12 types of foods that cause bloating and how to mitigate their effects

12 types of foods that cause bloating and how to mitigate their effects

After a few decades on this planet, you probably have a solid understanding of how certain foods and drinks affect your body and mood. Some have welcome effects: a slice of avocado toast, for example, can make you feel energized and ready to take on the day. Others, however, are not exactly pleasant. A side of beans or a bowl full of ice cream, for example, can make you bloat straight up. No thanks.

So, why do certain foods make you gasp in the first place? Here, digestive health experts share the top foods that cause bloating, how quickly you might notice this side effect after eating it, and what you can do to minimize the risk of losing any of them.

What is gas anyway?

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, gas is essentially air in the digestive tract that consists of a mixture of odorless vapors, including carbon dioxide, oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen and sometimes methane. Gas can enter your body when you swallow air (think: while eating or chewing gum), and this type usually leaves the body through burping. But gas can also arise internally, particularly when certain foods are broken down by bacteria in the intestines and this type is released through the rectum (think bloating), according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Although it can feel embarrassing, passing wind is completely normal, says Leigh Merotto, MHSc., RD, a registered dietitian who specializes in digestive health in Toronto, Canada. “[It’s] a sign that your body is breaking down and digesting food,” she says. "If you had no gas production, this could actually be very serious and indicate a blockage in your digestive tract." In fact, most people produce one to four pints of gas daily and pass it through the rectum 14 to 23 times per day, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Which foods cause bloating?

Foods you cannot tolerate

The foods that have the most potential to cause bloating are simply the ones you're intolerant (read: sensitive) to, says Nidhi Singh, MD, a gastroenterologist at Northwestern Medicine. For example, according to the Cleveland Clinic, people with lactose intolerance do not produce enough digestive enzymes needed to break down lactose, a sugar found in dairy products. Likewise, people with histamine intolerance lack the necessary enzyme diamine oxidase, which processes histamine found in fermented foods and processed meats. And those who suffer from gluten sensitivity without celiac disease simply have a harder time digesting gluten — a protein found in wheat and other grains.

After consuming any of the substances to which you are sensitive, you may experience bloating, diarrhea, heartburn, abdominal pain, and other GI symptoms, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Depending on the specific intolerance, these foods may cause bloating:

• Laktose, enthalten in Lebensmitteln wie Milch, Molke, Käse, Butter, Joghurt und Eiscreme
• Lebensmittel mit hohem Histamingehalt, wie Fisch, gereifter Käse, Sauerkraut, Wein und verarbeitetes Fleisch
• Gluten, gefunden in Weizen und seinen Derivaten, Roggen, Gerste, Triticale und Malz

High FODMAP foods

Snacking on foods high in FODMAPs can also cause bloating, says Merotto. FODMAPs include fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols - short-chain carbohydrates that are poorly absorbed by the small intestine and in turn fermented by intestinal bacteria. As a result, they can cause digestive problems, including bloating, in some people, adds Dr. Singh added.

These carbohydrates are found in a variety of foods, including those containing lactose, fructose, fructans, galacto-oligosaccharides and polyols, according to a study published in the Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology. In particular, high FODMAP foods that can cause bloating include:

• Oligosaccharide: Gemüse wie Spargel, Brokkoli, Rosenkohl, Knoblauch und Zwiebel; Hülsenfrüchte wie Kichererbsen, rote Kidneybohnen und Linsen; Getreide wie Weizen und Roggen
• Disaccharide: Meist Lebensmittel mit hohem Laktosegehalt, einschließlich Käse, Milch und Joghurt
• Monosaccharide: fruktosereiche Früchte wie Äpfel, Mangos und Wassermelonen; Süßstoffe wie Maissirup mit hohem Fruchtzuckergehalt
• Polyole: künstliche Süßstoffe, einschließlich Maltit, Sorbit und Xylit; Früchte wie Avocados, Kirschen und Pfirsiche; Gemüse wie Blumenkohl, Pilze und Kaiserschoten

Fermentable high fiber foods

Eating foods packed with fermentable fiber can also make you a bit bloated, says Merotto. ICYDK, fiber is the part of plant foods (think fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes) that your body can't digest. Fermentable fiber, in particular, is fiber that is easily metabolized by your gut microbiota. After it passes through the stomach and small intestine, bacteria in the large intestine work to ferment and break down this fiber, according to the Oregon State University Micronutrient Information Center.

And, most importantly for this article, "when the bacteria in your colon break down fiber, they produce gas as a byproduct," adds Merotto. Types of fermentable fiber (also known as some of the foods that cause bloating) include:

• Beta-Glucane, die in Hafer und Gerste enthalten sind
• Inulin
• Weizendextrin
• Oligosaccharide, die in Weizen, Roggen, Zwiebeln, Knoblauch, Artischocken und Hülsenfrüchten vorkommen
• Resistente Stärken, die in unreifen Bananen, weißen Bohnen, Erbsen, Linsen enthalten sind

When you feel bloating after eating

If these above foods cause you bloating, there is no exact time period after eating them that side effects may occur. However, generally, most solid food leaves the stomach within two to four hours after you finish your meal, so you may start to experience bloating after this period of digestion, says Dr. Singh. "If it's caused by dairy or gluten intolerance, bloating can definitely occur sooner."

However, the type of food on your plate isn't the only factor that plays a role. "You can also increase your chances of getting more bloating through various factors, such as eating too quickly and swallowing air, chewing gum, and sitting for long periods of time, so this could impact when someone gets bloated," says Merotto. (Related: Here's Why You're So Gassy at Night)

Additionally, some people are more likely to experience the GI effects of foods that cause bloating than others. In particular, people with digestive disorders, including irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, are at increased risk of experiencing bloating after eating, says Dr. Singh. The same goes for people with motility disorders (i.e., conditions that affect the speed at which contents move through the digestive tract), diverticulitis, and intestinal methanogen overgrowth, adds Merotto.

How to minimize the effects of foods that cause bloating

Although these foods may make you more likely to experience bloating, it's not a guarantee. And there are steps you can take to potentially reduce your chances of having to break the wind.

When increasing your fiber intake, you should do so gradually over the course of a few weeks, which gives your digestive tract some time to get used to these tough foods, says Merotto. “Eating too much fiber too quickly can lead to diarrhea or constipation and more uncomfortable bloating,” she adds. "I recommend increasing fiber slowly, adding a new high-fiber food every two to three days, and drinking plenty of water to help with fiber." Cooking these high-fiber foods instead of eating them raw can also make them easier to digest and, in turn, potentially minimize their gas-producing effects, says Dr. Singh.

Focusing on thoroughly chewing the foods that cause gas can also help minimize their side effects. “Digestion begins in the mouth, and if we skip this important step, it creates more work for our digestive tract and could lead to more bloating,” says Merotto. “Take time to slow down at mealtimes, eat mindfully, and chew your food to the consistency of applesauce.”

If your gas is causing severe pain or you're also experiencing diarrhea, losing weight, or having bloody stools, talk to your doctor to make sure no other medical conditions are at play, says Dr. Singh. However, the occasional painless fart is completely normal, and you don't need to avoid the staple foods that cause bloating if you don't want to. After all, you can always blame your dog.