The Most Effective Home Remedies for Gas and Bloating
Having gas, bloating, or belching can be an embarrassing, uncomfortable and even a painful experience. It is good to remember that stomach gas is a natural occurrence in the body and you can usually alleviate gas problems by letting it out or by consuming different types of foods. However, stomach gas can also cause bloating, stomach cramps, hard stomach and some people feel that they generally have excessive gas. The good news is that there are many natural home remedies for gas and bloating.
In this article I am going to discuss the common causes and symptoms of stomach gas. I will also offer you natural ways for gas relief that can also help you to treat and prevent bloating.
Let’s look at the most common causes for stomach gas and bloating.
What Causes Gas and Bloating?
Gas is caused by a natural process that results when food gets broken down in the intestine. The Mayo Clinic says that the most common gas-producing foods are beans and lentils, lactose (in many dairy products), fructose, and sorbitol (found in some fruits and sweeteners).1
Stomach gas can also be caused by gulping in air when you eat. So, if the excess air doesn’t come up as a burp, it will come out the other end.
Stress can also cause gas (as well as green poop) because it can interfere with how the digestive system works.
Having excessive gas can also be a sign of a digestive disorder like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), being lactose intolerant, or celiac disease.1
Having too much gas can also cause bloating in some people. This causes discomfort and gives you a feeling of fullness. Usually, you will get relief from bloating when you pass gas and I’ve already mentioned that your farts can speak volumes about your health and wellness.
What can you do to get rid of gas and prevent too much gas from forming in your stomach?
Natural Home Remedies to Relieve Gas and Bloating
There are many wonderful home remedies to treat gas and bloating. These remedies will help you feel better in general because these can also help alleviate indigestion and other digestive problems.
Peppermint
Peppermint is an effective home remedy to alleviate gas and other digestive conditions. One study into using peppermint oil to help relieve indigestion found that it is effective in reducing flatulence, abdominal pain, and diarrhea in people.2
Other trials have found that peppermint tea has no adverse side effects and can help to treat abdominal pain, excess gas, and diarrhea.3
You can use peppermint tea to help reduce gas and prevent bloating. To make peppermint tea tear a few fresh mint leaves and let them infuse in a cup of boiling water for 5 minutes. Remember to cover the cup so that the peppermint essential oil doesn’t escape. Drink the peppermint tea to help alleviate your stomach gas.
Some people who have excessive gas find that enteric-coated peppermint oil capsules can help reduce gas. You should take one peppermint oil capsule an hour before eating to avoid gas and bloating after your meal.
Chamomile Tea
Chamomile tea has many health benefits and can also help to get rid of gas and relieve bloating. Chamomile has many anti-inflammatory properties and can help calm both the mind and the stomach. A study published in the journal Molecular Medicine Reports showed that chamomile is effective in getting rid of gas, soothing the stomach and helping food to move through the intestines.4
To use chamomile to relieve gas you can make an infusion of chamomile, peppermint, lemon balm, and fennel seeds. You need one teaspoon of the dried herb mixture for one cup of water (if you use fresh herbs, triple the amount to three teaspoons). Put the herb mixture in a cup of boiling water, cover and let it infuse for 10 minutes. Strain and drink one cup 3 times a day to help relieve a gassy stomach and prevent bloating.
Ginger
Ginger is a great natural remedy for all sorts of digestive problems and can help you to get rid of excessive gas and flatulence. Ginger has been used for centuries for its powerful health benefits. Scientific studies also show that ginger is an effective remedy for gas. The World Journal of Gastroenterology noted that ginger has been used to treat flatulence, nausea, and abdominal pain.5
It is very easy to make ginger tea to improve your health and alleviate gas problems. Cut or grate about 1-2 inches of fresh ginger root. Put it in a cup of boiling water, cover the cup and let it infuse for 10 minutes. Drink this about 20 minutes before each meal to get rid of gas or bloating.
Alternatively, you can chew on a piece of raw ginger and let the juices go to work in your stomach to soothe gas pain.
Turmeric and Ginger Tea
You can also get a relief from gas and abdominal cramps by using turmeric. This can work especially well for gas if you combine it with ginger.
Turmeric contains curcumin which is anti-inflammatory. It can also be an effective remedy for treating dyspepsia (indigestion). In a study on the effect of curcumin on indigestion, it found that curcumin helped to alleviate the symptoms of indigestion, including excess gas, in 87% of the patients.6
To make an herbal tea from turmeric and ginger to cure gas problems, you should take 1 teaspoon of fresh grated turmeric root and 1 teaspoon of fresh grated ginger root. Put in a cup of boiling water, cover and let it infuse for 10 minutes. Add a little raw honey once the infusion has cooled down and a slice of lemon. Then add a teaspoon of coconut oil or a pinch of black pepper as this helps the turmeric to be absorbed into the body. Drink the herbal tea to get relief from a gassy stomach and bloating.
Other Herbs to Relieve Gas and Bloating
There are many other natural herbs which are great remedies to relieve gas and bloating.
Caraway seeds
Caraway seeds can help you to get rid of flatulence and gas.7 Put 1-2 teaspoons of freshly crushed caraway seeds in a cup of boiling water, cover and steep for 10-15 minutes. Strain and drink a cup 4 times a day to relieve both gas and indigestion.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon has many benefits and can help relieve gas and other digestive disorders.8 You can add a stick of cinnamon to the herbal teas mentioned above.
Lemon Balm
Another great herb to treat excessive gas is lemon balm.9 It is related to the mint family and you can use it to make a delicious tea to cure gas. Follow the instructions for making peppermint tea to relieve gas and bloating to make your lemon balm tea.
There are more herbs to help improve digestion and get rid of gas which you can use as herbal infusions.
Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV)
To get quick relief from gas and bloating you can take raw unprocessed apple cider vinegar. ACV is rich in enzymes that help to boost the digestive system.
To use apple cider vinegar as a natural remedy for gas, you should dilute one tablespoon in a glass of warm water and drink before a meal. This can help alleviate gas and bloating after a meal.
Probiotics
There are many reasons to take probiotics, and one of them is that probiotics can help to get rid of gas by restoring a healthy flora to your gut. This can be very important if you are taking, or have taken antibiotics. A report published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology showed that probiotics help to reduce the pain and symptoms of IBS, one of which is gas.10
Probiotics are found in natural raw yogurt and in kefir (a fermented milk drink similar to yogurt). You can also use probiotic supplements to help your digestive tract and boost your immune system.
Activated Charcoal
To get a relief from gas, especially after eating a meal, you can take activated charcoal. The American Journal of Gastroenterology stated that taking activated charcoal was effective in preventing intestinal gas that usually occurs after a “gas-producing” meal.11
Activated charcoal can be bought as supplements. Be sure to carefully follow the directions on the label for the proper dosage.
To find out more about the many uses of activated charcoal, please read my article: The Best Activated Charcoal Uses and Health Benefits.
How to Prevent Gas and Bloating
There are many natural ways to prevent excess gas occurring in your stomach and to reduce instances of bloating.
Because stomach gas usually occurs from the foods we eat, then it’s important to identify which foods in your diet are causing abdominal gas.
FODMAP Diet
You can get relief from excessive gas and bloating by following the FODMAP diet. The FODMAP diet has proven results in helping people who suffer from digestive problems get relief from gas in the stomach.
FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides And Polyols. These are groups of foods that ferment easily in the intestine, thus causing more gas.
The FODMAP diet helps to prevent stomach gas because it eliminates foods that are not absorbed well in the small intestine. By avoiding these foods, you avoid many digestive problems that these foods cause when they break down in the large intestine.
Does the FODMAP actually help to cure gas and bloating? A study of patients with IBS who used the FODMAP diet to alleviate their symptoms found that over a period of 15 months, 72% of patients found a reduction of gas, bloating and abdominal pain. The study is interesting in that IBS is notoriously difficult to treat. However, sticking to the FODMAP diet helped people find relief of the most common symptoms, including flatulence.
Change your Eating Habits to Prevent Gas and Bloating
Another way to get daily relief from gas and bloating is to review your eating habits. For example, the Mayo Clinic recommends the following suggestions to avoid gas after a meal:
- Eat food slowly. Try to be more relaxed when eating and don’t rush eating.
- Avoid foods that affect you. Different foods affect different people. Try to avoid trigger foods that give you the most gas.
- Take a walk after meals. This can help digest food better.
- Eat fewer fatty foods. Fat slows down the speed your body digests food which increases the time it can ferment.
Regarding foods high in fiber, the Mayo Clinic recommends cutting back on those for a limited period of time. After a short break, slowly re-introduce those foods back to your diet. This is important because fiber is essential part of a balanced healthy diet and it can also prevent constipation.
Dairy Products
The lactose in many dairy products can cause excessive bloating and gas in many people. Dr. Gregory Thompson on WebMD recommends limiting the intake of dairy products that cause bloating.13 For some people, they can take milk along with solid food to prevent gas and bloating. You can also look for dairy products that are lactose-free. Some people who are lactose-intolerant can still take raw yogurt or kefir. But, many people who can’t digest lactose have to completely avoid dairy products.
Read these related articles:
1. Here Is What Your Farts Reveal About Your Health
2. Stomach Pain after Eating – Causes and Natural Treatments
3. Lower Left Abdominal Pain – Causes and Possible Treatments
4. How to Make Yourself Fart on Command
5. How to Get Rid of Diarrhea Naturally
Resources:
1. Intestinal gas. Causes.
2. Herbal remedies for dyspepsia.
3. Bloating and functional gastro-intestinal disorders.
4. Chamomile: a herbal medicine of the past with a bright future.
5. Effect of ginger on gastric motility and symptoms of functional dyspepsia.
6. Efficacy of turmeric in the treatment of digestive disorders.
7. Caraway.
8. Cinnamon.
9. Lemon balm.
10. Effectiveness of probiotics in irritable bowel syndrome.
11. Effects of orally administered activated charcoal on intestinal gas.
12. The low FODMAP diet improves gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with IBS.
13. Lactose intolerance – treatment overview.
2. Herbal remedies for dyspepsia.
3. Bloating and functional gastro-intestinal disorders.
4. Chamomile: a herbal medicine of the past with a bright future.
5. Effect of ginger on gastric motility and symptoms of functional dyspepsia.
6. Efficacy of turmeric in the treatment of digestive disorders.
7. Caraway.
8. Cinnamon.
9. Lemon balm.
10. Effectiveness of probiotics in irritable bowel syndrome.
11. Effects of orally administered activated charcoal on intestinal gas.
12. The low FODMAP diet improves gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with IBS.
13. Lactose intolerance – treatment overview.