How To Stop Bloating: A Practical Guide To Feeling Your Best

Bloating can be uncomfortable, frustrating, and even embarrassing at times. It’s that feeling of fullness, tightness, or swelling in your abdomen that can leave you struggling to feel like yourself. Fortunately, bloating is usually manageable with some simple dietary and lifestyle changes. This article explains what bloating is, why it happens, and how you can prevent and reduce it naturally.

Bloating is a sensation of fullness, tightness, or swelling in the abdomen that often occurs when gas builds up in the stomach or intestines. It may also come with visible distension, where your stomach appears larger or feels firmer than usual (1).

This issue is very common—it’s estimated that up to 30% of adults experience bloating regularly, with women reporting it more frequently than men (2). Oftentimes, occasional bloating can be managed with lifestyle and dietary adjustments (1), but very frequent bloating or bloating that persists despite homecare needs medical evaluation.

Bloating can stem from several factors, including dietary habits, digestive health, and overall lifestyle. Common causes include:

• Consumption of gas-producing foods: Certain foods like beans, broccoli, cauliflower, and onions can increase gas production in the digestive system (3).

• Food intolerances: Sensitivities to lactose (4), gluten (5), and/or artificial sweeteners can sometimes lead to bloating (6) and other digestive symptoms.

• Eating habits: Eating too quickly, not chewing thoroughly, or swallowing air while drinking or chewing gum can contribute to bloating (7,8,9).

• Constipation: When stool moves slowly through the intestines, there is opportunity for gas to build up, potentially causing bloating (10).

• Imbalance of gut bacteria: A disrupted microbiome can lead to excess gas and poor digestion (11).

In some cases, bloating may indicate more serious medical conditions such as Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO), Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Crohn’s disease, Celiac disease, or other medical conditions. If bloating is frequent, severe, or accompanied by other symptoms like pain or weight loss, it’s important to seek medical care.

Bloating often responds well to lifestyle and dietary modification (8). Below are some of my favorite strategies for managing occasional mild bloating at home:

Chewing your food properly is one of the simplest and most effective ways to encourage smooth digestion (9). Distracted eating or eating on the go can lead to improper chewing, which may contribute to occasional digestive discomfort. To support effective digestion, aim to chew each bite at least 30 times. Chewing thoroughly breaks food into smaller, more manageable particles and stimulates the release of saliva, which contains digestive enzymes that aid in breaking down carbohydrates and fats. Less likelihood of undigested food reaching the intestines means less opportunity for food particles to ferment and produce gas.

If you regularly struggle with bloating, following an elimination diet can be an effective way to identify potential triggers. This approach involves temporarily removing common culprits such as dairy, gluten, soy, and artificial sweeteners from your diet for 2–4 weeks. For bloating, it can be helpful to temporarily remove FODMAPs, too (14).

FODMAP stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols—types of carbohydrates that can ferment in the gut, potentially contributing to gas and bloating. Foods like onions, garlic, apples, and certain legumes are high in FODMAPs (15).

After this elimination period, reintroduce these foods one at a time while carefully tracking your body’s reactions.

To learn more about elimination diets, read these articles: 

• How To Conduct An Elimination Diet To Assess Food Sensitivities
• Elimination Diet VS Allergy Blood Test: Which Is Best For Assessing Food Sensitivities?

A healthy gut fosters proper digestion, and a well-balanced microbiome plays a key role in preventing bloating. Probiotics, or "good bacteria," are essential for breaking down certain components of the food we eat, including non-digestible fibers called prebiotics (1). By aiding in this breakdown, probiotics reduce the amount of undigested food reaching the large intestine, where it could otherwise ferment and produce gas (10).

When the balance of good bacteria in the gut is disrupted—due to factors like poor diet, stress, or antibiotic use—this digestive process can become impaired. Without sufficient probiotics, more food remains undigested and ferments in the gut, leading to excess gas production and bloating.

To support a healthy microbiome, include probiotic-rich foods like kefir and sauerkraut in your diet, or consider a high-quality probiotic supplement. Prebiotic foods, such as garlic, onions, bananas, and asparagus, are often recommended to feed probiotics and encourage their growth. However, the gut may struggle to process large amounts of prebiotic fibers (16), sometimes leading to increased gas and bloating rather than improved digestion.

Gradually introducing prebiotic foods and monitoring your gut’s response can help minimize discomfort.

Proper hydration is essential for healthy digestion (17). When your body is dehydrated, constipation becomes more likely (18), which can contribute to gas buildup and bloating. Drinking enough fluids helps keep things moving smoothly through your digestive tract, reducing the risk of discomfort.

Aim to drink plenty of water throughout the day, as well as other hydrating options like homemade electrolyte drinks, herbal teas, or broths. Bone broth, with its amino acid content, not only hydrates but also provides additional soothing benefits for the digestive system (19). Avoid carbonated beverages, as they can introduce extra gas into your system (20).

To learn more about hydration, read this article: Signs Of Dehydration In Kids & Infants Plus Dr. Green Mom’s Homemade Electrolyte Drink Recipe

Gentle movement is an effective way to relieve trapped gas and stimulate digestion (21), making it a valuable tool for reducing bloating and managing constipation. Taking a 10-15 minute walk after meals can help promote digestion (22) by encouraging the natural movement of food through your digestive system.

Yoga can also be particularly beneficial, with poses like “child’s pose” and “wind-relieving pose” known to help ease occasional gas and bloating. Abdominal massage can support digestion (23) by stimulating the movement of the intestines and encouraging the release of trapped air. Gently massaging the abdomen in a clockwise direction may help reduce occasional bloating and promote overall digestive health.

To learn more about abdominal massage, read this article: Abdominal Massage For Infant Colic & Constipation Relief In Toddlers And Kids

To read about some quick and simple workouts for busy parents, read this article: Micro Workouts For New Parents

Occasional bloating is common and often linked to dietary habits or lifestyle factors. However, persistent or severe bloating may indicate underlying medical conditions like IBS or Crohn’s Disease and requires medical evaluation. To maintain digestive comfort, incorporate simple strategies such as chewing food thoroughly, sipping ginger water before meals, and staying hydrated to support smooth digestion. An elimination diet can help pinpoint trigger foods, while a focus on gut health fosters long-term digestive wellness. Gentle movement, like walking or yoga, can ease occasional trapped gas and promote regularity.