11 foods that could help reduce bloating

The causes of bloating are still not fully understood, and there are a lot of things that can potentially result in a bloated stomach. In this article, we’ll give you information on some foods that may help to reduce your bloating. However, if you’re experiencing repeated bloating, it’s important to make an appointment with your GP if the bloating is persistent and does not go away.

The causes of a bloated stomach are numerous, but some people find that making small adjustments to their diet can lead to some bloating relief, particularly if you know which foods help and which hinder.

If you’re wondering how to reduce your bloating, there are plenty of foods that may help. Let’s jump straight in.

Fermented foods are rich in naturally occurring digestive enzymes. By adding these foods to your diet, you can increase the levels of good bacteria and enzymes in the digestive system. A 2023 study found that supplements containing digestive enzymes were effective at reducing post-meal bloating. But note, the friendly bacteria have to be live when you consume them, so make sure you do some research before purchasing.

This bright orangey-yellow spice has a history spanning thousands of years, serving both as a culinary component and a traditional medicinal herb. Recently, the health benefits of turmeric have become more widely known, including its potential effects on gastrointestinal problems such as stomach cramps, diarrhoea, constipation, cough, and indigestion.²

A 2021 research review of green kiwi fruits and their effects on digestion by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) stated that the “consumption of kiwifruit contributes to the maintenance of normal defecation”. It was suggested that eating 2 large kiwi fruits (or around 200g of kiwi flesh) helped participants stay regular.³

The exact mechanism of how this works is still largely unknown, but seeing as kiwi is a nutritional heavyweight that could help with sleep and bone density, it’s worth a try.

Sometimes listed as B. infantis, this is a fancy scientific name for a type of bacteria that is considered ‘good for your gut’. During the analysis of 27 studies, 12 concluded that probiotics, like B. infantis, had a beneficial effect on bloating when compared to the placebo. However, it is important to note that the other 15 studies in this analysis reported no significant effects, so more research is needed.^4,5

Sources of Bifidobacterium infantis include yoghurts, olives, sauerkraut, salami, and cheese. Be sure to check the label, if possible.

These sweet little berries make a great addition to our diets and have been found to improve abdominal symptoms, including bloating, abdominal pain, and heartburn.⁹

Blueberries can be eaten in a variety of ways, including in smoothies, as a topping for granola or yoghurt, or even cooked into pancakes.

This spicy root is often used in Southeast Asian and Indian cooking, and its health benefits are well documented, like easing nausea.¹⁰

There is some research out there to suggest that ginger could have a positive effect on reducing bloating - in a 2019 systematic review of clinical trials, scientists found that ginger extract aided in the reduction of symptoms, like bloating, in those with impaired gastric emptying.¹¹  However, they also stated that there is a call for larger studies to confirm the results.¹¹

An easy way to introduce more ginger to your diet is to add a slice of raw ginger to a cup of boiling water and leave it to steep (a squeeze of honey or lemon will help moderate the flavour a bit.)

Not the typical addition to a weekly shop, papaya has a proposed myriad of health benefits, including the improvement of bloating symptoms and improved digestion.¹²

You can eat papaya raw, just scoop out the seeds from the middle, and you’re all set. Alternatively, papaya makes a great addition to salads, desserts, and smoothies.

Quinoa is often touted as a superfood and has quickly risen to be one of the biggest health food trends of the 21st century, with quinoa’s health benefits widely reported. Quinoa is high in protein and fibre and, whilst more research is needed, is also believed to enhance the diversity of beneficial gut bacteria.^13,14,15

Quinoa can be used as a substitute for other grains, such as rice. It also makes a nice addition tossed through a salad or as the base of a grain bowl.

Both fennel and fennel seeds have long been used to soothe digestion, bloating, cramps and flatulence, but scientific studies in this area are lacking.¹⁷ One study found that fennel essential oil was effective in reducing symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which include bloating.¹⁸

This aniseed-flavoured vegetable can be eaten raw, roasted, or cooked in salads, stews, soups, and pasta dishes. You could also try fennel tea or fennel seed capsules. However, it is unclear if this effect extends to the use of fennel as an ingredient in cooking.

Overloading your diet with any of these foods is unlikely to help and could make your bloating worse. For example, increasing fibre very quickly, and not increasing your water intake can worsen constipation.¹⁹ This is because water is needed to help fibre to pass through the digestive tract.

Another example is, for people with digestive conditions like irritable bowel syndrome, eating large quantities of allium vegetables can trigger gas, bloating, diarrhoea and constipation.²⁰

As more and more science around gut health emerges, we’re increasingly bombarded with conflicting opinions on how diet impacts digestion. While some ‘blame’ gluten, others call out lactose as the ‘culprit’. But there are a few habits that most dietitians agree on. 

Bear in mind that there isn’t a single superfood that can miraculously ‘cure’ bloating. More important is that you aim to introduce as wide a range of gut-supporting foods as possible.

If you’re looking to understand bloating in more detail, we’ve got more information on what is bloating and what causes bloating. Don’t forget, you can book in with one of our registered nutritionists too.