How to Treat Abdominal Bloating
It’s estimated that between 16 and 30% of people suffer from abdominal bloating regularly, and they usually have something in common: they almost always eat too much food. Bloating, or stomach distension, is a common ailment. It’s usually caused by bad eating habits, slow digestion, and some sicknesses. This is the first place you want to look when trying to treat abdominal bloating.
This ailment usually shows up together with uncomfortable symptoms. Some of these are gas, constipation, diarrhea, and heartburn.
However, it can have different symptoms for everyone. It all depends on what’s causing it.
Fortunately, it can be treated naturally thanks to the properties of certain ingredients. These are things that we can easily get a hold of.
In this article, we want to show you various home remedies. This way, you’ll be able to take preventative measures for your health.
Probiotics
Bacteria in your intestines create gas. This is one of the most obvious symptoms of abdominal bloating.
Eating probiotic supplements helps to build up your good bacteria. For people with digestive problems, this reduces the production of gas.
Also Read: What are Probiotics Used For?
However, it’s important to know that the effects of probiotics aren’t usually immediate. They only appear after weeks of regular consumption.
You can find them in foods like:
- Kefir
- Natural yogurt
- Dark chocolate
- Pickles
- Miso soup
You can also buy probiotic supplements at your local pharmacy.
Clover
Clover extract has digestive qualities that help diminish chronic abdominal inflammation.
Taking it in moderate amounts calms flatulence, pain, and burning sensations.
How to take it
- Add 10 to 15 drops of the extract to a glass of lukewarm water.
- Drink it in the morning.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is another spice with digestive compounds that can help treat abdominal bloating.
It has antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory properties. These quickly reduce the symptoms of bloating.
How to take it
- Make a cinnamon tea and drink it two times per day.
- Add a teaspoon to your shakes and drinks.
Apple cider vinegar
When stomach inflammation is caused by a pH imbalance, you can use apple cider vinegar to treat it.
This food is an alkaline remedy. It helps to reduce the excess of acid in your blood. This prevents inflammation from getting out of control.
See Also: Apple Cider Vinegar for Diabetes
It also acts as a digestive tonic. This vinegar helps to keep things moving after eating a heavy meal.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon of organic apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup of water
How to take it
- Add the organic apple cider vinegar to a cup of lukewarm water and drink it after each meal.
Chamomile tea
This is a very good alternative for stomach problems. This is because chamomile has anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, and digestive properties.
Drinking it as a tea can help treat abdominal bloating, inflammation, and gas.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon of chamomile flowers
- 1 cup of water
How to take it
- Heat up the water. When it starts to boil, add the chamomile flowers.
- Let the flowers steep. Drink up to three cups per day.
Papaya
Papaya has an enzyme called papain that increases the digestive processes.
Also, papaya has a lot of fiber. Because of all of this, it is one of the best foods diminish symptoms of bloating.
How to take it
- Eat it by itself, in smoothies, or in salads. It’s best if it’s ripe.
Lukewarm water with lemon
Drinking lukewarm water with lemon for breakfast has many benefits. It can help both your digestive health and your metabolism.
Lemon is an alkaline food. It reduces the levels of acidity in your stomach to prevent inflammation and heartburn.
It also has a significant amount of fiber. This is a nutrient that is necessary to help the digestion of foods.
Anise
Anise tea has antispasmodic and gas reducing properties. These help to treat abdominal bloating.
This is recommended as a remedy for flatulence and stomach pain.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon of anise
- 1 cup of water
How to take it
- Add the anise to a hot cup of water.
- Let it steep for 10 minutes.
- Then, drink it.
Mint to treat abdominal bloating
Mint leaves and essential oil are great allies. They help you to fight many common digestive pains.
These oils have gas reducing, antioxidant, and detoxifying properties. They also encourage the elimination of gas and waste kept in the intestine.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon of mint leaves
- 1 cup of water
How to take it
- Heat up the water.
- When it starts boiling, add the mint leaves.
- Let the tea steep for eight minutes and drink the tea after every meal.
Bananas
Bananas are a natural source of fiber and antioxidants. These, besides fighting gas, reduce the excess of acid and inflammation.
How to take it
- Eat a banana before the first sign of a digestive problem.
- Add it to smoothies and desserts.
As you can see, there are many natural options for relieving abdominal bloating.
Choose the one you think is best. Then, take it every time you start to feel bloated.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
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Desai, B., & Desai, A. (2016). Bloating. In Primary Care for Emergency Physicians (pp. 171–180). Springer International Publishing.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44360-7_16 -
Whorwell, P. J. (2013). Abdominal Bloating. In Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Diagnosis and Clinical Management (pp. 263–276). Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118444689.ch13 -
Kim, H. J., Vazquez Roque, M. I., Camilleri, M., Stephens, D., Burton, D. D., Baxter, K., … Zinsmeister, A. R. (2005). A randomized controlled trial of a probiotic combination VSL# 3 and placebo in irritable bowel syndrome with bloating. Neurogastroenterology and Motility, 17(5), 687–696.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2982.2005.00695.x
