If you’re experiencing chronic bloating, it’s best to not only make a visit with your doctor as soon as you can, but to also re-assess your diet to see what foods might be worsening the swelling. We checked in with health experts who determined which common breakfast choice might make your bloating worse (in the meantime before you meet with a doctor for a personal evaluation). Read on for tips from Dr. Monika Wassermann, M.D., Dr. Lea McMahon, LPC, EdD, and registered dietitian Susan Kelly, RDN.
How Breakfast Smoothies With Ingredients Containing Insoluble Fiber Often Lead To Bloating
As Taylor Norris writes for Healthline, there are two types of fiber— soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber, Collins notes, dissolves in water, and includes plant pectin and gums whereas insoluble fiber doesn’t dissolve in water and includes plant cellulose and hemicellulose.
Wassermann explains to us that eating high-fiber foods for breakfast can help many people aid their digestive systems, but for those who often experience bloating, it might be best to be wary of these ingredients. "The worst food for breakfast is a meal containing excessive fiber because it will strain your gut," she says. "While you think beginning your day with a high fiber-filled smoothie or breakfast bar is healthy, it is a disservice to your gut [and can cause] bloating. Some individuals may easily tolerate servings with around 15 mg more fiber, but many do not."
She continues, explaining that fiber isn't inherently bad for anyone, but those who suffer from chronic bloating might need to insert it in their diet over time rather than right away. "During my career as a doctor, I advised clients to gradually add fiber to their diet for the gut to embrace it slowly. This suggests moderating the quantities with time. It will readily click with your body, and remember to always drink more water after such meals."
Many of us use specific fruits and dairy products like milk in breakfast smoothies, which McMahon says to avoid if you're prone to bloating. "People usually feel bloated after consuming food items that have poorly digestible compounds," she says. "Some worst breakfast options for people with chronic bloating," she says, include fruits like "apples and peaches" and "milk and dairy products."
She adds that "these foods are not good for people facing bloating because they have high soluble fiber" content. "They contain fermentable sugars that skip normal digestion in the gut and are consumed by gut bacteria," McMahon continues, "and if Lactose intolerance is a cause of bloating, we should avoid dairy products as milk has lactose."
Fruits are a common breakfast food, whether used in smoothies or on their own, Kelly says. "Some of them are rich sources of soluble fiber, and others are rich sources of insoluble fiber that can exacerbate chronic bloating, gas and abdominal pain," she says. "People with chronic bloating should avoid eating fruits that have insoluble fiber because [insoluble fiber] does not dissolve in water and it stays intact throughout its way to the digestive system." This, Kelly says, "can aggravate bloating and other symptoms."
She lists grapes, bananas, strawberries, kiwi, pineapple, guava, raspberries, blueberries and raisins as fruits with insoluble fiber. Similarly to Wassermann's point, Kelly says that people suffering from chronic bloating "should slowly increase their insoluble fiber intake until their stomach is more used to higher amounts of fiber."
