Supplements for Bloating: What Helps, What to Try First, and When to Worry

Bloating is one of the most common reasons people walk into Ocean Ki Wellness. It can feel like a balloon under your waistband by mid-afternoon, or like your jeans fit in the morning and not at night. The good news is that most everyday bloating comes from digestion that needs a little support, and there are simple steps that help.

Why you feel bloated

• Eating fast or swallowing air while you eat

• Not breaking food down well, especially heavy, fatty or high-protein meals

• Gut bacteria that are out of balance, often after antibiotics, stress or travel

• Constipation, which backs everything up

• Foods that ferment easily, like beans, onions, garlic, apples and sugar alcohols

• Hormone shifts before a period or during perimenopause

When bloating needs a doctor

See your doctor promptly if bloating comes with weight loss you cannot explain, blood in your stool, vomiting, fever, trouble swallowing, severe pain, or a change in your bowel habits that lasts more than a few weeks. New, constant bloating after age 50, especially for women, should always be checked.

Supplements for bloating that are worth a try

• A probiotic. "Probiotics for bloating" is one of the top searches in this area for good reason. Certain probiotic strains have been shown in studies to ease bloating and gas for some people, especially with irritable bowel symptoms. Give a probiotic 2 to 4 weeks before you judge it.

• Digestive enzymes. Enzymes help your body break down proteins, fats and carbohydrates. They tend to help most when bloating shows up after big or heavy meals.

• Fiber, added slowly. If constipation is part of the picture, a gentle fiber blend can help you get regular. Add it slowly and drink extra water, because too much fiber too fast can make bloating worse at first.

• Peppermint and ginger. Enteric-coated peppermint oil and ginger tea are simple, well-studied ways to calm gas and cramping.

Shop the Gut Calm plan

In the Ocean Ki Wellness Shop, Dr. Jen Jackson, DACM, put together the Gut Calm plan: Thorne FloraMend Prime Probiotic, Advanced Digestive Enzymes and FiberMend. Choose "I am bloated" on the shop page to see how to take each one, or get the Gut Calm plan from Dr. Jen's Thorne store. Start with one product, then add the next after a few days, so you know what is working.

Everyday habits that ease bloating

• Slow down and chew well. Put your fork down between bites.

• Walk for 10 minutes after meals.

• Notice your triggers for a week with a simple food and symptom note.

• Cut back on carbonated drinks, gum and sugar-free sweeteners.

• Manage stress. Your gut and nervous system talk to each other all day long.

How acupuncture can help

In Chinese medicine, bloating is often linked to a digestive system that is tired or overworked. Acupuncture can help calm the stress response and support healthy digestion, and many of our patients notice less bloating and more regular digestion over a series of treatments. If antibiotics started your symptoms, read Gut Health After Antibiotics.

Book a visit at Ocean Ki Wellness in Middletown or Warwick, Rhode Island.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This article is for education and is not a substitute for advice from your own health care provider.