How to prevent bloating, here are some tips to consider:

Do you often hear that someone you know complains of bloating? or it might be you?

Bloating is when your belly feels bloated after eating. This can be due to excess gas or abnormal movement of the muscles in your digestive system.  

Bloating can often cause pain and discomfort that makes your belly look bigger. For some people, bloating is more related to pressure in the abdomen without an apparent abdominal enlargement. Therefore, bloating for them is more due to increased sensitivity to gas or fluid found in the gut.

Although bloating can result from a serious medical problem, a change in food and certain eating habits can often help you eliminate or reduce your bloating sensations. Here are some tips to consider the next time you experience bloating.

 

1- Lack of regularity in bowel movements

Sometimes constipation can make bloating worse. Because the longer the stool stays in the colon, the more the bacteria in the gut ferment what’s there. This will lead to gas and possibly bloating.

Eating high-fibre foods is generally recommended for people with constipation, but fibre can make it worse for people who have gas or bloating.

If you are looking for a way to prevent constipation, drink more water and become more physically active. Those are effective in letting you use the bathroom regularly.

 

2- Eating too fast

Eating quickly is not ideal if you want to avoid bloating after your meal as this will cause you to swallow more air, leading to a lot of gas production. 

You can avoid bloating by eating slowly and chewing your food properly. This will reduce the amount of air you swallow and as a result lead to less gas and bloating. 

 

3- Pay attention to the ingestion of air and gas.

Although bacteria normally produce gas in your gut, sometimes we swallow air or gas from drinks or from the way we eat. For example, carbonated drinks contain carbon dioxide bubbles that are released after they reach our stomachs.  

Other factors can contribute to increased amounts of air swallowed through eating habits. These include chewing gum, drinking through a straw and talking while eating.

 

4- Avoid high-dose sugar alcohols

Sugar alcohols, such as xylitol, sorbitol, and mannitol, are sweeteners used as alternatives to sugar. You can frequently find them in sugar-free foods and chewing gum.

In general, we do not digest sugar alcohols. Our gut bacteria ferment them and produce gas as a by-product. It is important to note that when we consume large amounts of sugar alcohols, they become more challenging to digest, and as a result, we get cramps and bloating.

5- Watch your salt intake

When we eat foods rich in salt, our body tends to retain the liquid we drink, making us feel bloated.

Although you may think you’re not consuming too much salt because you don’t use your salt shaker frequently, right? Most of the sodium in our diet comes from processed foods, not from the salt we add to the table.

Plus, most of these foods don’t taste salty, to begin with. This is why we call these sources hidden sources of sodium. Examples of foods include pizza, canned soups, salad dressings and frozen meals.

 

6- Consult a dietitian to help manage your symptoms

In many cases, bloating can be reduced by a simple change in diet. 

Your dietitian can work with you to identify the best diet changes you can make to relieve your symptoms while being the least restrictive possible in your diet. 

 

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Li, J., Zhang, N., Hu, L., Li, Z., Li, R., Li, C., & Wang, S. (2011). Improvement in chewing activity reduces energy intake in one meal and modulates plasma gut hormone concentrations in obese and lean young Chinese men–. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 94(3), 709-716.

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