealthy Fats To Reduce Bloat
Including too much fat in your diet will likely result in a full feeling, increased bloat, and digestive disturbance. Balancing healthy and unhealthy fats will help eliminate some of these symptoms. Healthy fat turns on the hormone leptin, which helps signal to your body when your stomach is full. It also dials down the hunger hormone ghrelin so that you feel as if you are satiated, Dr. Shemek says.
Keep in mind that although healthy fats are good for you, they can cause discomfort and expansion of the stomach as well. For instance, peanut butter can be hard to digest and can cause the abdominals to feel tight and distended, which may be linked to a food intolerance or an unknown peanut allergy. Experiment with other nut spreads such as cashew or almond butter as an alternative to reduce bloat.
Avocados are another popular healthy fat but should be proportioned wisely. They contain salicylates, which cause gas, bloating, and stomach pain, so eating too much could result in adverse effects. Try swapping avocado with hummus or edamame for a healthy alternative.
If you regularly suffer from bloat, take a look at your diet first. Even some of the healthiest foods can leave our digestive systems in a bit of distress. Try these easy foods swaps to reduce bloat next time your system is feeling a bit under pressure.
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Do Potatoes Cause Gas
Potatoes are a very popular vegetable around the world. They are just behind wheat, when it comes to total food crop consumption in the United States. They are appreciated for their remarkable taste and flavor, and also for their numerous health benefits. However, many people do complain of bloating after eating potatoes. Do these vegetables really make you gassy? Well, lets find out.
When your stomach gets bloated, you feel tight and full, perhaps with your pants finding it hard to fit your body. You then start to pass out a lot of gas or flatulence very frequently, which may have an offensive or foul smell. This can be very embarrassing.
Although its natural to fart, it becomes out of this world to be releasing gas more than 30 times a day. If you happen to be so, then you are likely bloated. This means you have to evaluate your diet, and find the culprit of your gas problems.
Most reports have put an average person to fart about 14 times a day, and release anywhere between 500-2000mL of gas everyday. Thats a lot if you ask me. I personally dont fart as much. But be rest assured that you are okay if you fart that much everyday. Thats just how humans are.
Do potatoes cause gas and bloating?
Yes. Potatoes cause gas and bloating. This has been attributed to the starchy nature of their content. Starch content usually gets broken down in the large intestine and produces gas in the process. In fact, among all starchy foods, rice is the only one that doesnt cause gas.
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Onions Garlic Leeks And Shallots
Another set of vegetables that can cause gas and digestive problems are onions and the closely related garlic, leeks and shallots. These all contain high levels of fructans, such as inulin and fructooligosaccharides.
While considered a prebiotic, the fructans in onions, leeks, shallots and garlic can cause gastrointestinal issues for many people, including bloating, excessive gas and even diarrhea and an aggravation of IBS symptoms.
If you experience intestinal pain after eating a meal with a lot of onion in it then a cup of ginger tea can usually help relieve it .
Shallots, leeks, onions and especially garlic are also particularly high in sulfur compounds and can lead to some very smelly farts if eaten in excess. Eating parsley in the same meal as members of the onion family can help reduce both their gassiness and odor.
Earl Grey Blueberry Oatmeal
Serves: 1Nutrition: 397 calories, 11.4 g fat , 156 mg sodium, 64.6 g carbs, 9.3 g fiber, 25.6 g sugar, 14.3g protein Wait, earl grey tea in oatmeal? You bet! This blogger has taken an artsy spin on the classic bowl of oatmeal by actually infusing the herbs from the tea bag into the gooey oats. Not only do oats provide a decent amount of fiber per serving, theyre also rich in B vitamins and potassium, both of which help flush out that excess water hanging out around the abdomen!
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A List Of Low Gas Vegetables
Some people will be particularly sensitive to gassy vegetables with their high levels of oligosaccharides, fructans or sulfur compounds. They may need to greatly reduce or even eliminate these kind of foods to avoid painful gastrointestinal problems.
For best results replace them with a mix of the following healthy low gas vegetables:
- Zucchini
- Iceberg lettuce and the even healthier Romaine lettuce
- Red and orange bell pepper
- Parsley, coriander and other green herbs
- Cooked spinach, Swiss chard and most other leafy greens
- Summer, winter and butternut squash
- Fresh peas and green beans do cause gas as well but usually not as much as dried beans or chickpeas
- Bok choy, arugula and watercress are less gassy than other cruciferous vegetables
These veggies dont commonly cause bad gas and you should be able to enjoy most them, even in fairly large servings, without experiencing bloating and excessive flatulence the next day.
The FODMAP diet can be helpful to pinpoint which particular foods are most problematic if you are having ongoing gastrointestinal upsets.
Keep Track Of The Foods You Eat
Keep a food journal, write down the foods you have eaten, and record your body’s initial reaction. If you observe an increase in intestinal gas and bloating after eating certain food items, reduce or stop consuming them. If youre getting gas problems and having a hard time finding the foods that cause bloating, try to list all the foods that are tummy-friendly, and then add different food every two days to try to identify the foods that cause gas.
Understand that other people can digest food easily compare to others. Some peoples systems are unable to digest certain foods while some can eat them without having complications.
Remember: Many foods high in carbohydrates produce gas and bloating . Starch-containing foods like rice, maize, noodles, pasta, potatoes, pulses, and wheat, usually produce gas.
Hope this article helped! Remember, gas is nothing to be ashamed ofevery human experiences and has it. By being smart about your diet and more informed, you can easily control it. Good luck!
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What To Remember Most About This Article:
Heres a recap of some key ways to make digesting raw vegetables easier:
- Include fermented foods and drinks in your diet so you can build a healthy inner ecosystem. A gut supported by beneficial bacteria can help you digest your food and assimilate the nutrients. Cultured vegetables allow you to get all the benefits of fermented foods and raw vegetables at the same time.
- Chew your vegetables completely at least 20 times per bite.
- Bake, simmer, sauté, or lightly steam your vegetables to make them more digestible.
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More Advice To Beat The Bloat:
1. Eat fermented food once a day: Foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, pickles, kefir and kombucha are naturally high in probiotics. Like the probiotic supplement, fermented foods introduce good microorganisms that can contribute to maintaining a balanced, healthy gut.
2. Drink up: When youre dehydrated, your electrolyte levels can become unbalanced. This means you could be holding on to unwanted water weight without even realizing it. Drinking more water does not mean more water is retained. Drinking more water means your body can flush out any excess more easily.
3. Move more: You can be eating the right foods, but if youre spending all day sitting, the stagnation can cause unwanted gas buildup. Make a point to get up and move every hour.
Breakfast: 1 cup green tea with an egg scramble with leftover grilled salmon and asparagus
Snack:Gut health smoothie: 1/2 cup plain kefir, 1/3 cup papaya and 1/4 avocado
Lunch: Spinach , 2 teaspoons olive oil and top with 1 tablespoon of chopped pecans and 4-6 ounces lemon herb chicken
Dinner: Large romaine lettuce salad with carrots, tomatoes and red bell peppers top with simple lemon dressing roasted fennel, sweet potato fries and 4-6 ounces parchment baked salmon
Drink flat water with lemon throughout the day!
For more advice from Keri Glassman, follow her on .
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Joy Bauer Shares Tips To Beat The Bloat This Summer
Similar to bloating is water retention. This lovely feeling is usually caused by consuming too much salt . High levels of sodium cause your body to hold on to extra unwanted fluid. Not only can bloating and water retention be uncomfortable and less than attractive, it can be downright painful. Here is a guideline to beat the bloat.
Why Are Green Beans Harmful To Your Health
Green beans are good for your heart.
Green beans are cholesterol-free. Although your body need a certain amount of cholesterol for proper cell development, too much is harmful. High cholesterol may cause fat deposits to form in your arteries. This may trigger a heart attack or stroke by reducing blood flow to your heart and brain.
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Biona Rye Bread Pumpkin Seed 500g 215 Holland & Barrett
A snack of hummus on a slice of this nutritious organic rye bread will keep your blood sugar levels steady and fill you up until dinner time.
A wholegrain, wheat free bread such as this will provide lots of fibre and offers a rich, nutty taste, says Sarah. But note that it contains gluten.
Dense and flour-free.
Other Food Items That Make You Gassy And Bloated
- Sugar-free candies. The artificial sweeteners in sugar-free candies, including sugar-free chocolate, can cause digestive problems. Often labeled as sugar alcohols in the ingredients list, theyre used in a variety of food products and drinks from sugarless gums and hard candy to sports beverages.
- Sugar-free products in general. Avoid products that claim to be sugar-free” or contain “less sugar, as theres a good chance that sugar alcohols are used to substitute the sugar. Other examples of sugar alcohols or artificial sweeteners that you may see in the ingredients list are cornstarch, erythritol, glycerol, isomalt, lactitol, maltitol, mannitol, sorbitol, and xylitol.
- Soft drinks. Soft drinks contain carbon dioxide bubbles, which can cause gassy and bloated tummies.
- Some alcohol. Beer, red wine, and other types of wine made from natural ingredients such as jungle juice and tuba can cause excessive gas in the stomach.
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Best Bread Brands That Should Help Beat The Bloat
So, are there breads that wont make you bloat? There are many reasons why we may experience bloating as well as many different types of bread, and one size doesnt fit all, says Sarah.
Helen agrees: Peoples responses are very individual, so experiment with different grains and types of bread, she says. Some people with IBS, for example, find white bread much easier to tolerate because its high fibre foods that are a trigger. Or, if youre sensitive to yeast, yeast free flat breads like pitta or tortilla may be fine. Id recommend anyone who suspects an intolerance to try cutting down on portion sizes, then ask your GP for diagnostic tests before cutting it out completely. A dietitian like myself will be able to advise you.
Take a look at these six options they may be the breads that wont make you bloat.
High in fibre, with live cultures.
On A Date At An Italian Restaurant:
13. Pizza
The problem: Pizza dough is obviously made from wheat, an ingredient that can trigger gas and bloating in some people, according to Dr. Chey. The cheese doesn’t help, particularly if you’re lactose intolerant. And if your slice is dripping with grease, it will make you feel worse for longer, because dietary fat delays gastric emptying to keep food in your system for longer.
Instead, eat: Pasta lightly dressed in red sauce and hold the cheese. Pasta goes down more easily than dense pizza dough, according to Dr. Chey, so you’re less likely to have problems.
14. Garlic Knots
Instead, eat: Plain Italian bread anything that comes in your breadbasket is likely to be a better pick.
15. Cream Sauce
Heavy cream-based sauces contain lots of fat, which takes a long time to digest not ideal when you’re planning to chill horizontally the second you get back to your place. And cream will obviously upset your stomach if you have a dairy sensitivity.
Instead: Red sauce. Just avoid any dish that’s uber garlicky or spicy, which can trigger uncomfortable heartburn.
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Does Sourdough Bread Cause Less Bloating
Sourdough bread is often made using various wheat-based flours. Just like conventional bread this can lead to us feeling bloated if eaten in large amounts, or due to the gas produced in our gut in response to any prebiotics in the bread, says Sarah.
Interestingly though,100% spelt sourdough bread tends to be low in fructans due to the fermentation process so you may not feel as bloated when eating this in moderation assuming there are no added prebiotics, she explains.
Some studies suggest that when using sourdough to make bread some gluten is broken down, so bread made with sourdough may cause fewer gut symptoms in some people, says Helen. However, levels of gluten still remain too high for it to be appropriate for coeliac sufferers, she warns.
Sourdough bread is often touted as one of the best loaves, thanks to its simplicity of ingredients, but in reality the healthiest loaf is the one you tolerate best, adds Helen. If you dont have a problem with seeded wholegrain then youll get more fibre and nutrients, so go for that.
A supplement could help bloating.
Roasted Asparagus And Wheat Berry Salad With Pistachio Pesto
Serves: 4Nutrition: 362 calories, 23.1 g fat , 471 mg sodium, 35.3 g carbs, 7.3 g fiber, 2.2 g sugar, 2.4 g protein
Last but not certainly not least, this dishs sauce contains the key player in this bloat-free recipe! Pistachios are loaded in potassium, which help regulate your bodys sodium levels and as you know, too much sodium can cause fluid retention. If you are a lover nuts, read up on 15 Nuts Better Than Supplements and Protein Powder to see all of the amazing abilities specific nuts have on your body and mind!
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Gassiest Vegetables And Legumes
The following vegetables are those most likely to give you gas due to the fact that they contain the sugars raffinose and/or fructose. Remember these vegetables are actually very good for you, so just avoid them on those occasions when you absolutely need to be gas-free:
- Artichokes
Among the legumes, these are the gassiest:
- Baked beans
On A Date At A Mexican Restaurant:
10. Nachos
In the context of digestion and related issues, the corn used to make tortilla chips is relatively harmless. The problem with nachos? They’re fully loaded with: beans that contain indigestible sugars called galactans, which explain their reputation as a major gas producers fatty meat that can trigger indigestion sour cream and cheese, which bloat up anyone who’s sensitive to lactose and guac and salsa, which are made with onions and garlic, two ingredients that sneakily cause gas, according to Dr. Chey. Talk about a recipe for digestive D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R.
Instead, eat: Plain tortilla chips. “Corn bran is not fermentable,” Dr. Chey explains, which means any corn fiber you can’t digest just passes through your system without creating gas in the gut.
11. Burritos
Between the wheat wrap, bean filling, cheese, fajita onions, and the sheer amount of food stuffed into the average burrito, burritos are good for two things: Their general deliciousness, and their ability to get you out of a date fast. _/¯ )
Instead, eat: Tacos. A chicken- or fish-topped corn tortilla is your safest bet because corn is easier on the stomach than wheat chicken and fish are lighter and easiest to digest than meats and small tacos hold less food than burrito wraps, so they automatically reduce your risk of overeating . Just lay off the side of beans! and stick with rice.
12. Margarita
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