Bloated stomach - What are the causes of bloating?

Author: Janina Dapprich (B.Sc. Nutritional Science)
· Proofreader: Lynn Erdmann (B.Sc. Nutritional Science)
 · Updated: · 8 min read
Bloated stomach causes

Everyone has experienced it, however very few people talk about it: the bloated stomach. In addition to a feeling of fullness, many people also suffer from pressure pain and a bloated stomach. This is especially unpleasant in public and can lead to a heavy burden and thus restriction and isolation in everyday life. But why are women often affected and what exactly causes it?

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What helps prevent bloating and what makes it worse?

Bloating foods, high fat and high carb foods can cause a bloated stomach

In general, foods have a flatulent effect if they

  • are carbonated,
  • contain a lot of sulphur,
  • are mostly carbohydrates (stimulate gas production),
  • or contain fats.

This is due, for example, to the fact that the carbon dioxide (the bubbles in fizzy drinks) absorbed with food reaches your intestines, which results in increased gas build-up in your stomach. This causes a bloated stomach. Sulphur compounds can be converted to hydrogen sulphide. This is gaseous and can therefore also cause air in the stomach. Carbohydrates serve as food for our intestinal bacteria and are used by the bacteria to generate energy. Gases are also formed in the process. In order to digest very fatty foods, bacteria are also used and gas production occurs.

The following table gives you an overview of foods that cause a bloated stomach and foods that prevent it:

Foods to avoid Wholesome foods
Vegetables Kohlrabi, cauliflower, celery, onions, leeks, garlic Fennel, potatoes (without fat), chicory, courgettes, lettuce, tomatoes→ more digestible when steamed than raw
Fruit Dried fruit (raisins, apricots, figs) Berries, bananas
Legumes Soybeans, Peas, Lentils
Dairy products Ice cream, cream, whole milk Low-fat cheese, low-fat milk, cream cheese
Bakery products High-fibre whole grains, fresh bread, yeast-raised pastries Bread made from finely ground whole grain flour, stale bread
Meat Breaded meat, duck, goose Lean beef, chicken, game
Beverages Cold drinks, carbonated drinks, fruit juices, alcohol, strong coffee Unsweetened teas (e.g. ginger, cumin, aniseed, coriander, fennel), still water
Herbs and spices Hot spices (pepper, curry, chilli) Anise, Cumin, Peppermint, Coriander, Ginger
Miscellaneous Sweets, sugar substitutes such as sorbitol, chewing gum

Tips on how to get rid of your bloated stomach

Staying hydrated is a must

Have you been struggling with a bloated stomach for a long time, but don’t know what to do about it? Read on to find out how to finally get rid of your bloated stomach and how to prevent it from happening in the first place.

Movement

You can relax your gastro-intestinal tract through specific movements. A light abdominal workout or air cycling on your back can help to alleviate your complaints. A stomach massage has an additional relaxing effect. Simply stroke the stomach in a clockwise circular motion. This works wonders to relieve a bloated stomach.

Movement gets your bowels going

Drink plenty

If you are struggling with a bloated stomach, grab a brew. Herbal teas such as fennel, aniseed and caraway are particularly good for fighting your bloated stomach. You should avoid coffee and black tea if you often suffer from flatulence. You should provide your body with at least 2 litres of fluid a day, especially in the form of still water, so that it can optimally digest the food you eat.

Warm breakfast

Warm meals can be better utilised by your body and lead to fewer digestive problems such as flatulence and a bloated stomach. Food should not be too hot or too cold. A suitable warm breakfast would be porridge, for example.

Warm food is easier to digest

Breathe properly

If you swallow too much air while eating, drinking or talking, you are likely to experience flatulence and a stomach ache. This gives a completely different meaning to the saying “Don’t talk with your mouth full”. Take your time while eating, chew your food thoroughly and do not try to talk while you are eating. This way, less air gets into your stomach and minimises the problem of a bloated stomach.

Restrict sugar consumption

A diet consisting mainly of short-chain carbohydrates (white flour products, sugar) promotes the “gas processes” in the intestine. Excessive sugar consumption destroys the intestinal flora, which is associated with constipation, diarrhoea and flatulence.

Probiotic foods

Probiotic foods contain probiotics, which consist of living microorganisms such as lactic acid bacteria or bifidobacteria. These have health-promoting effects on your intestines. They can displace flatulence-causing putrefactive bacteria and thus prevent flatulence and a bloated stomach. Probiotic foods include sour milk products such as natural yoghurt and kefir, but also sauerkraut, apple vinegar or pickled cucumbers.

Eating low in fat helps prevent a bloated stomach

Bloated stomach problems can often occur, especially with high-fat meals. Therefore, you should go for low-fat foods. With dairy products, for example, it’s better to use the low-fat versions. Low-fat cooking methods such as stewing or steaming are also suitable. Even when frying, less oil is often more sufficient than we think. Especially if you only add the oil after heating the pan.

Avoid overly large meals

After very large meals, some people complain of a bloated stomach. This is because your body has to digest a lot of food at once and more gas is produced in your intestines. Our portions are often far too large, especially if you drink with your meal. For this reason, be careful not to overeat.

Fruit and vegetables are easier to digest when cooked

Since raw food is more likely to cause problems for your digestive tract that cause a bloated stomach, it is better to steam your vegetables before eating them. Fewer important nutrients such as vitamins and minerals are lost than with boiling as nutrients can’t pass into the cooking water if they are steamed.

Avoid hot spices

Since very spicy food also causes flatulence, you should avoid large amounts of hot spices such as chilli, pepper or curry. Instead, use anti-bloating spices like cumin, aniseed, or coriander. Caution: Ginger can have an anti-bloating effect, but if used in large quantities, it can also be relatively spicy.

In order to properly tackle your bloated stomach it is important to know the cause. In the following section you will find out the most common causes of a bloated stomach.

How is a bloated stomach created? Causes and triggers

The daily gas production of our body is completely normal. Gases are produced by the decomposition process of the food we eat, carried out by intestinal bacteria. It is estimated that we produce more than five litres of gas per day. An increased amount of gas is therefore the one cause of a bloated stomach. But why then do increased gases occur? There are many different triggers, which can vary from person to person. But what exactly is behind the treacherous gases that cause a bloated stomach?

Bloating food

One of the most frequently blamed causes for a bloated stomach are so called ‘bloating foods’. Here too, every person reacts differently. You should therefore observe your body and, if necessary, keep a food diary to work out your triggers. There are, however, foods, more specifically fibre, that lead to an increased amount of gas in most people and thus promote a bloated stomach. They are mainly found in wholemeal products (bread, pasta, rice), as well as fruit, vegetables and pulses. You might be a bit confused at this point, because you thought that fibre was good. You are absolutely right! Fibre is still great and should be part of your diet. Below is a brief explanation of the most important functions of fibre.

The tasks of dietary fibre in the body summarised

There is no doubt that fibre is healthy. It has many positive effects on your body, for example, it lowers your blood fat levels, such as cholesterol, and has a positive effect on your intestinal flora. There are two types of fibre, both have different functions in your body.

TYPE OF FIBRE FOOD TASKS IN THE BODY
Soluble fibres Vegetables, fruit, pulses
  • Can bind with large quantities of water → Swell up in the stomach and intestines, making you feel full.
  • Get broken down into short-chain fatty acids and gases by intestinal bacteria → have a positive effect on the intestinal flora in the large intestine.
  • Alongside water (soft stool) they also bind to harmful substances in the body, which are thus excreted (example: excess cholesterol → Lowering cholesterol levels)
Insoluble fibres Wholemeal products
  • They bind much less with water than soluble ones and are hardly broken down by intestinal bacteria → increase stool volume and stimulate intestinal movement

Soluble dietary fibres in particular contribute to increased gas formation and a bloated stomach, which is why many people find them difficult to tolerate. If this is the case, and the pain is unbearable, the consumption of flatulent foods should be restricted.

Top fibre containing foods

Sweeteners/sugar substitutes

Sweeteners and sugar substitutes can seem very tempting when it comes to saving calories and avoiding sugar. They are often found in diet products, sugar-free chewing gum and sweets. Sugar substitutes are obtained from fruits and vegetables, among other things, and sweeteners are often produced artificially.
If consumed in excess, they often cause a bloated stomach and diarrhoea. Examples of sugar substitutes found in natural foods are sorbitol and mannitol. Others, like lactitol or isomaltitol, do not occur naturally. Here is a small overview for you:

SUGAR ALCOHOL CHEMICAL NAME NATURAL ORIGIN
Sorbitol Sorbitol Pears, plums, apples
Mannite Mannitol Figs, mushrooms, olives
Oligofructose Fructo-oligo-saccharides Pulses, wheat, chicory, artichokes, asparagus
Inulin Alumina starch Chicory, leek, onion, garlic, parsnips
Xylitol Xylitol Cauliflower, plums, strawberries, raspberries
Isomaltite Maltitol Does not occur in natural form
Erythritol Erythritol Mushrooms, cheese, strawberries, plums, pistachios
Lactite Lactitol Does not occur in natural form

This is why the consumption of food containing sorbitol and mannitol often leads to a bloated stomach.

Top food with little sugar

Intolerances

One of the most common causes of flatulence, diarrhoea and a bloated stomach are food intolerances such as lactose or fructose intolerance.

In both cases, there is a deficiency of the enzymes in the body that break down lactose or fructose. As a result, they end up undigested in the large intestine, where they are finally broken down by bacteria into gases. The result is a bloated stomach. Here is a brief overview of the foods in which lactose and fructose are found. If you often notice a bloated stomach after eating these foods, you should think about seeing your doctor to get a food intolerance test.

Lactose Fructose
Milk and dairy products such as yoghurt, butter and cheese Fruit
Cold Cuts/Sausage Vegetables
Spreads Dried fruit
Ready Meals Fruit juices
Salad dressings Soft drinks
Canned vegetables Honey, invert sugar
Dried biscuits Wine

Coeliac disease

What is this? You have probably heard of coeliac disease under the synonym “gluten intolerance” or “gluten allergy”. This is an autoimmune disease in which the body reacts to gluten with an inflammation of the intestinal mucosa. The symptoms of this are often a bloated stomach and abdominal pain. The trigger is the binder protein gluten, which is found in cereals such as wheat, rye, spelt and barley. The consumption of these causes the intestinal villi to regress, which in turn leads to reduced nutrient absorption and thus a nutrient deficiency. (Tip: You can easily determine your optimal nutrient requirements using our BMI calculator). That’s why it’s even more important to follow a doctor’s diagnosis and eat accordingly – in this case, a gluten-free diet for life.

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Chronic inflammatory intestinal diseases

Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are both chronic inflammatory bowel diseases. In both cases, due to pathophysiological conditions of the organism, a bloated stomach can occur.

Dysbiosis in the intestine

What is this? Dysbiosis in the intestine is an imbalance of intestinal bacteria in favour of the “bad” intestinal germs. This imbalance can be negatively influenced by the following factors:

  • A sugary diet
  • Pollutants from food
  • Stress
  • Taking antibiotics

For some it goes unnoticed, while others may experience severe symptoms such as a bloated stomach, abdominal cramps, diarrhoea, constipation and headaches. Intestinal rehabilitation using adapted probiotics, vitamins, amino acids and elimination diets are often the means to restoring the balance of the intestinal bacteria.

Pregnancy

Bloated stomach in pregnancy

During pregnancy, many women are plagued by a bloated stomach and flatulence. This is due to the hormone progesterone, which is produced especially in the first few months of pregnancy. It is responsible for maintaining the pregnancy and relaxing the muscles. It also slows down digestion so that the unborn child can be optimally supplied with nutrients. In the last few months of pregnancy, the baby puts pressure on the digestive organs causing them to work more slowly and therefore accumulate more gas. Another reason why so many women are affected by flatulence and a bloated stomach.

Hormonal changes

Hormones play an important role particularly in puberty and the menopause. This hormonal change often leads to digestive problems and a bloated stomach. A change in diet can work wonders here.

Psychological factors

Stress stages of stress response

“That doesn’t sit well in my stomach.” You have probably heard this sentence before. Either after a rich meal, or – as is meant in this case – after a conflict or an unpleasant situation. If our psyche is not in order, the problems are often reflected as physical complaints. More often than not if people can’t cope well with certain situations it leads to stomach complaints. Stress, anxiety and mental strain can lead to complaints in the gastrointestinal tract. Those affected react with a feeling of fullness, nausea, diarrhoea, constipation or a bloated stomach.

One reason for the close relationship between emotions, brain and intestine is the function of the intestine as a producer and storage location of important neurotransmitters. The other reason is a close connection and lively communication between our brain and our intestine, which is a kind of second brain and acts autonomously. Some researchers even believe that the bowel is a kind of emotional memory file.

Why are women more likely to suffer from a bloated stomach?

Bloated stomach in women due to diet

This is because women are much more affected by their hormones than men. Two hormones in particular lead to the development of a bloated stomach. One is the prostaglandins. These are responsible for the contraction of the smooth muscles of the womb so that the mucus can be shed. In short, prostaglandins trigger menstrual bleeding, among other things. They also stimulate the smooth muscles of the digestive organs, so women often have abdominal cramps and bloated stomachs.

Another hormone is progesterone. It prepares the uterus for pregnancy and, as mentioned above, is also responsible for maintaining the pregnancy. It also relaxes the muscles of the digestive tract. Sounds great at first – but it is not. The result is slower digestion, which leads to more flatulence and to a bloated stomach. Another factor is nutrition. You may be thinking: “But women don’t eat fundamentally differently to men, do they?” You are right, they don’t – this refers more to hormone-induced cravings.

During menstruation, pregnancy or the menopause, many women experience intense food cravings, which are triggered by hormonal chaos. As a result, women often eat more food that is rich in sugar and fat, such as chocolate, sweets or crisps. These foods have a negative effect on their digestion (of course the same goes for men when they eat them). They can lead to a bloated stomach and constipation. Here you will find an overview of how to replace unhealthy foods with healthy foods.

How do I find out the cause of my bloated stomach?

Find the cause of a bloated stomach

How well different foods are tolerated is individual. To find out what causes you to have a bloated stomach, it can be helpful to keep a food diary. Every day you note down what you have eaten. And that really means EVERYTHING. This is the only way to make an accurate and target-oriented evaluation. Once you have written everything down, it is usually relatively easy to see a clear pattern of which foods have caused flatulence. It is helpful to note down after each meal whether symptoms have appeared or not. Once you have found the cause, you can adapt your diet accordingly – and you will see an improvement. But what if there is no clear pattern? In this case there might be more to it and you should see a doctor to have a proper check-up.

How much flatulence is considered normal?

Some people even confuse flatulence with heart pain. They have too much air in their stomach, which presses on their diaphragm and mistakenly causes symptoms of heart problems.

If you have severe problems with a bloated stomach, you should find out the cause as soon as possible so that it does not continue to affect your life. But bear in mind flatulence is actually a sign that your bowels are working, so you should not always look at it negatively. Especially after protein-rich food, hydrogen sulphide is produced more often and gases are produced.

See a doctor if you have to fart more than 20 times a day and you have stomach pains!

If you eat starchy food, gas production is lower. Farting 8-10 times a day is completely normal. If you have no additional complaints, you don’t need to worry about this.

Conclusion

Although flatulence and a bloated stomach is unpleasant, it is simply part of life and is completely normal. Bad eating habits and food intolerances are the most common cause of flatulence. With the above mentioned measures, you can counteract this specifically. If your bloated stomach does not disappear, you should consult a doctor to find out the possible cause.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my stomach so bloated and hard?

Your stomach may be bloated and hard from excess gas in your gut. This can be caused by what you eat such as carbonated drinks and some vegetables. It can also be caused by overeating or something more serious. If You have an excessively bloated stomach, excessive flatulence and pain please consult a doctor as you may have an inflammatory bowel disease.

Which foods cause bloating?

  • Raw fruits and vegetables (especially collards, onions, garlic)
  • Dairy products such as cream, whole milk, ice cream
  • Legumes
  • Some grain products such as muesli, freshly baked bread, yeast pastries
  • Cold, carbonated or alcoholic beverages

All of these foods can cause a bloated stomach. Try to avoid them if you have frequent and painful bloating.

How do you relieve a bloated stomach?

The following tips can help prevent a bloated stomach:

  • Keep moving throughout the day
  • Drink plenty regularly
  • Eat warm meals
  • Taking time to eat, breathing properly and chewing thoroughly
  • Reduce fat and sugar consumption
  • Eat probiotic foods
  • Do not eat fruit and vegetables raw but cooked
  • Do not to eat too much at once
  • Avoid spicy foods

If you follow these tips, your bloated stomach should go away. If this is not the case and you are still suffering from a bloated stomach, you should see a doctor and get a proper check-up. Maybe there’s more to it than just hot air.

Sources

  1. Lea, R., & Whorwell, P. J. (2005). Expert commentary–bloating, distension, and the irritable bowel syndrome. MedGenMed : Medscape general medicine, 7(1), 18. avalible at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1681432/
  2. Azpiroz, F., Malagelada J. (2005). Abdominal Bloating. Special Report and reviews, 129(3), 1060-1078 DOI: https://www.gastrojournal.org/article/S0016-5085(05)01348-X/fulltext?referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2F16143143%2F
  3. https://www.kolo-proktologie-kiel.de/downloads/Ernaehrungstipps_Blaehungen.pdf