Gas and bloating are frustratingly common medical issues. An array of medicines on the market promise to put an end to – or at least reduce – these stomach-upsetting challenges. While many of these medicines will do the trick, you don’t have to rely on something unnatural. There are several good home remedies that can reduce or even eliminate the discomfort associated with this issue.
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Because these home remedies are natural and un-invasive, you don’t have to worry about drug combinations or suffering potential side effects as you work to reduce the frequency and severity of your bloating.
1. Intentional Release
Even as an adult, hearing someone pass gas is usually enough to elicit a chuckle. While flatulence isn’t necessarily pleasant, it does serve an important physical function. If you’re bloated and gassy, don’t attempt to hold in your flatulence. By releasing the gas that has built up in your digestive system, you can almost immediately reduce the discomfort you’re experiencing.
2. Pay Attention To How You Chew
It’s not just the type of food you eat that impacts how gassy you are; it’s also the way you eat it. If you often feel the effects of excessive gas, consider putting more effort into fully chewing your food.
Chewing your food completely helps your body digest it more effectively and efficiently. Gastrointestinal distress can be caused by difficulties in digesting food, which is why preparing your food for easy digestion could prove beneficial.
3. Add Activated Charcoal To Your Pill Regimen
The thought of taking activated charcoal to improve your health might be a tough pill to swallow – pun intended. If you’re commonly gassy, however, taking a regular supplement of activated charcoal could provide relatively permanent relief.
Although scientists aren’t entirely clear on what makes activated charcoal effective in reducing flatulence, studies do suggest a positive correlation between taking this supplement and a reduction in gas. Because activated charcoal is porous, it absorbs some of the bacteria given off by your digestive system, thereby resulting in fewer digestive issues.
4. Peppermint Tea
Peppermint tea is more than just soothing for the mind. It can promote physical wellness in the form of digestive health. Peppermint tea is an ideal beverage if you’re seeking to soothe an upset stomach. Peppermint contains menthol, which has an antispasmodic effect, reducing the stomach cramping that can leaves you feeling bloated and gassy.
Peppermint tea is fast-acting, so you don’t have to predict the onset of an upset stomach. You can wait until your gassiness appears and squelch it quickly with a warm and soothing drink.
5. Ginger Drink
When your tummy turned against you when you were a child, Dr. Mom likely prescribed some ginger ale. While sipping this fizzy concoction might not have always made it better, it likely did help substantially. There’s a reason for this: ginger is naturally soothing to the stomach.
If you’re experiencing stomach upset, try some ginger ale for a fast fix. For more severe pains, mix up a warm ginger drink. Let some grated gingerroot steep in boiling water for a bit. Add some lemon or honey to your taste, then consume your drink.
6. Add Pumpkin To Your Diet
Pumpkin, while delicious, is likely a seasonal food for you. If you’re experiencing gas regularly, you might want to consider enjoying pumpkin more than just once a year in pie form. Regular pumpkin consumption can actually reduce the amount of gas you produce.
Eating pumpkin in any form will offer you this benefit. For maximum effects, it’s best to consume the pumpkin at the same time that you’re eating the gas-inducing food. By doing this, you allow the effects to be immediate.
7. Eat Some Caraway
F. Scott Fitzgerald famously admitted that he named “The Great Gatsby” character Nick Caraway because he was a flatulent (figuratively) character with an inflated sense of self. Caraway has long been associated with inducing flatulence. This remedy works by aiding your body in releasing the gas that might be trapped in your digestive system and causing you physical discomfort.
To benefit from caraway seed consumption, eat a pinch of seeds or select food that contains caraway, like caraway crackers, to nibble on throughout the day. Remember that caraway seeds don’t eliminate gas; they make your body expel it, so don’t munch on caraway seeds if you’re not in a place where you’re comfortable letting your gases go.
8. Try Fennel
Like caraway, fennel can help make it easier for your body to pass the gases that are leaving your uncomfortable. Unlike caraway, fennel might actually help prevent gas from forming in the first place.
Fennel contains volatile oils that serve two purposes. First, they prevent gas from forming. Second, they reduce the muscle spasms that typically cause digestive discomfort.
Eating fennel in any form can offer you these benefits. If you’d rather drink your fennel, create a tea. Crush some fennel seeds and allow them to steep in hot water, and then drink down this mixture to feel the effects.
9. Sip Lemon Water
Lemons are good for you, making lemon water beneficial to your health. Lemons themselves contain vitamins B and C along with calcium and magnesium. These components encourage the production of the acid your body requires to properly break down food.
Lemon is only part of the magic here, however. The water in which you steep your lemons – preferably while warm – offers benefits as well. This water helps encourage your system to flush out toxins. This not only helps your digestive health, but it also encourages your liver to work better, leading to improved overall health.
10. Try A Massage
If you’ve tried an assortment of different approaches but haven’t found any relief, consider taking a more hands-on approach. Physically massaging your stomach could help you release the painfully trapped gas, providing immediate relief.
To use this method, lie on your back and massage your stomach in a circular motion. Apply consistent and firm pressure, but don’t press so hard that it hurts. Keep massaging until the gas is released.
You can perform this procedure either lying down or standing, but you should avoid trying it in the sitting position because sitting naturally promotes gas retention.
11. Eat Probiotics
For regular maintenance of a healthy digestive system, add probiotics to your regular diet. Probiotics promote the maintenance of a healthy bacteria level within your digestive system. Because this bacteria is responsible for properly digesting food, which will in turn prevent gas, keeping this system in balanced order will have lasting beneficial effects.
For the easiest and potentially tastiest method of consuming your probiotics, add probiotic-rich yogurt to your regular breakfast. Consuming just this one extra cup of yogurt a day could be enough to change your digestive function enough to prevent your discomfort and bloating.
