Bloating is a common ailment that is frequently caused by disorders such as constipation or excess gas. Several foods have been demonstrated to reduce bloating by encouraging regularity, minimizing fluid retention, and improving gut health.
What you eat and drink does have a major impact on bloating and other digestive difficulties.
40 Best Foods For Bloating
1. Avocados
Avocados are extremely healthy, including a significant quantity of folate as well as vitamins C and K in each serving. They’re also high in potassium, a vital mineral involved in fluid balance regulation, and salt levels, which help avoid water retention. They’re also strong in fiber, which passes slowly through your digestive tract to promote regularity and avoid constipation and bloating.
2. Cucumber
Cucumbers are 95% water, making them excellent for bloating relief. Consuming meals high in water content can help you keep hydrated and satisfy your daily fluid requirements. This may help to avoid water retention and bloating caused by dehydration.
3. Yogurt
Yogurt contains probiotics, which are helpful microorganisms that play an important role in intestinal health. Probiotics, according to some studies, may enhance stool frequency and consistency to encourage regularity. Probiotics have also been demonstrated to alleviate bloating and abdominal distension caused by illnesses such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a common ailment affecting the large intestine.
4. Berries
Berries high in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals include strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries. They also have a high fiber content. For example, blackberries provide about 8 grams of fiber per cup (150 grams). Fiber helps improve gut health and soften your stool, preventing constipation and bloating.
5. Green Tea
Green tea is an excellent choice for staying hydrated and preventing fluid retention. It’s high in antioxidants like epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which can neutralize free radicals and decrease inflammation in the body. Green tea also includes caffeine, which increases digestive system movement and functions as a natural laxative to help with regularity. As a result, bloating may be reduced.
6. Celery
Celery is a healthy vegetable that contains 95% water. Celery also includes mannitol, a form of sugar alcohol that softens stools and promotes regularity by drawing water into the digestive system. Moreover, the vegetable’s root is said to be a natural diuretic. This implies that it boosts urine output in order to eliminate extra water and salt from your body, which can assist in relieving bloating.
7. Ginger
Ginger is widely known for its ability to relieve stomach discomfort. Some evidence suggests that ginger may help to reduce bloating and sensations of fullness by speeding up stomach emptying. It also includes an enzyme called zingibain, which aids in the breakdown of protein to promote proper digestion.
8. Kombucha
This is a fermented tea beverage that is commonly produced from black or green tea. It’s high in probiotics, like other fermented foods, and can help with intestinal health and regularity. It can help you stay hydrated and incorporate more anti-inflammatory antioxidants into your everyday diet to aid with bloating.
9. Banana
Bananas are popular due to their deliciousness, mobility, and ease of use. They’re also quite healthy and a good source of fiber, with 3 grams in 1 medium (118 gram) banana. They’re also high in potassium, a vitamin that helps maintain a healthy fluid balance. As a result, bloating and water retention may be avoided.
10. Papaya
Papaya is a tropical fruit with a sweet taste and a smooth, creamy texture. It not only has a lot of water, but it also includes a lot of fiber in each serving. It also contains papain, an enzyme that aids your body in the breakdown of amino acids. This promotes proper digestion and may aid in the prevention of bloating.
11. Asparagus
Asparagus is high in fiber, with roughly 3 grams of every 1-cup (134-gram) serving. It also has a high concentration of inulin, a form of prebiotic fiber present in many meals. According to research, inulin can assist in maintaining gut health and enhance regularity, which can help reduce bloating and constipation.
12. Oats
A cup of oats in the morning might be a simple and effective strategy to combat bloating. This is because oats are high in fiber, with 4 grams in each 1/2 cup (40-gram) meal. Moreover, they contain a form of fiber known as beta-glucan, which has potent anti-inflammatory effects.
13. Pineapple
Pineapple is a tropical fruit that delivers a nutritional punch, with lots of vitamin C, manganese, and B vitamins in every serving. Pineapple also includes bromelain, an enzyme that has long been used to treat digestive ailments in traditional medicine. Bromelain has been found in certain studies to combat inflammation, which alleviates symptoms such as bloating and edema.
14. Turmeric
It’s a spice that is frequently used to season curries, soups, and side dishes. It includes curcumin, a substance that has been widely researched for its anti-inflammatory properties. Curcumin may help enhance gut health and lessen IBS symptoms such as gas, bloating, and constipation, according to some studies.
15. Quinoa
If you become bloated after eating items like spaghetti, crackers, and bread, consider switching to gluten-free grains like quinoa. Gluten-containing meals can cause digestive difficulties, such as bloating in those with celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Quinoa is also high in fiber and antioxidants, which help reduce bloating even if you aren’t following a gluten-free diet.
16. Apple
Apples are high in water and potassium, which promotes a good fluid balance and keeps you hydrated. Also, they’re high in fiber, with nearly 5 grams in just one medium (200-gram) apple. Apples, in particular, are high in pectin, a form of soluble fiber that can help alleviate constipation and bloating by accelerating the flow of food through your digestive tract.
17. Rhubarb
Although it is commonly used in desserts such as pies, cakes, and crisps, rhubarb is not a fruit. It’s a vegetable famed for its colorful edible stalks. Sennoside is a chemical found in rhubarb. This substance works as a natural laxative to encourage bowel movements by inhibiting water transfer from the luminal to the vascular side of the colon. Also, with almost 2 grams of fiber in each cup (122 grams) of rhubarb stalk, it can help enhance your fiber intake.
18. Kiwi
Kiwi is a popular fruit that is high in fiber and potassium, among other minerals. It also includes actinidin, an enzyme that has been found in animal experiments to enhance digestion and expedite stomach emptying. As a result, multiple studies show that kiwi might aid with a variety of digestive disorders, including bloating, stomach discomfort, and constipation.
19. Peppermint Tea
Peppermint tea is a herbal beverage that is usually used to treat a variety of stomach issues. In particular, peppermint oil has been demonstrated to reduce inflammation and cure IBS symptoms such as stomach discomfort, constipation, and bloating. Also, it may help minimize stomach and intestinal muscular spasms, which may assist in avoiding bloating. Further study is needed, however, to determine whether the advantages of peppermint oil also apply to peppermint tea.
20. Fennel
Fennel, a plant related to carrots, celery, and parsley, is noted for its peculiar licorice-like flavor. Surprisingly, studies reveal that fennel and its seeds have antispasmodic qualities, which means they can help relax the muscles in your digestive tract, thus relieving gas and bloating. It also works as a diuretic, increasing urine output and decreasing water retention.
21. Lemons
Indeed, the classic lemon water method does work. According to Coleman, lemon juice has a comparable acidity to the stomach’s digestive secretions (delicious!) and can help ease bloating and other gastrointestinal symptoms. By drinking lemon juice on a regular basis, you’re doubling down on hydration while also getting acids to help your GI tract move things along faster. The citric acid in lemon boosts the digestive fluid in your stomach to break down food, according to a 2022 study published in the European Journal of Nutrition.
22. White Beans
While other beans might cause bloating, white beans (also known as navy beans) are “rich in potassium, which helps balance out salt levels in our body,” according to Keri Gans, RD, author of The Little Change Diet. According to research, white beans are high in fiber, which aids digestion and encourages regular bowel movements, hence limiting bloating caused by constipation. White beans, along with kale, carrots, and other vitamin-rich vegetables, are an excellent addition to soups. You can also substitute them for chickpeas in hummus for a similarly protein-rich spread.
23. Beets
Beets are another potassium-rich meal that can assist your body in resisting salt and hence bloat. According to Armul, “One cup of beets offers more potassium, fiber, and protein than a medium banana.” It also contains fewer calories. Beets can be added to salads, roasted with vegetables, or sliced into sticks and baked to make beet fries.
24. Tomatoes
When it comes to water bloat, drinking more water (which tomatoes are high in) is essential. “That may seem counter-intuitive, but fluid pulls out fluid,” Zeitlin explains. To prepare salsa or to top a sandwich, slice them up. Eat tomatoes raw since heat evaporates their water and breaks down their fiber (which helps keep your stomach working).
25. Artichokes
As meals ferment in your stomach, they produce gas. Including fibrous items in your diet, such as artichokes, reduces this by pushing things along. Artichoke also increases the growth of healthy bacteria in your stomach, which can help you stay regular and decrease bloating caused by indigestion. “They’re far more adaptable than they’re given credit for,” Zeitlin adds. Artichoke hearts can be added to salads, spaghetti, toast, or grilled whole and dipped in yogurt-dill sauce. But keep an eye on the salt content in canned varieties.
26. Lentils
Don’t beans cause bloating? It all depends. Some people become gassy after eating legumes. Lentils are a great source of fiber. If you’re used to eating legumes, the fiber in lentils will assist you in pushing anything stuck in your GI system through. To make lentils simpler to digest, Zeitlin suggests sautéing them. (Don’t worry, you won’t degrade all of their fiber.)
27. Spinach
According to Zeitlin, spinach has truly earned its status as a superfood due to its high levels of immune-boosting and inflammation-fighting antioxidants. Raw spinach provides the greatest fiber, but heating it makes increasing your consumption simpler. Zeitlin suggests adding spinach to still-hot stir fry to soften it somewhat.
28. Watermelon
Watermelon, which contains more than 90% water, is a pleasant way to get extra bloat-fighting liquids into your diet. Watermelon also contains a lot of phytochemicals, such as vitamin C and beta-carotene, which have been shown in studies to help prevent chronic illness and reduce bloating caused by inflammation. This naturally sweet fruit also contains lycopene, an antioxidant carotenoid linked to heart health. When hunger comes, eat a handful of watermelon.
29. Sweet Potato
Sweet potatoes are another potassium-rich meal that helps to prevent sodium-induced water retention. These nutritious carbohydrates are also high in fiber, which helps to prevent bloating. They also include the antioxidant beta carotene, which is beneficial to vision and organ health. Roast sweet potatoes with a dab of Greek yogurt, toss them into salads or grain bowls, or purée them into root vegetable soup. (Just leave the skin on since it includes a lot of fiber.)
30. Mint
It’s no surprise that mint tea is a popular after-dinner drink in many cultures: the plant may aid digestion. “The majority of study has focused on peppermint oil taken as a supplement or pill, although mint leaves have historically been utilized for digestive advantages towards the conclusion of a meal,” Moore explains. When you have bloating or indigestion, make yourself a cup of mint tea.
31. Oranges
Oranges are an anti-bloat triple threat, according to Moore, since they are high in potassium, high in water, and high in fiber. Use whole fruit instead of OJ to ensure you get enough fiber (or overdo it on the sugar).
32. Grapefruit
According to Moore, grapefruits are high in water (and a rich source of fiber) and help keep your gastrointestinal tract flowing. Use grapefruit to brighten salads and smoothie bowls, or serve it with chicken or shrimp for a zesty touch.
33. Lettuce
Because lettuce, like watermelon, has a high water content, it’s a simple way to add some fluid to your diet. For an added boost of de-bloating power, combine a large salad with some of the other meals on this list.
34. Zucchini
Zucchini is high in water and fiber, making it an excellent meal for bloating. The water in zucchini can help wash out excess salt, which can lead to bloating, and the fiber can assist in aiding digestion and reducing gas-related bloating.
35. Coconut Water
Coconut water is very hydrating because it includes electrolytes such as potassium and magnesium, which aid in fluid equilibrium. This makes it an excellent beverage for when you’re feeling bloated since it can assist your body in flushing out excess salt and moisture.
36. Pears
Pears have long been recommended as a way to relieve constipation in babies and children, and thankfully, the same is true for adults. They’re high in fiber and hydrating, so they could help relieve bloating caused by digestive issues or water retention.
37. Pho
Pho (pronounced “fuh”) is a Vietnamese noodle soup with a delicious, electrolyte-rich broth. It frequently incorporates fiber-rich vegetables, similar to chicken noodle soup. You should restrict the salt in your pho, but otherwise, suck the bloat away with chopsticks.
38. Eggplant
Because eggplant is high in water, it’s extremely hydrating and can aid in the elimination of excess salt and moisture. It also contains some fiber, so it can act as a prebiotic to soothe the gut. It has a little meaty texture and goes well in stir-fries.
39. Pumpkin
Pumpkin is high in fiber and moisture while being low in carbs and sugar – all of which make it an excellent remedy for bloating. It’s fantastic for relieving gas, bloating, and constipation due to its high fiber content.
40. Honeydew Melon
Honeydew melon, like its cousin watermelon, is mostly water, making it incredibly hydrating and a fantastic fruit to nibble on if you’ve overdone it on salt. It also contains some fiber, which may aid with bloating caused by digestive difficulties.
Conclusion
Bloating is a frequent problem that can be caused by a variety of factors. Several meals and beverages can help reduce bloating by decreasing constipation, lowering inflammation, and maintaining a healthy fluid balance.
Chewing your meal completely, using specific vitamins, and establishing whether particular elements contribute to your digestive troubles may also aid in bloating relief. If your symptoms are severe or persistent, see a doctor for specific advice and treatment.
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