Many people complain about abdominal bloating, which is often triggered by consuming a large meal or eating gas-producing foods. Nonetheless, other potential causes of abdominal bloating include emotional changes, stress, a change in one’s gut microbiome, and other health conditions. But how do you prevent or get rid of bloating?
Sometimes, abdominal bloating can also be induced by food intolerance. For instance, you could be lactose intolerant, which could then cause abdominal bloating. If you have occasional abdominal bloating, you can follow certain home remedies to prevent chronic bloating, such as limiting triggering foods and exercising more.
Here are a few tips that can help you prevent or get rid of bloating.
Read on to learn more!
Assess the Underlying Issues
Before you do anything else, you will want to assess the underlying issues that are causing bloating. For instance, some common causes of bloating include constipation, in which case you will want to get colon cleansers to help you pass stool.
Other common causes for bloating include the following:
- Consuming foods that can potentially ferment in your colon, such as sugar alcohols and fiber.
- You might have a food intolerance, such as lactose intolerance.
- You might have swallowed excessive air – especially – if you chew a lot of gum.
- Bloating can also be caused by fluid retention caused by heart disease or liver failure.
- Bloating can also be caused by mental stress.
If you have been bloated for quite some time now, we recommend seeking medical help.
Limit Bloating Triggers
You will want to assess the bloating triggers and then delimit their use. You will also want to assess which foods increase your bloating risk. It could be veggies, fruits, and grains. Sometimes, carbonated drinks can cause bloating as well.
If you have the habit of chewing gum a lot, it can cause bloating. If you feel bloated after having a large meal, you will want to decrease your meal size. The best way to assess which foods are the cause of your bloating is to keep a food diary.
Are You Lactose Intolerant?
The human body is designed in a way that requires an enzyme known as lactase to help the system break down the lactose that you consume. Now, if your body doesn’t produce enough lactase, you certainly have a condition known as lactose intolerance, which can cause belching, bloating, and stomach pain.
If you are lactose intolerant, here is what happens: the lactose that passes through your gut pulls in more water until it reaches the colon, where it releases gas as a result of being fermented by bacteria. So, if you notice that you always get bloated when you consume anything with lactose in it, you will want to curb your dairy intake.
However, you will want to consult with your doctor about the best alternatives to dairy products because dairy products comprise many key nutrients, such as zinc, potassium, protein, magnesium, and B vitamins.
Make Sure that You Are Not Constipated
Another leading cause for bloating is constipation, which is essentially about slowing down the process of passing stool and letting out gasses. If you experience the inability to have a bowel movement or you have a decrease in your appetite, then you are constipated.
Constipation causes cramps, abdominal pain, and abdominal bloating. To prevent constipation in the first place, you will want to consume foods that are high in fiber, such as fruits, veggies, oats, brown rice, and whole-wheat bread.
You will also want to stay hydrated. Ideally, you should drink nearly 2 liters of water daily. You will also want to exercise regularly as a way to get the bowel movement going. If nothing works, you will want to take OTC (over-the-counter) remedies from your local pharmacy.
Focus on Probiotics
To boost your gut health, you will want to focus on increasing your intake of prebiotics. Probiotics are essential for better gut health and can also get rid of bloating. You can get prebiotics from natural food sources, such as sauerkraut, pickles, kimchi, and yogurt.
According to research, probiotics are crucial to help the body improve the digestive system and promote healthy bacteria in your gut. While focusing on probiotics, you will also want to delimit your salt and fat intake.
You don’t have to eliminate salt and fat from your daily meals, but consuming smaller portions certainly helps in promoting better gut health.