Bloating

What is bloating?

Bloating usually comes from gas and food building up in your digestive tract. Three things often play a part: air you swallow, carbohydrates that bacteria ferment in your colon, and a gut that reacts strongly to normal amounts of gas (1). Food intolerances and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) can add to this for some people.

Written and reviewed by Anouk Martini (registered dietitian)

In short

• Bloating is a feeling of fullness or pressure in the abdomen, and gas is the air and gases that leave your body as burps or flatulence (1).
• Everyone has gas in the intestinal tract, and gas symptoms are usually brief (1).
• Swallowed air and the fermentation of undigested carbohydrates by colon bacteria are two main sources of gas (1).
• Light movement and changes in how you eat may help (2,3), and a dietitian-guided low FODMAP trial is an option for people with IBS (4-7).
• Bloating that persists, gets worse, or comes with other symptoms deserves a conversation with a doctor.

What is bloating, and how is it different from gas?

Bloating is a feeling of fullness or pressure in the abdomen, sometimes with a visible swelling called distention. Gas is the air and gases in your digestive tract that leave your body as burps or flatulence. The two often go together, but some people feel bloated even with normal amounts of gas (1).

The American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) describes bloating as a sense of fullness in the upper abdomen that gas or food in the stomach can influence. Flatulence is generally a mix of swallowed air and gas produced when colon bacteria act on undigested carbohydrates (1).

Is it normal to have gas and bloating?

Yes, up to a point. We all have gas in the intestinal tract, and it can contribute to bloating, belching, abdominal cramps, and flatulence. These symptoms are usually brief and fade once the gas is released (1).

Some people are more sensitive to even normal amounts of gas (1). That can make the same meal feel very different from one person to the next. Especially people with IBS can have trouble with foods that cause gas and bloating.

What causes bloating and gas?

Gas builds up in a few main ways. You swallow air, bacteria in your colon ferment carbohydrates that were not digested or absorbed, and your gut may react strongly to an amount of gas that is normal (1). These causes can overlap.

Swallowed air

We all swallow air while we eat (1). There are several habits that add to it:

• Sucking on hard candies
• Chewing gum
• Drinking carbonated drinks such as soda or beer
• Eating or drinking too fast
• Not chewing food completely
• Poorly fitting dentures
• Anxiety

These can cause belching as well (3). Talking a lot while you eat can make you swallow more air too.

Large or fatty meals

Big portions stretch your stomach, and fatty foods leave it more slowly. Both can leave you feeling full and bloated for longer.

Too much fiber, too fast

Fiber is good for your gut, but a sudden jump in beans, bran, or raw vegetables can cause extra gas. Too little fiber can leave you constipated, which adds to bloating too.

Constipation

When stool moves slowly through your gut, gas can build up behind it. If you go less often than usual, bloating often follows.

Carbohydrates that reach your colon

Some carbohydrates are only partly digested or absorbed in the small intestine. This group of carbohydrates is called FODMAPs, which stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols. Examples are fructans, galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS), lactose, fructose, and polyols such as sorbitol and mannitol. FODMAPs are primarily found in dairy, fruit, vegetables, wheat, soy, and legumes.

These FODMAPs can cause trouble in 2 ways. Unabsorbed fructose, polyols, and lactose draw extra water into the small intestine. Unabsorbed carbohydrates, including fructans and GOS, are fermented by bacteria in the colon, which produces hydrogen, methane, and carbon dioxide (5).

Common high FODMAP foods include:

• Garlic and onions
• Wheat, rye, and barley
• Legumes such as kidney beans and black beans
• Dairy products that contain lactose
• Certain fruits, such as apples, pears, and watermelon
• Sugar alcohols such as sorbitol and mannitol

These foods are not bad for you, and many are part of a healthy diet. They only cause trouble when your gut is sensitive to them. Do you mainly suffer from gas? Read Foods that Cause Gas. Want to find out which foods are your triggers? Try our intolerance test or contact one of our dietitians.

A gut that reacts strongly

How much gas you produce is only part of the story. In people with IBS, research suggests that the sensitivity of the gut to stretching, called visceral hypersensitivity, may matter more than the amount of gas (5).

Are bloating and gas a sign of IBS?

Not necessarily. IBS is a chronic gut disorder with recurring abdominal pain linked to bowel movements or a change in bowel habit, and bloating and gas are common complaints in people with IBS (4). Bloating alone does not mean you have IBS, and only a doctor can diagnose it.

Food often plays a role. For a lot of people with IBS, specific foods make their symptoms worse (5). Want to find out which foods are your triggers? Try our intolerance test.

What can help with bloating and gas?

There is no single fix, because the causes differ from person to person. Light movement, how you eat, and finding your own food triggers are practical places to start. If you have IBS, a low FODMAP trial with a dietitian is a good option.

Move a little

• Take a short, relaxed walk after meals. Light activity may help gas move through your gut (2).
• Keep it gentle: even 10 to 15 minutes is a good start.

Change how you eat

• Eat slowly and chew your food thoroughly, so you swallow less air (3).
• Cut back on chewing gum, hard candies, and carbonated drinks (3).
• Save the conversation for between bites. Talking with food in your mouth makes you swallow more air.
• Sit down for your meals when you can. Eating on the go often means eating faster.
• Notice whether your symptoms change.

Adjust your portions and meal rhythm

• Try smaller portions at main meals, and add a snack in between if you need it.
• Go easy on very greasy or fried meals. Baking, steaming, or grilling is often gentler.
• Leave a few hours between meals when you can, instead of snacking all day.

Stay regular

• Drink enough water, especially when you eat more fiber.
• Aim for about 25 to 40 grams of fiber a day from a variety of plant foods (8).
• Build up slowly: add about 2 to 3 grams of fiber per day until you reach your target, instead of jumping there overnight.
• Move your body most days. Regular movement helps keep your bowels moving.

Sip something soothing

• Swap fizzy drinks for still water or herbal tea.
• Some people find peppermint or ginger tea soothing after a meal.

Try a structured low FODMAP approach, with support

• If you have IBS, guidelines suggest a limited trial of a low FODMAP diet to improve symptoms (4).
• It is a temporary approach: you cut back on FODMAPs for a few weeks, then bring them back one at a time to find your own tolerance.
• The goal is a varied diet you can keep up, not a long list of forbidden foods.
• Talk to a doctor or dietitian before you start a strict low FODMAP diet. You can read more in our FODMAP guide.

Find your own triggers

• Our intolerance test takes about two minutes and gives an indication of which food components may play a role for you: lactose, fructose, fructans, galactans, polyols, sucrose, starch, and histamine.
• It does not test for gluten or cow’s milk protein allergy, and it does not replace a diagnosis.
• Download your results and take them to your dietitian or doctor.
• Keep a simple food and symptom diary for a few weeks to spot patterns.

What does a digestive enzyme blend do?

Digestive enzymes are proteins that help break down food. Lactase is one example: it splits lactose into glucose and galactose in the small intestine. Enzyme supplements provide specific enzymes that you take with a meal.

Fodmix (Quatrase 10,000) is an enzyme blend developed by our in-house dietitians. It contains Alpha Galactosidase (1200 u), Xylose Isomerase (7500 u), Lactase (10,000 FCC), and Invertase (500 u). Fodmix helps reduce occasional gas, bloating, and discomfort, allowing you to enjoy meals without restrictive diets.*

*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

When should you talk to a doctor or dietitian?

Talk to a doctor if your bloating or gas is persistent, gets worse, or comes with other symptoms.

Not sure what to do with your symptoms? You can also ask our dietitians a question.

How does the supplement advisor help with bloating?

It’s simple: answer a few short questions about your diet, fiber intake, and the foods you react to. Within 2 minutes, you’ll discover which digestive enzymes and products best suit your situation, so you can enjoy your food again with confidence.

Do you still have questions? Our dietitians are happy to help with personalized advice.

References

1. American College of Gastroenterology. Belching, bloating, and flatulence [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): American College of Gastroenterology. Available from: https://pop.gi.org/topics/belching-bloating-and-flatulence/
2. Villoria A, Serra J, Azpiroz F, Malagelada JR. Physical activity and intestinal gas clearance in patients with bloating. Am J Gastroenterol. 2006;101(11):2552-7. doi:10.1111/j.1572-0241.2006.00873.x
3. American College of Gastroenterology. Digestive health tips: 10 tips on belching, bloating, and flatulence [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): American College of Gastroenterology. Available from: https://gi.org/topics/digestive-health-tips/
4. Lacy BE, Pimentel M, Brenner DM, Chey WD, Keefer LA, Long MD, et al. ACG clinical guideline: management of irritable bowel syndrome. Am J Gastroenterol. 2021;116(1):17-44. doi:10.14309/ajg.0000000000001036
5. Staudacher HM, Whelan K. The low FODMAP diet: recent advances in understanding its mechanisms and efficacy in IBS. Gut. 2017;66(8):1517-27. doi:10.1136/gutjnl-2017-313750
6. Zeraattalab-Motlagh S, Ranjbar M, Mohammadi H, Adibi P. Nutritional interventions in adult patients with irritable bowel syndrome: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized clinical trials. Nutr Rev. 2025;83(3):e1343-54. doi:10.1093/nutrit/nuae107
7. Khan Z, Muhammad SA, Amin MS, Gul A. The efficacy of the low-FODMAP (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols) diet in irritable bowel syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Cureus. 2025;17(1):e77053. doi:10.7759/cureus.77053
8. Miller KB. Review of whole grain and dietary fiber recommendations and intake levels in different countries. Nutr Rev. 2020;78(Suppl 1):29-36. doi:10.1093/nutrit/nuz052