Eating sautéed vegetables as part of your dinner is a very healthy and nutritious choice, experts say, but how you season it really does matter if you’re prone to indigestion. If you find yourself bloating after eating garlic, there are several reasons why. We checked in with health experts to learn more about this food (that is often used in seasoning and does contain many health benefits but can also cause occasional indigestion). Read on for tips and insight from Trista Best, MPH, RD, LD, registered dietitian at Balance One Supplements and Jesse Feder, personal trainer, registered dietitian and contributor to My Crohn’s and Colitis Team.
How Garlic Seasonings Can Lead To Bloating
Garlic is a popular and beloved food and seasoning to use in many recipes, Best acknowledges, but says "it contains a class of soluble fibers that may be causing your gas and bloating." These fibers, she explains, are known as "fructans and are found in garlic and leeks."
Whether prepared from "natural sources of garlic" or used as a "seasoning or spice," some individuals are more sensitive to this class of fiber than others, Best adds. "Bloating can be worsened by garlic salt, which contains sodium. Sodium is another seasoning that is strongly associated with bloating," she stresses.
This, Best continues, is because "excess sodium causes an imbalance in water due to water retention." This can cause widespread bloating and inflammation throughout the body. "Onions have been found as a suitable substitute for garlic," she says, if you love the taste but often find yourself bloating afterwards.
Feder agrees, and warns that cooking vegetables with garlic at night can "in fact lead to morning bloat." Garlic, he echoes, contains "a type of carbohydrate called fructans." These, he says, "have been shown to cause gas, bloating, and potentially stomach pain." You can still cook your vegetables the same way you always do, he advises, "just try to limit garlic use if you notice you feel bloated from them." Vegetables low in fructans, he concludes, include "bell peppers, carrots, and arugula."
