Home Remedies for Bloating
Home remedies for bloating are very popular for a good reason. Bloating issues have become so common these days, that many people have to use bloating medication or home remedies for bloating everyday in order to get rid of bloating and gas. Drinking natural herbal teas that can promote healthy digestion is one thing. Becoming dependent on these remedies to control bloating issues however, is something completely different.
Before you use home remedies for bloating, either natural ones, over the counter medicine for bloating or any prescription drug for instant bloating relief, it is very important to understand what is causing the bloating issues you experience as the needed treatment or remedy for your bloating issues can be completely different. This is very important not only in order to get rid of bloating and gas for good, but also because in many cases, bloating and excessive gas are only symptoms of a much bigger problem.
This is exactly what this expert guide is all about. Inside you will find the top bloating causes & remedies including our 3-Step protocol for bloating that helped so many of you.
Table of content
Top Bloating Causes & Remedies
The 3-Step Protocol for Bloating
When the cause of bloating is unknown – Additional Remedies
How to get rid of bloating and gas
What Causes Bloating?
To get rid of bloating and gas for good, you have to find what causes the bloating and gas issues in your body. In many cases, once the root cause of the bloating is identified and addressed, no specific treatment for bloating or bloating remedies are needed as the bloating is already cured. Furthermore, bloating issues may be more than just an unpleasant discomfort; bloating may be a warning sign and a symptom of an underlying health condition.
Are any of these common bloating causes apply to you?
1. Constipation and Bloating
Common Symptoms: irregular or infrequent bowel movements, difficulties having a bowel movement with straining or pushing, hard, dry or lumpy stool, feeling as not all stool comes out during bowel movements, ongoing bloating issues, stomach pain, excess gas, digestion issues, body odor.
Constipation is one of the most common bowel problems in the western world, impacting up to 20% of the US population, yet the biggest problem with constipation is that most people are unaware they suffer from it and continue to live with its many discomforts.
The connection between bloating and constipation is usually very simple:
When you have constipation, the food you eat remains in the intestines much longer than it should. As a result, the food gets rotten and releases gas that very often cause gassy stomach, bloating, pain in the abdomen and many other discomforts.
This slow transit of food creates a vicious cycle where the digestion process is impaired by the already constipated digestive tract. The result: the food you eat (even healthy food !) remains in your colon for a long time and become toxic, causing more gas and bloating issues.
Natural remedies for bloating caused by constipation
Bloating that is caused by constipation is a common problem that can be very frustrating, especially since most home remedies for bloating do not address the constipation. As a result, many people find themselves dealing with ongoing extreme bloating issues and other related discomforts on top of being constantly constipated, a very unpleasant situation by itself.
Oxygen Colon Cleanse for Bloating
In order to cure bloating that is caused by constipation, the constipation issue needs to be addressed first.
Working with as many candida cases and related digestion problems as we do, we have a very long experience with constipation, especially bloating that is caused by constipation. After researching and testing a very large number of methods and remedies for constipation related bloating, we found that colon cleansing using oxygen is one of the safest and most effective ways that can naturally relieve occasional constipation and bloating.
An oxygen colon cleanse (Oxy-Powder ®) as its name suggests, releases oxygen in the colon that softens and loosens undigested food particles, hard waste buildup and other toxins so they can be flushed out naturally by the body through normal bowel movements. This is done in a completely natural and gentle way, yet it has shown to be very beneficial even in severe cases of constipation and bloating.
Most people who use Oxy-Powder feel a significant relief of their constipation and bloating issues very quickly after starting the oxygen colon cleanse. Common reports include a sense of “great relief”, increased energy, higher clarity, clearer complexion and significantly better bowel movements and digestion, with constipation, bloating, body odor, gas and other digestion problems greatly improved. These improvements are not surprising considering that the hard waste weight that accumulates in the colon can be 10-20 pounds and sometimes even more.
Learn more about oxy-powder
Is your Diet Making You Constipated ?
Diet is a common contributing factor for constipation. If you suspect your diet may be related to your constipation issues, you may want to read our expert guide on this topic: Is your Diet Making You Constipated ?
In the next section, we will cover one of the common causes of bloating: foods that cause bloating.
2. Foods that Cause Bloating
Common Symptoms: bloating after eating, stomach cramps after eating, stomach pain and gas, burning stomach, food allergies or food sensitivities, skin rashes, feeling tired after eating
The list of foods that cause bloating can vary from one person to another. A common saying in nutrition – “One man’s meat is another man’s poison” summarizes it well: the same food that may benefit some people, can harm others. This applies also to healthy foods; regardless of how healthy a certain food can be, you have to make sure your body agrees with it and that you do not have sensitivities or allergies to this type of food.
Natural remedies for bloating caused by food
Bloating that is caused by food has become so common, that many people are used to feel bloated, gassy or heavy after eating. It is however, not how you are supposed to feel. Furthermore, ongoing bloating issues as a result of eating the wrong type of foods can lead to many potential health problems. For this reason, before trying any home remedies for bloating, it is very important to make sure the food you eat doesn’t cause your bloating issues.
Elimination Diet For Bloating & Digestive Issues
The idea behind the elimination diet for bloating and digestive issues is very straightforward. It is one of the best ways to address bloating and digestive issues that are caused by food. In this diet, you eliminate the foods you suspect that cause bloating or digestive issues for a few days, and see if eliminating these foods reduce your bloating or related symptoms. Many people are surprised to learn that many foods that are considered very healthy and are widely recommended for good health, are the cause of their bloating issues. Here are a few examples of foods (both healthy and unhealthy) known to cause bloating:
Top foods that cause bloating, gas and digestive issues
If you have excessive gas, bloating or digestive issues everyday or more than 2 times a week, you may see the excessive gas causes right here in this list:
- Processed or junk foods, snacks, fatty fried foods, high carbohydrate foods, salty foods
- Beverages, especially sodas, carbonated drinks or high sugary drinks
- Foods that cause gas such as beans, lentils or other legumes, asparagus, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, and other vegetables (especially on their raw state). If your body can’t effectively digest these foods, you may have gas after eating through belching or flatulence. To learn more see our guide for foods that are hard to digest
- Gluten, grains & wheat can be very hard on the digestion tract and are very common causes of bloating, weight gain and other related discomforts
- Over consumption of high fiber foods, especially if you are not used to consuming these foods or large quantities of them. This may apply even to flax seeds or chia seeds that are often recommended for bloating and digestion issues. If you have never used these, you may want to start with as little as 1 teaspoon (5 grams)
- Dairy products especially in cases of lactose intolerance. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, “Approximately 65 percent of the human population has a reduced ability to digest lactose after infancy”
- Food intolerance, food allergies and food sensitivities
- Artificial sweeteners especially sugar alcohols found in many low-carbs and protein bars
Enzymes for Bloating & Digestive Issues
The elimination diet mentioned above has worked wonders for many people as it does address the root cause of bloating and related digestive issues if they are caused by certain foods.
There is a catch, however. This process where you constantly have to watch what you eat usually takes time and can be confusing in the beginning. Eliminating junk food and other unhealthy choices can relieve and reduce bloating in many cases, but you may still experience issues with bloating in case you have sensitivities to other foods, specific food combinations among other factors.
This is exactly where taking digestive enzymes with meals can be very helpful with bloating that is caused by foods, especially during this initial phase of the elimination diet, when you are still learning which foods may cause your bloating issues and transitioning to a more healthier diet.
Choosing The Right Enzymes Supplement for Bloating & Digestive Issues
Digestive enzymes break down the foods we eat into their smaller building blocks, which can help the body to properly digest various food. The result is usually better digestion and less bloating.
Enzymes supplements are very popular for digestive issues, although most products are not designed to specifically address bloating and digestive issues that are caused by foods. Since different enzymes are required to digest different type of foods, it is important to make sure the formula used contains all the enzymes needed to digest most common foods, especially the ones that you typically eat and include in your diet.
Another factor to consider that is as important, is the enzymes source and quality: plant based enzymes with a wide pH range are much more stable in the body, are not destroyed by the stomach acids and are potent enough to work throughout the entire digestive tract.
VeganZyme ® is a great example of a multi-enzymes supplement for bloating that is caused by foods, especially for people who experience digestion issues and have challenges with the elimination diet.
The biggest advantage we see in VeganZyme compared to other formulas, has to do with its versatile formula. With a total of 20 digestive and systemic enzymes, it is designed to support the digestion of a wide variety of foods including foods that are hard to digest, making it ideal for many different diets, cuisines, and health conditions.
This helps to keep things simple, and even dining out or eating larger variety of foods that may not always be ideal can still be well managed by taking 1-3 capsules before your meals. This makes the elimination diet much more reasonable and easier to follow.
3. Bacterial Overgrowth, Probiotics and Bloating
Common Symptoms: bloating after eating, stomach cramps after eating, stomach pain and gas, food allergies of food sensitivities, skin rashes.
Intestinal flora imbalances usually occur when the levels of the good bacteria in your gut are reduced. At a healthy state, the good bacteria (probiotics) controls the bad bacteria in the gut from overgrowing.
When this balance is being disturbed, you may experience issues such as bloating, intestinal gas, digestion issues, candida overgrowth, yeast infections and even low immune system function (not surprising considering that 70% of the immune system resides in the gut).
There are many factors that can compromise the good bacteria in your gut, most common ones are use of antibiotics or medication that reduce the amount of good bacteria, diet that is high in sugars, processed food and beverages, hormonal imbalances, high levels of stress and others.
Probiotics for Bloating
Probiotics supplements work by populating the intestines with beneficial organisms that can help to restore these imbalances and ease bloating and other digestion issues. It is very important however, to choose probiotic strains that are shown in research to be specifically effective for bloating and that are also gentle and safe. This way, your body can balance the bacteria overgrowth and bloating issues without side effects or discomforts due to aggressive probiotic strains.
We get many questions from people that are surprised to learn that their probiotics supplements actually caused side effects such as bloating, gas (flatulence), constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain and even acne. For this reason, when choosing probiotics, always look for the research or studies done on their effectiveness and safety to make sure they are the right ones for you.
The Bacillus laterosporus BOD strain (Latero-Flora) is a great example of a probiotic strain that was shown in research to be very effective for abdominal pain and bloating as well as other related digestive problems (over 65% of the participants felt improvements). Safety testings have shown it is completely safe with no indications of toxicity, even at extremely high dosage.
4. Bad habits that cause bloating
These common habits many people are making are known to cause bloating. In many cases, stopping these provide relief to bloating very quickly without taking any home remedies for bloating:
- Eating too quickly. This can make you swallow access air (Aerophagia) and also makes it hard for the body to properly break down and digest the foods you eat. Remember: digestion starts in the mouth! Chewing your food until it turns into liquid consistency can decrease the chances of bloating and digestion issues, and may also help prevent overeating – another common cause of bloating.
- Bad food combinations especially when mixing carbs with fats or carbs with animal proteins
- Drinking while eating can impair the body’s ability to properly digest the food you eat
- Eating large meals or overeating (usually in cases of bloating after eating or abdominal pain after eating)
- Chewing gum makes you swallow more air and can cause abdominal pain and bloating
- Smoking
5. Medical conditions that cause bloating
According to the national institute of diabetes, digestive and kidney diseases (NIDDK), over 60 million Americans affected annually by various digestive diseases. Bloating is a very common symptom of many digestive conditions, especially in the following cases:
- Ascites
- Candida overgrowth, especially during the initial treatment as a candida die off symptom
- Celiac disease
- Chronic constipation
- Crohn’s disease (ileitis)
- Diverticulosis (diverticular disease)
- Gastroparesis
- Hormonal imbalances
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Gastroesophageal reflux (GERD), Acid reflux
- Intestinal parasites
- Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
- Water retention or fluid retention (where the stomach bloating is also affected by the water retention in the body)
Important: Before taking any home remedies for bloating:
If you have any of these conditions or if you are on medications (over the counter or prescription drugs) and experience ongoing bloating issues, it is important to consult with your health provider to see if the medication may be causing your bloating issues. There are many medications that are known to cause bloating and digestion issues; some medications such as antibiotics kill the good bacteria in your gut and can cause many digestion issues including bloating. If you must continue taking the medication that cause your bloating issues, consider taking probiotics to help your body encourage beneficial organisms growth in your gut.
When the cause of your bloating is unknown
The 3-Step Protocol for Bloating
The following 3-step protocol is designed to help reduce bloating, especially in these cases where you are not sure what exactly is causing your bloating issues. Most people experience a significant relief with their bloating issues within a few days:
Step 1 – The Overnight Toxins Flush
Taken from our Nature’s Most Potent Remedies Series, the overnight toxins flush is one of the most effective natural remedies to quickly and safely remove toxins, excess gas and accumulated waste from your body as you sleep.
When you wake up the next day, expect to have a series of bowel movements with many of the excess gas, toxins and waste being eliminated. Most people feel a significant relief with their bloating, gas and stomach pain once these toxins and waste are being flushed out. Learn More
Step 2 – Bloat-Free Diet
The bloat-free diet focuses on easy to digest foods that have strong cleansing and detoxification properties:
- Morning: Lemon water: squeeze the juice of ½ organic lemon into 16 ounces of spring or alkaline water
- When hungry during the day: eat ripe organic fresh fruit on an empty stomach, same type of fruit each time (don’t mix different type of fruits).
- Start with small portions (20 grams of carbs) each time. Gradually increase the amount of fruit only if needed. Remember: the idea here is not to eat until you are full, but to eat to satisfy your hunger, which typically happens 30 minutes after you eat.
- Fresh berries make an excellent choice; they taste great, are relatively low in sugars and calories, and are very high in antioxidants and other health promoting nutrients.
- To get the most out of your fruits and avoid common mistakes when eating fruits, see the fruit section in our free ebook.
- Choose fresh fruits (not dry fruits) that you enjoy eating, making sure they are fresh and ripe. Unripe fruits can actually cause digestion problems and bloating.
- Do not drink liquids when eating.
- Between meals: drink spring water or the lemon water based on how you feel. Drinking enough between your meals can help to promote healthy toxins removal as well as with hunger. In many cases when we feel hungry, we are actually thirsty!
- Evening: Detox Salad: choose soft raw dark leafy greens you enjoy such as romaine lettuce, add 2-3 fresh cucumbers, 1 fresh ripe avocado, 1 tablespoon of hemp seeds.
For dressing, mix fresh squeezed organic lemon/lime juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil and himalayan pink salt to taste. If you like the taste of the apple cider vinegar, you can add 1 teaspoon to the dressing as well.
Step 3 – Evaluate Your Progress
- Many people are very surprised to learn that the combination of the overnight toxins flush with the Bloat-Free Diet make them feel very energized, despite eating very little calories. This is not surprising, considering this is a very effective cleansing diet designed to get rid of bloating, excess gas, toxins, accumulate waste and undigested food particles. When your body gets rid of such a burden, it has more energy and resources to perform better and to actually heal other areas which may have neglected before.
- This diet is not designed to be consumed on an ongoing basis, but only short term (up to one week) in order to cleanse your body and help relieve bloating and related digestion issues.
- We get many questions from people who enjoy this diet, especially how it made them feel, and would like to stay on it longer. Our recommendation is to gradually add more foods and evaluate how the addition of the new foods make you feel. For more ideas of healthy foods you can include, see our recipes section.
Additional Natural Home Remedies for Bloating
When the cause of your bloating is unknown
The following home remedies for bloating may be useful when you do not know what is causing your bloating. They are not designed to address the root cause of your bloating and therefore may be only useful in order to reduce or ease your bloating issues.
Apple cider vinegar for bloating
Pros: Many additional health benefits, great for healthy salad dressings and detox drinks
Cons: Doesn’t address the root cause of bloating
Apple cider vinegar on its raw unfiltered unpasteurized form is very effective in promoting healthy digestion, especially with the removal of excess gas and toxins out of the body.
It is commonly used in many cleansing and detoxification protocols and is a key ingredient in many home remedies for bloating. When mixed with lemon juice, olive oil and himalayan salt, apple cider vinegar also makes an excellent choice for healthy salad dressings.
If you suffer from bloating or excess gas and unsure the exact cause of your bloating issues, drinking water with apple cider vinegar and lemon juice on an empty stomach before bedtime and also in the morning may be helpful.
See the overnight toxins flush for more details. (Taken from Nature’s Most Potent Remedies Series)
Herbal Teas, Carminative Herbs and Spices
Pros: Can be added to meals to boost taste, additional health benefits, great for tea lovers
Cons: Don’t address root cause of bloating, not always effective, potential sensitives and interactions with medications
Herbal teas, especially teas made of carminative herbs are very common home remedies for bloating with a long traditional use for digestive health. Carminative herbs contain compounds that can help the body remove excess gas from the digestive tract and therefore may reduce bloating that is caused by excess gas.
This can also provide relief to stomach pain, stomach cramps and other digestion issues caused by excess gas in the digestive tract.
How effective are carminative herbs for bloating?
It is important to remember when using these herbs and in fact when using home remedies for bloating, that as long as the root cause of your bloating is still present (for example due to overeating, eating junk foods, chronic constipation or due to underlying health condition), these herbs will not solve the bloating issues, although they may provide a temporary relief and ease the bloating.
Using carminative herbs for bloating
Based on our experience with carminative herbs for bloating and digestion issues, our recommendation is to experiment with one herb or spice at a time for a few days and see how your body responds to it.
Many of these herbs make delicious herbal teas on their own and can also be added to your meals to enhance the flavor, aroma and taste. If you are looking for a simple healthy recipe you can add these herbs, you may want to check our Restore Nutrients Cauliflower Rice or The Amazing Golden Detox Energy Soup.
How to choose herbs and spices for bloating
It is very important to choose herbs from a trusted source that guarantees their freshness, potency and purity. We generally prefer 100% organic or wild grown herbs to avoid toxins from pesticides usage. Organic grown herbs and spices usually taste better and are more potent.
How important is the source of these herbs? it is so important, that you may experience completely different benefits and side effects from using the same herbs, just from a different source! In fact, we get many questions from people that experienced inconsistent results despite using the same herbs as a part of their home remedies for bloating.
More information on herbs, organic vs conventional and other related topics is available in our free ebook.
Top herbs and spices for bloating
While there are literally hundreds of herbs and spices that are reported as effective home remedies for bloating, the ones below are the most common herbs and spices with very long traditional use:
- anise seeds
- peppermint tea
- chamomile tea
- fennel tea made from fennel seeds
- caraway seeds (chew, add to your meals or drink as tea)
- ginger (add to your meals or drink as tea)
Exercise for bloating
When thinking of home remedies for bloating, exercise is probably the last thing that comes in mind.
Exercise, however, can relieve or reduce bloating; according to research, “mild physical activity enhances intestinal gas clearance and reduces symptoms in patients complaining of abdominal bloating”.
Many people focus of abdominal training when they think about exercise for bloating, although based on our experience, cardio (especially if done in the morning on an empty stomach) may be more effective for belly bloat. Working on your core and abdominal muscles may help to stabilize these muscles, which overtime can create a flatter tummy appearance, so combining these with cardio may help to get rid of bloating and the swollen stomach quicker.
As a reminder, listening to your body and adjusting the workout load to your individual state of health and current physical condition is recommended. The key is consistency, rather than becoming the most hardcore weekend warrior. This way you will be getting the most health benefits out of your workout plan while minimizing the potential risks.
Bloating Symptoms
Symptoms of bloating typically include stomach discomfort, in some cases with an actual abdominal distension.
Both bloating and abdominal distension can cause many other discomforts including stomach swelling, stomach pain, stomach cramps or spasms, excessive gas, burping or belching. Additional symptoms of bloating may include:
- abdominal cramps
- bloated belly and abdominal bloating, swollen stomach
- various stomach problems
- pain in stomach or bloating after eating
- feeling tired after eating
- gas, excessive flatulence
- severe stomach pain, sore stomach
- burning stomach
- sharp stomach pain
FAQ
Over the counter medicine for bloating
Most over the counter (OTC) medicines for bloating work by reducing bloating that is caused by excessive gas. Commonly available is the oral drug Simethicone (generic name) that can be found under different brand names: Gas-X, Phazyme, Mi-Acid and others.
We do not recommend taking over the counter medicines for bloating since they do not address the root cause of the bloating issues. As a result you may have to keep taking these medicines to control your bloating issues. If you know your body has issues with certain foods, it makes more sense to listen to your body and stop consuming these foods, rather than keep eating foods that harm you, and have to be dependent on medication in order to control the bloating these foods cause.
Home remedy for bloating and baking soda
Using baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) as an antacid (usually 1 teaspoon of baking soda in 8 ounces of water) is a common home remedy for heartburn (acid indigestion) and can indirectly help with bloating as well if it is related to the heartburn issues.
Due to the risk of toxicity as a result of excessive use of baking soda, we do not recommend using baking soda for bloating, as we believe there are much better remedies for bloating in terms of safety and effectiveness.
How do you get rid of gas?
To get rid of gas:
- Identify what causes the excess gas: the most effective way to get rid of gas in stomach and digestive tract, is to identify the cause of it. In many cases, excessive gas is caused by the food you eat which includes a long list of healthy foods that are known to cause excessive gas. This is so common, that we highly recommend to look into the list of foods that cause gas before using home remedies for gas pain or excess gas.
- Flush the excess gas: When it comes to home remedies for gas in stomach and digestive tract, many people report significant improvements after doing the overnight toxins flush, as it is specifically designed to flush the excess gas out of your body very quickly.
- Additional home remedies that may ease or reduce the excess gas include exercise, using carminative herbs as herbal teas or drinking apple cider vinegar mixed with water on an empty stomach before bedtime and in the morning.
How do you reduce a bloated stomach?
The first step is to identify the cause or potential causes of the bloated stomach, especially in these top causes of bloated stomach:
- Constipation
- Diet or foods that cause bloating or excess gas
- Gut imbalances
- Medications
- Habits that cause bloating
As mentioned, before trying home remedies for bloating or bloating medicine it is very important to understand what is causing the bloating issues you experience as the needed treatment or remedy can be completely different.
Is hot water and lemon good for bloating?
Drinking hot water with fresh squeezed lemon juice on an empty stomach first thing in the morning and before bedtime is one the oldest home remedies for bloating and can ease bloating especially when it is caused by excess gas. For additional benefit, you may want to include raw unfiltered unpasteurized apple cider vinegar to this remedy, such as in our overnight toxins flush.
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