What Foods Contribute To Bloating?

Bloating, that uncomfortable sensation of being overly full and puffed up with gas or fluid, often arises from eating particular foods. Everyone's list of bloating foods differs, but some foods are particularly likely to cause excess gas and bloating. If you're prone to episodes of abdominal bloating, keeping a food diary can help you pinpoint the culprits. Start with the usual suspects to find out if eliminating them helps with your bloat.

Dairy Products

If you're lactose-intolerant, your body lacks the enzyme it needs to break down the sugar in milk. Lactose intolerance is common, affecting about 30 million Americans, according to the PubMed Health website. It causes a host of uncomfortable and unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms. Abdominal bloating about an hour or two after you eat dairy foods is a sign that you may have lactose intolerance. If you're of Mediterranean, Asian, African or Native American ancestry, this food intolerance is even likelier. If you suspect you have lactose intolerance, choose foods that contain less lactose; hard cheeses and lactose-free milk can help alleviate symptoms.

Raw Vegetables

Although they have a host of health benefits, raw vegetables can cause bloating. Your body relies on its intestinal flora -- the naturally occurring bacteria that line your lower gastrointestinal tract -- to digest certain types of foods. The high fiber content in raw vegetables sends these bacteria into a feeding frenzy, and as they feed, they produce gases as metabolic byproducts. The result is intestinal gas and bloating. Step up your consumption of raw vegetables gradually to reduce the chances of uncomfortable bloating.

Beans

Beans are infamously gassy foods, partially because of the fiber they contain. Like other forms of fiber, the fiber in beans spurs your gut bacteria to produce more gas. Beans also contain sugars that require bacterial digestion, making them particularly likely to cause additional gas and bloating. The good news is that bloating from beans usually results from carbon dioxide as a metabolic by-product, and although the bloating may be uncomfortable, carbon dioxide has no smell. Eating smaller quantities of beans on a regular basis rather than large infrequent servings can help with bloating from this food.

Other High-Fiber Foods

Breakfast cereals and whole-grain breads that have fiber added tend to produce abdominal bloating, a particularly distressing development if you eat these foods as part of a weight-loss program. However, the abdominal swelling they produce is a temporary side effect of bacterial fiber digestion, not weight gain. A higher number on the measuring tape around your waist doesn't necessarily mean you've regained fat; it may just mean that you ate a high-fiber cereal for breakfast. Increase your fiber intake gradually to reduce bloating.

Sugar Alcohols

Sugar alcohols -- carbohydrate-based sweeteners that contain fewer calories than sugar -- digest only incompletely in your body. Despite their name, sugar alcohols contain no alcohol. You'll recognize them on ingredient labels from their endings, typically "ol," although a few are exceptions. Sorbitol, mannitol and xylitol are common sugar alcohols. When you eat an excess of these sweeteners, they produce gastrointestinal side effects ranging from diarrhea to gas and bloating. Keep track of the amount of the sugar alcohols you ingest in the form of sugar-free hard candies and gums to avoid gastrointestinal distress.