“Bloating can have two main causes: Too much gas and a problem with the movement of gas,” says Ashkan Farhadi, M.D., a gastroenterologist at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center and director of MemorialCare Medical Group’s Digestive Disease Center in Fountain Valley, California. “Basically, you either generate too much of it or you cannot move it along, and the reasons for those can vary.” Research2 has tied certain types of probiotics to a reduction in gas and bloating, so look for probiotics that contain Bifidobacterium lactis3 HN0193, Bifidobacterium lactis4 Bi-074, and Lactobacillus acidophilus4 NCFM4.* If you find that you’re bloated after having fiber-rich foods, Firshein recommends cutting back on how much you have. Then, “slowly build the foundation for digesting those foods by eating small amounts of fiber and slowly increasing to tolerance.” There are a few tricks that may help, too. “Generally, my rule is no raw food after 4 p.m.,” Firshein says, noting that raw foods often contain high levels of fiber. For anyone who experiences bloating related to digestion, “learning to eat slower, chewing your food, and not eating too late at night can help,” he adds. Eating more foods that reduce bloating, like cucumbers, avocado, ginger, and yogurt may also help keep future buildup at bay. Of course, it’s possible that your bloating is due to an underlying health condition like a gut imbalance or food intolerance. If bloating is a continuous issue for you, Sachdev recommends seeing your doctor. They may recommend that you try dietary changes or get tested for a food intolerance, among other assessment tools.
