When I complained about being bloated — fat face, bulging belly, puffy ankles — my neighbor swore that sipping a nice cup of ginger tea or taking a few ginger capsules would minimize the water retention that leads to bloating and bring me back to my normal size. But new research published in World Journal of Gastroenterology suggests that, while ginger does help the stomach empty faster after a meal, it doesn’t reduce belly bloat.
So, if ginger isn’t right, I figured that there must be other options. I called registered dietitians Lyssie Lakatos, RD, and Tammy Lakatos Shames, RD, who are twins and coauthors of The Secret to Skinny: How Salt Makes You Fat, and the 4-Week Plan to Drop a Size and Get Healthier with Simple Low-Sodium Swaps, to find out which foods and beverages can help… and which to avoid.
Among the bloat-promoting culprits, first and foremost is salt. “Our bodies work to keep sodium levels at a certain balance. When we eat a lot of salt, our bodies respond by holding on to water to dilute the sodium and maintain it at the proper concentration. The bloat remains until you drink enough water to wash out the sodium — or until you eat foods that are high in both water and potassium. This mineral helps the body eliminate sodium via a mechanism called the sodium-potassium pump, whereby sodium is pumped out of cells and exchanged for potassium,” Lakatos explained.
Potassium-rich antibloaters: Apricots, cantaloupe, citrus fruits, mangos, papayas and watermelon… and asparagus, beet greens, cucumbers, kale, spinach and tomatoes.
Constipation is another common contributor to bloating. When things are backed up, certain high-fiber foods come in especially handy. Lakatos and Shames call these particular fruits and vegetables flushers because they “flush you from the inside out” by creating a stool that can be easily eliminated — but without contributing as many calories as other high-fiber foods, such as whole grains.
High-fiber flushers: Apples, berries, currants, figs, kiwifruit, oranges, pears, prunes and raisins… and bell peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, pumpkin and spaghetti squash.
You should get 14 grams of fiber per 1,000 calories — which works out to about 25 grams of fiber each day, or 21 grams if you’re over 50 (because you need fewer calories when you’re older). But: If your body isn’t used to that much fiber, it is best to increase your intake slowly. Otherwise, you may find yourself feeling more bloated thanks to gas. It also is important to drink enough water so all that fiber doesn’t get stuck in your intestines, Shames said. Rule of thumb: Drink two and a half to three ounces of water for every one gram of fiber.
Fruit quandary: Some people have a condition called fructose malabsorption, in which the body cannot properly absorb the fruit sugar fructose. After eating fruits that contain more fructose than glucose, they experience bloating and other gastrointestinal symptoms. Unfortunately, some fruits that serve as antibloaters or flushers for most folks — including apples, dried fruits, mangos, pears and watermelon — actually worsen bloating in these individuals. If you become more bloated after eating any of these foods, talk to your doctor about fructose malabsorption.
Surprising bloat promoters: Did you know that chewing gum and sipping through a straw (not necessarily at the same time!) can cause belly bloat by drawing excess air into your stomach? Carbonated beverages also leave your stomach full of gas. The fix: Skip the gum and straws, and switch to nonsparkling drinks.
Watch out, too, for sugary foods. Lakatos told me that sugar works much the same way as sodium — when there’s too much of it in your system, your body holds on to extra water to dilute it. So, instead of indulging in super-sugary desserts, try having a small handful of dried tart cherries or a few fresh dates or figs rolled in cocoa powder. These treats are sweet enough to satisfy your cravings but not so high in sugar that they’ll leave you bloated.
Occasionally, bloating can be a sign of an underlying medical condition (such as irritable bowel syndrome, a pancreatic problem or colon cancer), so if puffiness persists, it is best to see your doctor. For most people, however, following the advice above will go a long way toward banishing bloat.
