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6 Best Natural Ways to Debloat, According To Experts
Bloating is difficult to deal with for so many reasons, including the annoyance of having a puffy stomach. But bloating is a common challenge that many people face. A 2022 study found that nearly 1 in 7 Americans experience bloating in a given week.
Luckily, there are several science-backed ways to reduce this uncomfortable pressure in your abdomen. We tapped into the experts for their top recommendations.
What causes bloating?
"Bloating can have two main causes: Too much gas and a problem with the movement of gas," says Ashkan Farhadi, M.D., a gastroenterologist at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center and director of MemorialCare Medical Group's Digestive Disease Center in Fountain Valley, California.
"Basically, you either generate too much of it or you cannot move it along, and the reasons for those can vary," he says.
"A wide variety of causes, which can range from benign to very serious" can be behind bloating, says Richard Firshein, D.O., integrative medicine practitioner and founder of the Firshein Center. Those more commonly include clinical gut dysfunction, PMS, and food intolerances, he says.
If bloating is a regular problem for you, we recommend you talk to your healthcare provider to try to figure out what could be behind it.
And common culprits of occasional bloating including,
- Eating to fast
- Drinking carbonated beverages
- Experiencing hormonal fluctuations
- Chewing gum
But if you're just dealing with occasional bloat, doctors say there are a few steps you can take to ease this, both immediately and overnight.
How to debloat quickly
Need to debloat immediately, if not sooner? These are a few tricks that could help you feel like yourself again.
Go for a walk
If trapped gas is behind your bloating, taking a walk may help, given that it prompts your digestive system to move things along, Firshein says. "Individuals may find that simply going for a walk can speed up digestion," he adds.
Research has also found that people who exercise (yes, walking counts) may have less gas buildup than those who don't. Once things get moving down there, the food in your gut should take the gas along with it—out of your body.
Take an Epsom salt bath
This is more about relieving stress than anything, experts say. Stress affects your gut and can even slow down muscle contractions in there. Farhadi explains "an Epsom salt bath is a good stress reliever," he says. Firshein agrees, noting that it "helps to relax stressed muscles."
This may help your body debloat by moving food along in your gut or passing gas.
Eat fermented foods
Fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, and kimchi contain beneficial live bacteria (aka probiotics) that happily settle into your guts ecosystem.
Probiotics from fermented foods may help manage gas and bloat1.
Try foam rolling
Most people use a foam roller to relieve tense muscles, and the same principle applies here—you're just using it on your abdomen. Research has found that abdominal massages could help relieve bloating2.
To try it, lie facedown on top of your foam roller and gently move up and down. "You roll down the pressure from your sternum to your pelvis," Firshein says. "This can help to stimulate the gut to eliminate excess gas and even improve digestion."
Start a gut-friendly yoga flow
Yoga is a great way to keep your digestive health on track. It's almost like a massage for your internal organs.
Twisting postures in particular are especially beneficial at this. Some of the best basic yoga poses to support gut health are,
- Standing forward bend (Uttanasana)
- Revolved crescent lunge
- Camel pose (Ushtrasana)
- Wind relieving pose (Apanasana)
Want a more in depth guide? We've got you covered with these step-by-step instructions for each pose.
How to debloat overnight
If you've noticed you're bloated before bed, there are a few things you can try to help your body feel better in the morning.
Take a digestive enzyme or probiotic
Bloating can be linked to suboptimal balance in your gut flora, the bacteria, and other microorganisms that live in your intestines that help digest food, Firshein says.
"In some cases, simple supplements such as digestive enzymes or probiotics and prebiotics can help repopulate the gut, help break down food, and allow the body to process and digest food more properly,"* he says. At the same time, digestive enzymes and probiotics can "definitely help improve movement in the gut,"* Farhadi says.
Research3 has tied certain types of probiotics to a reduction in gas and bloating, so look for probiotics that contain Bifidobacterium lactis HN0194, Bifidobacterium lactis Bi-075, and Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM5.*
And mindbodygreen's probiotic+ is the only product that encompasses these four strains in one capsule. Overall these targeted strains are provided at scientifically supported doses to ease abdominal bloating6 and supporting digestion and regularity7 (oh and they also support a healthy weight).*
Drink lots of water
Dehydration can lead to harder stools that are difficult to pass—and that can cause a backup in your gut that can make you feel bloated, Farhadi says.
The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine8 recommends that men have about 15.5 cups of fluids a day (from foods and liquids) and that women have about 11.5 cups a day. "Drinking plenty of water" can help, Firshein says.
Eat fiber-rich foods
If you're experiencing gas and bloat, you may want to try increasing your daily fiber intake—it can help soothe your stomach by encouraging healthy bowel movements and gut motility.
You should aim to get between 21-38 grams of fiber each day, but most people fall short. Make sure you incorporate high-fiber foods like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes into each meal.
"Fiber can be a bloating double-edged sword," Farhadi says. Firshein agrees, calling it a "tricky" thing to try.
Sometimes starting a high-fiber diet can lead to gas and bloating (thanks to the increased bulk and the fermentation of sugar in the gut microbiome) in the short-term.
If you find that you're bloated after having fiber-rich foods, Firshein recommends "slowly build the foundation for digesting those foods by eating small amounts of fiber and slowly increasing to tolerance."
And since fiber attracts more water into the gut, make sure you're drinking enough to stay hydrated and keep things regular.
How to tackle bloat long term
Paying close attention to your diet and how you feel after you eat certain foods is important, Sachdev says.
There are a few tricks that may help, too. "Generally, my rule is no raw food after 4 p.m.," Firshein says, noting that raw foods often contain high levels of fiber. For anyone who experiences bloating related to digestion, "learning to eat slower, chewing your food, and not eating too late at night can help," he adds.
Eating more foods that reduce bloating, like cucumbers, avocado, ginger, and yogurt may also help keep future buildup at bay.
Of course, it's possible that your bloating is due to underlying health issues like gut health considerations or food sensitivities. If bloating is a continuous issue for you, Sachdev recommends seeing your doctor. They may recommend that you try dietary changes or get tested for a food sensitivities, among other assessment tools.
Summary
The takeaway
Bloating happens to everyone at some point. If you have the occasional bloat, taking these little steps may help you get relief. But if you find that you're regularly dealing with gas and bloating, it's a good idea to check in with your health care provider to try to figure out what's behind it.
8 Sources
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35406140/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26825564/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23981066/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29227175
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21436726/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21436726/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3171707/
- https://www.nationalacademies.org/news/2004/02/report-sets-dietary-intake-levels-for-water-salt-and-potassium-to-maintain-health-and-reduce-chronic-disease-risk
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