Whether it comes from trapped gas, constipation or fluid shifts, bloating has a way of creeping into everyday life. The good news is that a few simple habits can make a real difference. If you're not sure what's behind your bloating, start with our guide to what causes bloating, then use the remedies below.
Change how you eat
Eat more slowly and swallow less air
Some of the gas in your gut is air you swallowed. To swallow less, the NIH suggests you avoid chewing gum, hard candy, fizzy drinks and drinking through a straw, eat more slowly, and sit down to eat rather than eating on the run.
Chewing well helps too. Digestion starts in your mouth, and food that is well chewed is easier for the rest of your gut to handle.
Watch out for sugar alcohols
Sugar-free gums, candies and "keto" snacks are often sweetened with sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, mannitol and xylitol. They're only partly absorbed and can cause gas, bloating and loose stools, especially in larger amounts. Check labels for ingredients ending in "-ol".
Cut back on salt
A salty meal can leave you feeling puffy. In the DASH-Sodium feeding trial, eating more sodium raised the risk of bloating, whatever else people ate. Cooking more at home and going easy on processed and restaurant foods is the simplest way to cut back.
Keep things moving
Add fiber gradually and drink enough water
If constipation is behind your bloating, fiber helps: fiber supplements, especially psyllium at more than 10 grams a day for at least four weeks, improved chronic constipation in clinical trials. The catch is that fiber can cause gas at first, so increase it slowly over a few weeks.
Pair it with fluids. In people with constipation, a high-fiber diet worked better when they also drank more water. Water-rich foods like cucumber, watermelon and bell peppers count toward your fluids too.
Take a walk after meals
A short walk after eating isn't just pleasant. In people who experience bloating, gentle physical activity helped the gut clear gas and reduced symptoms compared with resting.
Try a guided low-FODMAP trial
FODMAPs are fermentable carbohydrates found in foods like beans, onions, garlic, wheat and some fruits. For people with IBS, the low-FODMAP diet was the only well-studied diet that beat a usual diet for bloating in a 2025 analysis of randomized trials. It's an elimination diet followed by reintroduction, not a forever diet, and experts recommend doing it with a gastroenterology dietitian.
Consider a targeted digestive enzyme
If specific foods are the trigger, an enzyme can help break them down before gut bacteria do:
- Lactase with dairy, which can help some people with lactose intolerance.
- Alpha-galactosidase with beans, which reduced gas after a bean-rich meal in a placebo-controlled trial.
- A broad-spectrum blend for mixed or heavy meals. Our Break It Down capsules combine 15 plant-based enzymes with 1 billion probiotics to support comfort after eating.
What about probiotics and activated charcoal?
Probiotics
A daily probiotic can be a helpful part of a gut-friendly routine alongside the habits above. Trust Your Gut combines 16 billion CFU from 6 acid-resistant strains with organic prebiotics and is formulated to help support digestive comfort, including occasional bloating. Benefits are strain-specific and vary from person to person, and some people notice extra gas in the first week or two while their gut adjusts.
Activated charcoal
A couple of small, decades-old trials found that activated charcoal reduced gas after a gas-producing meal and eased bloating and cramps. The evidence is old and limited. Charcoal binds substances in the gut, so it may also bind medicines; check with a pharmacist before using it if you take any.
Calm the gut-brain connection
Your gut and brain are in constant conversation, and stress can make a sensitive gut more reactive. Psychological approaches such as gut-directed hypnotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy are effective for IBS symptoms, and the AGA lists brain-gut therapies among options for bloating, with diaphragmatic breathing for one type of visible distention. Meditation, slow breathing and regular sleep are easy places to start. Read more about chronic stress and gut health.
When to see a doctor about bloating
Most bloating is uncomfortable but harmless. Talk to your doctor if it happens often, changes suddenly, or comes with pain, constipation, diarrhea or weight loss, and before starting supplements if you're pregnant or take prescription medicines.
