8 Bloating Remedies From Digestive Health Experts – Livestrong

Sipping ginger tea is one potential way to get rid of bloating.

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Bloating is common as many as 25 percent of people experience it from time to time, according to the Cleveland Clinic. But that doesn't make it any less uncomfortable. Fortunately, when GI troubles strike, bloating remedies can help you ease that too-full feeling.

Although bloating is common, it typically signals that something unusual is happening in your digestive tract, says Brooks Cash, MD, professor of gastroenterology at the University of Texas McGovern Medical School.

For instance, lifestyle habits may be to blame. "Eating quickly, chewing gum, using straws and smoking are all associated with swallowing air, which can cause bloating," Dr. Cash says. Your diet is another potential cause of bloat, as some people report gas and bloating after eating foods that contain lactose, sucrose, starch, excessive fiber or sweeteners, according to the Mayo Clinic.

For others, bloating can be a sign of gastrointestinal disorders including celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Bloating is so widespread, in fact, that professionals experience it too. That's why we asked gut health experts about their tried-and-true methods for how to debloat.

Physical activity may improve your bloating, Dr. Cash says. He recommends starting gently with a 15- to 30-minute walk to see how it makes your stomach feel.

Other gentle activities may also help relieve bloating. Take yoga, for instance it has been found to safely decrease IBS symptoms, including bloating, according to a December 2016 review in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. The review analyzed various styles of yoga and frequency and duration of practice, so try different kinds of yoga to see what works best for your body and schedule.

Although strenuous exercise like running or interval training can be great for your body, it may not be the best when it comes to bloating. That's because intense activity can lead to gastrointestinal symptoms like bloating, abdominal pain and diarrhea, per a June 2017 study in Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

"Bloating can be brought on by a miscommunication in the digestive process," says Abigail Hueber, RD, LDN, an integrative functional dietitian specializing in digestive health and owner of Above Health Nutrition. "Bitters can jumpstart the digestive process."

Bitters are much like the name implies liquids made of bitter-tasting plant extracts, and typically contain alcohol. They're commonly used in plant-based medical systems to treat indigestion, per May 2015 research in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

And there's a reason for that according to the research, sipping bitters may stimulate digestion in a number of ways:

You can take bitters before, during, after or between meals, Hueber says.

Ginger is a known digestive aid, and it can be helpful for bloating and an upset stomach. "Ginger is a great motility agent, meaning it helps move food down and through the GI system. It's also soothing and anti-inflammatory," Hueber says.

She either drinks ginger tea or puts slices of fresh ginger into a bottom of a mug and pours hot water over it to steep.

It's common to be stressed during the day. But those worries can do a number on your gut.

"During stressful situations, blood is shunted away from the digestive system to muscles because your body considers that the priority," says Heather Finley, DCN, RD, a gut health expert and registered dietitian.

In other words, your body is preparing to fight or flee a threat. Although this response is helpful in life-or-death situations where you do indeed need to fight or flee, it may not be so handy if the stressor is your overloaded email inbox.

And because your body diverts most of its resources to your muscles during the fight-or-flight response, your digestive system slows or stops and leaves food sitting in your stomach, according to Harvard Health Publishing. The result? Bloating.

Relaxing your nervous system can help your digestive processes rev back up. Here are some tips to help:

5. Try a Breathing Exercise

Deep breathing isn't just a useful tool to release stress. Hueber says it's also a wonderful way to stimulate motility.

There are numerous types of breathing exercises you can try, but her favorite is the box breath. To do it, inhale for a count of four, then hold your breath for a count of four. Exhale for a count of four, then hold your breath for a count of four. Repeat as needed.

6. Activate Your Vagus Nerve

Your vagus nerve starts in your brain and travels throughout your body, according to Harvard Health Publishing. And it's linked to your nervous system. "Your gut and brain are connected via the vagus nerve. When your mind is anxious, your gut is anxious, and vice versa," Finley says. "Reducing stress on both sides can help these two systems work together."

Stimulating the vagus nerve is a bloating remedy because it can promote GI contraction to move things along, she says. You can trigger it with activities like:

If you're bloated, the last thing you may want to do is tuck into a big meal. But eventually, you'll need to eat.

"Your body needs fuel regardless if you're bloated or not," Finley says. What's more, skipping your next meal can increase your body's stress response, which could actually make things worse.

Instead, Finley recommends eating foods that are easy to digest and therefore gentle to your GI tract, like well-cooked, mashed or pureed foods. Specific options include:

Chewing your food thoroughly can also aid digestion, according to the Cleveland Clinic, which may help prevent further bloating.

8. Give Yourself a Massage

A self-massage is another bloating remedy that can relax and aid GI function, Finley says. She recommends trying her "I Love U" massage. Here's how to do it:

This self-massage helps the muscles around your colon contract, which may expel waste and trapped air that can contribute to bloating or constipation, Finley says.

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8 Bloating Remedies From Digestive Health Experts - Livestrong