Greek yogurt is an inexpensive, quick, and easy way to get protein into your diet—but it may be making you bloated, as well. Lactose, which is found in many dairy products, especially yogurt, milk, and ice cream, may give you a bloated belly if you are lactose intolerant3 .
Greek yogurt has the active cultures you need to relieve bloating. Dairy products are usually among the main culprits in creating bloated tummies so yogurt might seem a bit odd on this list. But Greek yogurt contains the active cultures lactobacillus and acidophilus, which can aid in relieving the bloat.
Yogurt's probiotics (good bacteria) help your gut digest and absorb food, so there's less gas and bloating. Go for plain yogurt with active cultures, and sweeten it with a little fruit.
One of the best probiotics, yogurt is packed with good bacteria that promote a healthy gut (and you need to keep those good bacteria happy all the time if you don't want bloating). Essentially, a healthy gut means less bloating. So if you're feeling gassy, go for some plain yogurt or Greek yogurt.
The biggest culprits for causing gas are high-fibre foods like beans, onions and broccoli, especially if you've made recent changes to your diet to include more fibrous food. Dairy can also result in increased gas.
The most common cause of stomach pain and bloating is excess intestinal gas. If you get a bloated stomach after eating, it may be a digestive issue. It might be as simple as eating too much too fast, or you could have a food intolerance or other condition that causes gas and digestive contents to build up.
People with lactose intolerance are unable to fully digest the sugar (lactose) in milk. As a result, they have diarrhea, gas and bloating after eating or drinking dairy products. The condition, which is also called lactose malabsorption, is usually harmless, but its symptoms can be uncomfortable.
When first using probiotics, some people experience gas, bloating, or diarrhea. Changes in the gut microbiota can result in bacteria producing more gas than usual, which can lead to bloating. However, these side effects usually clear up within a few days or weeks of taking the probiotics.
Fruits and vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, prunes, and apricots. These items contain sugars and starches that may cause gassiness and bloating, even though these foods are good for you. Sweeteners can also cause gas and bloating. Sorbitol, an artificial sweetener, can't be digested.
Even though dairy products are the major culprits of discomfort for some IBS sufferers, yogurt proves to be an exception. The live cultures in the yogurt break down the lactose, so it's less likely to cause gassy symptoms.
It's touted for its belly-calming probiotics, but certain types of yogurt could actually be doing you more harm than good. That's because dairy products contain varying levels of the sugar molecule lactose, which gets fermented in your body and creates gas bubbles and bloating, Greer says.
Yogurt is thought to reduce inflammation by improving the integrity of the intestinal lining. And, by bolstering this layer of tissue, endotoxins — produced by gut bacteria — cannot cross into the bloodstream and promote inflammation.
The most common reason for bloating is having a lot of gas in your gut. This can be caused by some food and drinks, such as some vegetables and fizzy drinks, or by swallowing air when you eat. It can also be caused by a problem with your digestion, such as: constipation.
“While it may seem counterintuitive, drinking water may help to reduce bloat by ridding the body of excess sodium,” Fullenweider says. You may find that drinking water before a meal can help reduce bloat, and this step may also confer the double benefit of reducing the tendency to overeat.
When you don't have enough of this enzyme to digest lactose, you can experience abdominal discomfort and digestive issues after eating dairy products like milk, ice cream, yogurt, and cheese. This is known as lactose intolerance. Lactose intolerance is not the same as a lactose allergy.
Milk, cheese, and ice cream are hard for your body to digest as they are high in fat. They should thus be avoided during a stomach upset. Plain low-fat yoghurt can, however, be good for your stomach health. Yoghurt is rich in probiotics or good bacteria and yeasts that help maintain good gut health.
If your bloating is accompanied by abdominal pain, cramps, dizziness, nausea or vomiting, then it might be a serious problem. Regularly occurring bloating that doesn't improve with lifestyle changes, such as eating smaller meals or avoiding certain foods, may also point to a more serious issue.
Researchers found that bloating is highly prevalent, affects women more frequently than men, and is a common side effect in people who deal with other digestive conditions like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or chronic constipation.