What are Effective Home Remedies for a Bloated Stomach?

15 Effective Home Remedies for a Bloated Stomach

Bloating can make your stomach feel tight, swollen, or full. It is often caused by excess gas, water retention, or poor eating habits. Fortunately, there are several natural and safe ways to reduce bloating without the need for prescription medication.

These tips are simple, easy to implement, and based upon reputable nutrition and medical sources. Check them out in the section below!

1. Sip a Warm Herbal Tea : Teas such as chamomile tea, fennel tea, ginger tea, lemon balm and dandelion tea, and turmeric soothe the stomach, relax the digestive muscles, and reduce gas.
2. Take Peppermint Oil Capsules (enteric‑coated) : These capsules help to relieve intestinal spasms and promote the release of trapped gas. They are most effective for bloating related to IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) like symptoms and intestinal spasms.
3. Go for a Gentle Walk After Meals : A light walk stimulates digestion, which in turn speeds up gas release. This is nature's anti-bloat remedy.
4. Do yoga poses or stretches. : The intestines can be massaged by performing positions like child's pose, happy baby, side knee pulls, or squats.
5. Massage Your Abdomen : Rub gently in an anti-clockwise direction, following the colon's course. This will encourage air and stool to move.
6. Stay Well Hydrated With Water : Constipation can be prevented by drinking enough water. Avoid drinking cold drinks or carbonated beverages during meals, as they can cause bloating.
7. Mindful, Slow Eating : Slowly chewing and eating without distractions will reduce the amount of air that is swallowed. Chew your food thoroughly until it is broken down which aids digestion and reduces the amount of air swallowed. Avoid gum, straws, or carbonated beverages.
8. Enjoy Potassium-Rich Foods : Bananas, avocados, dark greens, celery, cucumbers, and watermelon can help reduce fluid retention and balance fluids.
9. Add Probiotic-Rich Foods or Supplements : Probiotics such as yoghurt, kefir, and kombucha can help maintain a healthy gut bacteria balance. This will reduce gas and bloating.
10. Try Baking Soda for Quick Relief : For temporary relief, dissolve 1/2 tsp of the powder in warm water after a meal. Limit use to a few times a day, as it can upset the body's acid-alkaline balance. Its high sodium content is dangerous for individuals with high blood pressure or kidney issues and therefore this is not a recommended remedy for regular use.
11. Use Gentle Diuretics Mindfully : Asparagus, celery, and dandelion leaves help to flush out extra water, which reduces the feeling of swelling. For bloating related to hormonal water retention, natural diuretic foods like asparagus may help. For gas-related bloating, which is more common, this will not be effective. Focus on identifying the cause of your bloating.
12. Cut Back on High‑FODMAP (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols), Gas-Causing Foods : If you are intolerant, gradually reduce the foods that ferment in your stomach, such as beans and cabbage. Gradual reduction helps prevent sudden bloating.
13. Keep a Food and Symptom Diary : Track your meals and bloating. Avoid future discomfort by identifying problematic foods such as lactose and fructose.
14. Manage Stress and Practice Belly Breathing : Stress can worsen bloating. Diaphragmatic breaths calm the gut-brain link and reduce muscle tension.

What are the Causes of a Bloated Stomach?

Here are the main causes of a bloated stomach:

1. Excess gas often builds up due to swallowing air while eating, drinking fizzy drinks, chewing gum, or eating too fast.
2. Dietary triggers include gas-producing foods like beans, lentils, cabbage, broccoli, and lactose or fructose in dairy and fruit.
3. Digestive problems such as constipation, food intolerances (like lactose or gluten), coeliac disease, IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), or small‑intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) can cause gas retention.
4. Hormonal changes, particularly before or during periods, may lead to temporary bloating from fluid retention.
5. Slowed gut movement may occur from weak intestinal muscle contractions, nerve-related coordination issues, or motility disorders, causing food and gas to linger.

What Should Not Be Done During a Bloated Stomach?

Here are some tips on what not to do when you are suffering from a bloated stomach:

• Avoiding certain foods and habits that cause bloating can help to alleviate the problem.
• Try not to eat a lot of food at once. Overeating can cause your stomach to stretch and bloat.
• Eat smaller meals more frequently.
• Avoid foods known to cause gas, such as beans and carbonated beverages, cabbage, onions,and artificial sweeteners. These foods can cause extra gas to build up in your digestive tract, causing bloating.
• Avoid drinking with a straw and chewing gum often. Both habits can cause you to swallow air, which can cause bloating and buildup in your stomach.
• You should also avoid smoking because it causes you to swallow air, which irritates the digestive tract.
• Refrain from rushing through meals. Eating too fast makes you swallow air and doesn't give your body enough time to properly digest food, causing gas and bloating. Try to eat slowly and chew your food well to aid digestion.

By addressing causes such as gas buildup, digestive discomfort, and constipation with home remedies, bloating can be effectively reduced. Consuming fibre-rich food, staying hydrated, and doing light exercise like walking can all help support digestive health. But persistent or severe bloating can indicate underlying health problems and should be evaluated by a medical professional.