What you eat is the key contributor to whether or not you experience gas and bloating after a meal. So if you’re really struggling with gas or feel bloated to the point of discomfort, limiting your intake of the number-one food that can make you gassy—or at least being more thoughtful about how you eat it—can really help.
Meet the experts: Lavanya Kethamukkala, R.D.N., C.L.T., L.D.N., a registered dietitian nutritionist and founder of Nourishing Expert in Apex, N.C.; Rudolph Bedford, M.D., a gastroenterologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA.
But first, why do you get gassy after eating at all? “Gas is a normal part of digestion,” Lavanya Kethamukkala, R.D.N., C.L.T., L.D.N., a registered dietitian nutritionist and founder of Nourishing Expert in Apex, N.C., previously told Prevention. “As beneficial gut bacteria ferment undigested carbohydrates in the colon, they naturally produce gases such as hydrogen, methane, and carbon dioxide.” These gases are then expelled from your body (out one end or the other), resulting in gas, or are trapped in your digestive tract, causing bloating.
According to Kethamukkala, the number-one food that contributes to gas and bloating is beans. “Beans are probably the most common culprit because their oligosaccharides are fermented by gut bacteria, producing gas,” she explains. That said, there’s no need to eliminate beans from your diet entirely. “They are among the healthiest sources of fiber and plant protein,” Kethamukkala notes. The trick is to start with small portions and gradually increase your intake until you are eating beans every day or close to it. “Your gut microbiome adapts over time, and many people experience less gas as they eat beans more regularly,” says Kethamukkala.
If you frequently feel gassy and bloated and you’ve ruled out beans as the cause, Rudolph Bedford, M.D., a gastroenterologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, says that dairy products are likely behind your issues. “Many of us become lactose intolerant as we get older because we’re no longer producing lactase,” Dr. Bedford has explained. Per the National Library of Medicine, lactase is the enzyme that allows you to digest lactose, the primary sugar in dairy. If you aren’t making it, which is the case for 30 million American adults, dairy is likely the culprit behind your gas and bloating.
Still, the foods that can make you gassy vary from person to person. Tracking what you eat and any symptoms you experience following meals can help you pinpoint the food that’s giving you trouble and allow you to make any necessary adjustments to your diet.
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