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Bloating Natural Remedies
Written by Adam Whitby
What natural remedies will work for bloating? Well, for a start, we need to ask ourselves which remedies and solutions count as 'natural'.
I suppose the most natural relief from bloating and wind would be to assume the yoga position of pavanmuktasana or the 'wind release pose', which is said to induce flatulence and relieve the symptoms of trapped wind. But getting your yoga mat out and striking a pose can obviously be somewhat inconvenient at times. Alternatively, you might find that sipping hot water and then lying down for half an hour could help, yet again this is not always a luxury we can afford.
It can be a good idea to use natural remedies to treat bloating, because over-the-counter medicines for wind or bloating can often contain a large cocktail of chemicals. Whilst these medicines can achieve temporary relief, their possible side effects and contraindications can be numerous, and need careful checking.
So, what is natural? Below I have listed four types of natural remedies which should have very few side effects and can be taken by mostly anyone.
Herbs
Many people would say that herbal remedies are the most natural form of self healing, for example using peppermint, ginger, fennel, chamomile, cinnamon and many others. The family run UK company called Herbs, Hands & Healing have a product called 'Intest-Stable' which contains essential herbs and food extracts such as olive leaf, and cloves, which are natural antibiotics. It can work extremely well and is best taken alongside a natural probiotic supplement too. A Vogel do a product called Centaury - named after the mythological Greek creature with a head & torso of a man on the body of a horse. Centaurs were said to be masters of healing. Centaury is a bitter herb which supports digestion and may well help with bloating. Last but not least, Pukka herbs make a product called 'Triphala' which is popular amongst natural health circles for bloating and sometimes even for constipation. Pukka also do a range of gorgeous herbal teas, so if you are looking for a very light approach then you could try their 'After Dinner Tea' or their ' 3 Fennel Tea'. For more herbal remedies for bloating, read this great blogpost by herbalist Megan.
Herbal tea not only tastes nice, it can help with bloating too.
Digestive Enzymes
Sometimes the body's enzymes just need a boost in order to help the breakdown of certain foods. You may want to try a digestive enzyme such as 'Digestizyme' by Lamberts. However there is a school of thought that your body can build up a dependency to digestive enzymes, so you might want to take them for a short period of time only. What is a short period of time? Unfortunately it hugely depends! As my naturopath friend Lou Bowler reminds us, food supplements are to supplement and not replace a good diet and lifestyle. It is important to always reassess for yourself the difference that a remedy has made - whether natural or medicinal. As with any kind of supplement that you take, reassess as you go along, and talk to a health practitioner about it.
Probiotics & Prebiotics
Bloating and wind are often signs that the balance of good and bad bacteria in your gut is not as it should be, and that bad bacteria is more numerous than good bacteria. This is known as dysbiosis, and can be a result of various factors including stress, ageing, high sugar levels in your diet, or consumption of antibiotics.
Find out more about probiotics for bloating.
In such situations you can top up your good bacteria to maintain that essential healthy balance, and help solve the problem of wind and bloating, by taking a high quality probiotic. There is no risk of dependency with probiotics as the adult body does not produce them itself. OptiBac Probiotics make a supplement called 'For a flat stomach' which is especially made to help maintain healthy digestion, reduce bloating, and to support a lighter feeling in the gut.
Find out more about OptiBac Probiotics here.
Dietary Changes
I can't think of anything more natural than simply helping our natural bodily processes, and particularly our digestion. Try paying attention to which foods seem to be causing the bloating, and cut down on these. I wouldn't recommend drastically cutting out any food groups as you may lose out on essential minerals and vitamins, but it is certainly worth cutting down on foods such as gluten if you can see that this is the cause. Other things you can do for your diet is to eat healthily, cut down on additives in your foods, and drink plenty of water.
For more tips see the article What Causes Bloating? If you can find the root cause of your bloating, surely resolving this would be the most appropriate natural remedy for you.
What Natural Remedies have you tried for bloating? Please share your experiences below.
Image of tea courtesy of dusky.
About Adam Whitby
Adam has been involved in health and medicine for over thirty years, mostly reviewing clinical studies for general practitioners, writing patient information leaflets and producing medical video programmes.Make a Comment
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Comments — 10
sandra henderson 30th January 2012 at 10:52
I have really bad problems with my digestive system,i eat a good well balanced diet plenty of fruit and veg,salads etc and my stomach cramps and bloats after everything i eat.This post has given me some new things to try out to see if it helps-the doctor is only giving me laxido.
Yasmin 30th January 2012 at 17:28
I have tried an ayurvedic remedy called Triphala Churan by a company called Nature & Herbs. After using it for a few weeks I noticed that I suffered much less abdominal bloating. I continued to use it for a few months, then stopped to see whether the bloating would return, to my relief - it didn't. Just before starting the Triphala I had completed a liver, kidney & intestinal cleanse by a company called Organic Nutrition. Maybe it was a combination of the two that greatly improved my digestion. I also cut out cow's milk from my diet as I knew that was a major contributor to my digestive problems. Sugar is another culprit, I couldn't even eat a slice of cake on my birthday as I would suffer the pain of severe bloating shortly after eating it. Thankfully I don't have a sweet tooth so I rarely eat foods that contain sugar. I was so glad to finally find a cure to my uncomfortable and embarrassing bloating/flatulence, now at least I can enjoy a piece of my birthday cake!
Yasmin 31st January 2012 at 07:50
Thanks for suggesting the yoga position, i'll have to give it a try. One thing that works for me every time is a good half hour brisk walk, not only is it great for stress and overall health but it helps to expel trapped wind almost instantly. What better place to do it than in the open air! :)) We sufferers have to laugh about it sometimes! Being a woman I know it is harder for us to deal with this problem, what could be more unfeminine than a 'windy' woman? Thankfully my husband also suffers from bloating on a slightly lower level so I have his sympathy.
lucy vassallo 16th February 2012 at 19:03
I'm a great believer of herbal products ; herbal tea and peppermint being my favorite after a meal. Really helps my tummy digest or even fresh mint. I've never tried yoga,but sounds like a plan.
sandra henderson 21st February 2012 at 20:27
I have now tried "for a flat stomach" for the past 7 days and while i dont think my tummy looks any flatter i certainly found i was not as windy during the day,it did not gurgle as much and i think i would probably try it again. I was just thinking of trying the 'Triphala' next if it helps with constipation.I am still taking 3 sachets of laxido every day on doctors orders and while things are moving id rather find something natural to take as i dont know how long the doctor will expect me to take the laxido for!
Anthony 12th June 2012 at 00:19
Have had success taking fresh chopped garlic with meal. One or two cloves was not enough so I took more cloves and got a better result. Peppermint tea with a few drops of clove oil mixed in also helped.
Sam Keane 13th September 2012 at 11:26
That's very interesting re: garlic! I know its really good for immunity actually - BRILLIAnt to take if you feel a cold coming on. You can also buy capsules though if that's easier or more pleasant than eating loads of garlic :)
Brendan 10th November 2012 at 00:19
Hi Sandra, hope you've seen our post on Constipation and Bloating. It isn't a good idea to be taking laxatives long term. Especially when there are some great natural alternatives available. If constipation is your main concern, I'd suggest you try Optibac's product designed specifically for constipation - For maintaining regularity. Perhaps the seven day course of For a flat stomach was not long enough for you. Did you know you can take it safely everyday if you like?
Acai Berry Burn 22nd December 2012 at 06:16
Article is nice. Everyone wants their health to be good and energetic. In order to relief from bloating and other health hazards we should take precautionary steps to protect from it.
Azurina 5th May 2013 at 07:40
I have changed my diet completely as I have noticed my waistline and abdomen growing over the past 3 years especially. I attend Red Carpet events and now just cant fit any of my gowns and just avoid such ocassions now as I am too embarrassed. I refuse to wear baggy hangy clothing so have opted for 50's style dressed instead which has helped my self confidence to a degree. I have cut out, sugar, gluten, wheat, milk products, meat, infact... highly processed foods and all animal products in my efforts. I went on a raw vegan diet for 3 months, I know its not my digestion! I have several healthy movements a day now. Now I have introduced cooked food back into my diet, still vegan, and still whole food. I still have a problem with bloating. I wonder if it is just needing to work my abdominals to tighten the muscles, I wonder if there is something sinister going on in there. I will go this week to the Dr to get a full check up. Hopefully all is well.