Halved kiwifruit, oats and peppermint tea on a table

Foods That Help with Bloating: A Practical Guide

ByCraig Brockie Last updated

What bloating is and why food matters

Bloating is a feeling of fullness or swelling in your belly. When the belly actually gets larger, doctors call it distention, and only about half of people with bloating also have it, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). Some gas and bloating during or after meals is normal.

Most gut gas comes from two places, NIDDK explains: air you swallow, and bacteria in the large intestine breaking down carbohydrates your stomach and small intestine did not fully digest. No food flattens a belly on its own, but some give gas-making bacteria less to work with, and a few have small studies behind them. This guide is general information, not medical advice.

Foods and drinks that may help with bloating

Oranges, blueberries, carrots and cucumber on a cutting board

Several of these are better described as lower-gas swaps than remedies.

Food or drinkWhy it may helpStrength of evidence
Green kiwifruitEased bloating scores in adults with constipationOne small 4-week trial
Oats and linseed (flaxseed)Soluble fiber for bloating linked to constipationNHS advice
WaterHelps fiber work and softens stoolNHS and NIDDK advice
Plain yogurt, hard cheese, lactose-free milkLess lactose, or cultures that help digest itSmall studies plus NIDDK advice
Low-FODMAP fruits and vegetablesFewer fermentable carbohydratesStrongest for people with IBS
Eggs, plain meat, fish, firm tofuNaturally free of FODMAPsMonash University food lists
Peppermint teaPeppermint oil capsules help some IBS symptomsLittle research on the tea itself
GingerSped stomach emptying in one tiny trialWeak; symptoms did not change
Lower-salt mealsHigh sodium raised bloating riskRandomized feeding trial, 412 adults

Kiwifruit

In a 2021 U.S. trial, 79 adults with chronic constipation ate two green kiwifruit a day, 100 grams of prunes, or 12 grams of psyllium for four weeks. All three helped bowel movements. Only the kiwifruit group reported a significant improvement in bloating, and it had the fewest side effects. The study was small and about constipation, so it does not show kiwi helps bloating from other causes.

Oats, linseed and soluble fiber

The NHS suggests foods high in soluble fiber, such as oats or linseed, if you are bloated because you are constipated. NIDDK advises adding fiber slowly, by 2 to 3 grams a day, to help prevent gas and bloating, and notes that soluble fiber seems more helpful than insoluble fiber for IBS symptoms.

A supplement is not automatically gentler than food: Mayo Clinic notes psyllium fiber supplements may increase colon gas. Drink with your fiber. NIDDK says water and other liquids help fiber work better and make stools softer. See our constipation relief guide.

Yogurt, hard cheese and lactose-free milk

If dairy bloats you, lactose may be the reason. Lactose intolerance can cause bloating, gas and diarrhea within a few hours, NIDDK says, but you may not need to give dairy up. Many people with lactose intolerance can have about 12 grams of lactose, the amount in a cup of milk, with mild or no symptoms. NIDDK suggests yogurt and hard cheeses such as cheddar or Swiss, which are lower in lactose, and lactose-free milk.

Yogurt has an extra edge. In a small 1984 study, lactase-deficient adults who ate 18 grams of lactose in yogurt produced about a third as much breath hydrogen, a sign of undigested lactose, as they did with milk, and reported less diarrhea and flatulence. The live cultures release their own lactase in the gut. Our article on whether Greek yogurt gives you gas covers this in more detail.

Lower-FODMAP swaps

FODMAPs are carbohydrates that are hard to digest. Monash University, which developed the low-FODMAP diet, lists easy swaps: oranges, kiwifruit, pineapple, blueberries or cantaloupe in place of apples, pears, mango or watermelon, and carrot, cucumber, green beans, eggplant, lettuce or potato in place of onion, garlic, mushrooms or asparagus. Eggs, firm tofu and plain cooked meat, poultry and fish are naturally free of FODMAPs. Oats and rice are lower-FODMAP grains.

The full low-FODMAP diet is meant for irritable bowel syndrome. NIDDK describes trying it for a few weeks and then adding foods back slowly, and Monash advises working with a dietitian.

Peppermint and ginger

Peppermint oil in enteric-coated capsules may improve IBS symptoms, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), which cites a 2022 review of 10 studies with 1,030 participants. Very little research has looked at peppermint leaf, though peppermint tea appears safe. Peppermint can also cause heartburn. Treat the tea as a comfort drink, not a proven fix; see our comparison of teas for digestion.

Ginger has even thinner support for bloating. In a trial of 11 people with functional dyspepsia, 1.2 grams of ginger in capsules made the stomach empty faster than placebo but did not change symptoms such as fullness. NCCIH notes that ginger has mostly been studied for nausea, and that it can cause abdominal discomfort and heartburn.

Less salt

In the DASH-Sodium trial, 412 adults ate controlled diets at three sodium levels for 30 days each. High sodium raised the risk of bloating by about 27 percent, on either diet. The high-fiber DASH diet raised it too, and the authors suggest cutting sodium may partly offset that.

Foods and habits that commonly make bloating worse

NIDDK lists foods that often lead to extra gas: apples, peaches, pears and fruit juice; broccoli, cauliflower, kale and other cruciferous vegetables; beans, peas and lentils; milk, ice cream and yogurt; whole wheat; drinks with high-fructose corn syrup; and sweeteners ending in “-ol,” such as sorbitol, xylitol and erythritol. High-fat foods can increase bloating too, and Mayo Clinic adds that soda and beer increase stomach gas.

Many of these are healthy, so cut back on the ones that bother you rather than whole food groups. Our list of foods that are hard to digest goes further. How you eat matters as well. NIDDK and the NHS suggest these habits:

  • Eat slowly, and sit down to eat when you can.
  • Have smaller, more frequent meals instead of large ones, and avoid big meals late at night.
  • Limit gum, hard candy, fizzy drinks and drinking through a straw, which all add swallowed air.
  • Chew with your mouth closed, and avoid talking while you eat.
  • Exercise regularly; the NHS says it can also help when you already feel bloated.

How to put this together

  1. Keep a diary for a week or two. Note what you eat and when you feel bloated. NIDDK notes a diary can help a doctor or dietitian spot trigger foods.
  2. Change one thing at a time. Swap one suspect food and give it a few days.
  3. Raise fiber slowly. Add a few grams a day from oats, kiwifruit or linseed, with plenty of water.
  4. Test dairy. Try lactose-free milk or a small serving of plain yogurt with a meal instead of a glass of milk.
  5. Get help for suspected IBS. A doctor or dietitian can guide a short low-FODMAP trial. Our easy-to-digest foods list is a gentler place to start.

When to see a doctor

The NHS advises seeing a doctor if you feel bloated regularly, if diet changes have not helped, or if bloating comes with unintentional weight loss or blood in your stool. It advises urgent care if bloating comes with vomiting, diarrhea or constipation, stomach pain, a fever, a swelling or lump in your belly, or if you cannot pee, poo or pass gas. It also notes that bloating that does not go away can sometimes be a sign of something more serious, such as ovarian cancer.

Mayo Clinic says to seek immediate care for prolonged stomach pain or chest pain, and NIDDK advises talking with a doctor if your symptoms change suddenly. Get emergency help for severe, sudden belly pain or vomiting blood. This article is general information and is not medical advice.

Related topics

Sources

This article is for general information and is not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian before changing your diet, supplements or medication, especially if you have a health condition.

Craig Brockie is the founder of Ultimate Health Solutions, the company behind Ultimate Gut, and the author of Ultimate Health, The Ultimate Gut Health Guide and The Unlimited Probiotics Guide. After injuries and chronic health problems in his twenties that conventional care didn’t resolve, he began researching health on his own and has studied natural health for 30 years. He is not a medical professional, and his articles are general information, not medical advice.

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