You’re unbuttoning your jeans after dinner, avoiding certain foods in case they make your stomach swell, and constantly googling why no matter what you do, you seem to be so bloated all the time.

I know it might feel like it, but you’re not alone in this struggle. Bloating is one of the most common digestive symptoms experienced by adults. Research suggests that around 4 in 10 people in the general population experience bloating occasionally, while up to 9 in 10 people diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) report bloating as a regular symptom. Most of my 1:1 clients tell me that they feel bloated all the time too, and a lot of them are frustrated when they seem to be eating really healthy, but still can’t shift the bloating. It’s also something I struggled with for such a long time.

It’s also something I struggled with for a very long time. I’d wake up bloated; I was bloated whether I did or didn’t eat, and I’d be even more swollen by the time I’d go to bed. After being diagnosed with IBS I never really got any relief from the doctors, just a suggestion to follow a Low FODMAP diet and get on with it. Luckily, I found nutritional therapy, and that helped me finally get a flat stomach. And that’s what I help clients achieve in clinic on a regular basis, so let’s get into how you get rid of bloating.

What causes bloating?

Bloating is the feeling of fullness, pressure, swelling or distension in the abdomen. If you’re reading this blog I’m sure you don’t need me to explain how it feels as you’re experiencing this on a regular basis. It can be normal for people to experience bloating occasionally – like if you did eat a very large amount of food, ate quicker than usual, or at certain points in your menstrual cycle. But the NICE guidelines recommend that if you have had feelings of bloating for 6 months, alongside abdominal pain or changes in bowel movements, you should be investigated for conditions like IBS.

Bloating can be incredibly frustrating because there are so many causes, which means there’s rarely a simple ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution.

Some of the most common causes of bloating include:

• Excess gas production
• Constipation
• Slower movement of food through the digestive tract
• Bacterial overgrowths within the gut
• Low levels of good bacteria
• Hormonal fluctuations
• Stress
• Poor digestion and stomach acid issues

The good news is that once you understand what’s driving your symptoms, it becomes much easier to know where to focus and actually reduce the bloating. Throughout the rest of this article, we’ll explore each of these causes in more detail and discuss what can actually help reduce bloating long-term.

What Foods Cause Bloating?

I think this is where most people start when it comes to reducing bloating. Now, while removing foods can help to reduce symptoms, it doesn’t fix the actual problem. So if you want to start reintroducing as many foods as possible back into your diet, you really want to dig deep into what’s causing your bloating.

Please don’t cut out all these foods, but I’m just sharing what foods tend to contribute to bloating in some people:

• Legumes (beans, lentils, pulses)
• High FODMAP foods (discussed below)
• Common allergens, such as wheat, dairy, and eggs
• Carbonated/fizzy drinks
• Ultra-processed foods

What Are FODMAPs?

FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols. These are types of carbohydrates that aren’t very well absorbed in some people and can be fermented by gut bacteria. This fermentation process produces gas, which may contribute to bloating, a feeling of fullness and other gut symptoms.

A low FODMAP diet is usually one of the first recommendations for people with IBS and can be good for reducing symptoms in the short term because you’re removing the fibres that the bacteria are feeding on. However, it’s not actually fixing anything; it is just symptom relief. A lot of people are usually surprised to see so many healthy foods on the list to avoid with FODMAPs, and this is why it’s not a long-term solution. It can feel very restrictive and should only be done for a few weeks while you work on other underlying issues.

The goal should always be to understand why those foods are causing symptoms in the first place.

You’ve been told you have IBS, now what?

You’ve been to the doctors about your bloating, and after they’ve ran a few tests and everything came back as fine, you’ve got a diagnosis of IBS. Great – nothing ‘serious’, but it’s still massively impacting your life. Unfortunately, the diagnosis of IBS doesn’t really help people, and the way we’re told ‘it’s just IBS’ can feel a bit patronising sometimes. What does it even mean? You just have a bowel that’s a bit sensitive? And no idea on what’s causing it? Do you have to put up with this for the rest of your life?

Tests for IBS

Calprotectin is a protein released by immune cells during inflammation in the digestive tract. Calprotectin is checked via a stool test and commonly used to help distinguish between IBS and inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Higher levels (over 100ug/g) suggest inflammation and will need further investigations.

However, optimal results of calprotectin can be closer to 30ug/g and below. So if you had a result of 75 and you’ve got symptoms like bloating, or changes in your bowel movements, I’d still be looking to investigate your gut health deeper.

Could Bloating Be Caused by SIBO?

Something you might come across when you’re searching why am I so bloated all the time is SIBO. SIBO stands for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. SIBO happens when bacteria that should live in the large intestine move back into the small intestine. There shouldn’t really be a lot of bacteria in the small intestine, and when this happens they can ferment on carbohydrates (like FODMAPs), which produces hydrogen and methane gases.

Common symptoms include:

• Bloating after meals
• Excessive gas
• Constipation
• Diarrhoea
• Food intolerances
• Skin conditions

And here you can see why a Low FODMAP diet is mostly symptom relief. If you have SIBO, reducing your fibre intake will remove the food that the bacteria are fermenting on, but alone it’s not enough to clear the overgrowth of bacteria. We do that in clinic through a combination of herbs to help kill the bacteria. You can then add in the fibre with minimal issues.

SIBO itself has a lot of underlying drivers, too. If someone has poor digestive function, it can cause larger food particles to move through the intestines, which haven’t been broken down properly, and the bacteria will ferment on those. As well, thyroid issues can contribute to slow motility, which increases the risk of SIBO too.

Other infections that can cause bloating

Helicobacter pylori (H. Pylori) is a bacteria that infects the stomach. It starts to change stomach acid levels and can increase the risk of stomach ulcers and stomach cancer. Stomach acid should be very acidic; that’s how it helps to break down food (especially proteins), but H pylori starts to neutralise stomach acid, making it more alkaline. This can impact digestion, and one common symptom you’ll experience is a lose of appetite, or feeling excessively full even after eating small amounts.

Other symptoms include:

• Acid reflux
• Heartburn
• Burping (especially after meals)
• Nausea (especially in the morning)
• Abdominal pain that worsens without food
• A chronic B12 or Iron Deficiency
• Rosacea

And in this situation, a lot of people will remove foods because they’ll be struggling with digestion. But the real answer is to 1) test for H pylori and 2) clear the H pylori. I can’t tell you how many of my clients test positive for H pylori, and how many of them have a transformation when it’s finally cleared. Again, we can do this through using herbs, but the conventional treatment is antibiotics and PPI’s.

Can Stress Cause Bloating?

When you’re stressed, digestion isn’t a priority. Imagine for a second that you’re minding your business, eating your breakfast, and a bear suddenly walks into your kitchen. Are you going to think – I’ll just finish my breakfast and then do something about the bear. Obviously not, you’re going to do everything you can to get away from the bear. In that moment, your body is prioritising blood flow and oxygen to go to your brain, limbs and cardiovascular system to run away (or fight it). It’s not sending blood flow to the gut to digest your meal. Now this isn’t a huge issue if you’re stressed occasionally, but modern life keeps us stressed on a daily basis. That means on a daily basis your digestion is being affected, which means you won’t be breaking down food correctly and this can cause bloating.

As well, when we’re stressed, we can get into the habit of eating very quickly, and this affects digestion too. You won’t be chewing your food correctly, so larger food particles end up in your stomach, which gives it more work to do, and that also causes bloating.

Other factors that can cause bloating:

We’re not really told that other systems and organs in the body can have an impact on our gut. It’s something I wish I knew when I was struggling with IBS. Hormones can hugely impact our gut health and trigger symptoms like bloating. Here are three main ones:

Thyroid hormones

An underactive thyroid can slow bowel movements and increase the likelihood of constipation and bloating. Alternatively, an overactive thyroid may cause things to move too quickly in the gut and contribute to loose stools.

Progesterone

Progesterone naturally rises after ovulation. This hormone can slow gut motility, which is why many women experience constipation and bloating before their period (and during pregnancy).

Oestrogen

Oestrogen fluctuations can increase water retention, contributing to feelings of puffiness and abdominal swelling during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle.

Does a Probiotic Help Bloating?

They can – but another thing that’s oversimplified in the nutrition world is that any probiotic is beneficial for any gut issue. And what you should realise at this point is that there are so many causes of bloating. If your bloating is being caused by an underactive thyroid, a probiotic might help, but the solution really is to focus on balancing your thyroid hormones.

Best Supplements for Bloating

Which brings us to the next question people usually ask… what’s the best supplement for bloating? Well, it depends on the cause. I would always recommend digging deeper into your gut health, because taking supplements without ruling out underlying drivers is just like following a restrictive diet. It’s symptom relief. And when I’ve done in-depth stool testing with clients who have struggled with ‘IBS’ for a long time, we’ve ended up finding that they actually have IBD.

I know you’re desperate for some relief, so some options that may provide symptom relief include:

• Peppermint
• Fennel
• Aniseed
• Digestive enzymes
• Targeted probiotics
• Magnesium citrate (for constipation)

Peppermint, fennel and aniseed are helpful because they have natural antispasmodic properties that can help relax digestive muscles, and they can also reduce gas. But remember, if the gas is coming from an overgrowth of bacteria, you need to clear the bacteria!

How to Stop Feeling Bloated All the Time

I sound like a broken record at this point but doing a comprehensive stool test and/or blood test will give you answers. From there, once you’ve found what your underlying imbalances are we can correct them through diet, lifestyle, supplements and medications.

I’m here to help you find answers and finally get those results you dream of. Your gut issues shouldn’t be controlling your life. It is possible to go out with your friends and not have to worry about what ‘safe’ food is on the menu. Contact me here to get started.