All vegetables have important nutrients that keep us healthy and support a healthy weight. But not all veggies have our best interests at heart when it comes to stomach bloating. If you’re doing everything in your power to lose weight — including eating well, exercising, drinking plenty of water and sleeping enough at night — and still can’t figure out why your tummy looks bloating, consider cutting back on these four vegetables to avoid bloat.
Broccoli
Broccoli is packed with good-for-you dietary fiber, potassium, vitamin E, and so much more — and it’s an incredible vegetable to eat to keep you on track with your weight loss goals. But it also belongs the cruciferous vegetable family and, as such, contains raffinose, a carbohydrate that is also found in beans, cabbage, asparagus, and other vegetables.
Cauliflower
Like broccoli, cauliflower also contains raffinose, which is a non-digestible carb that requires an enzyme humans don’t have to digest them. Because we lack this enzyme, raffinose goes straight to the colon, where it our intestinal bacteria spot it and ferment it to gas.
Brussel Sprouts
The good news about raffinose, which is also present in Brussel sprouts, is that it functions as a stool softener in the large intestine. Great news if you are irregular (and equally good for weight loss because you can be sure it’s helping your body release toxins). But the downside is that all of that gas buildup in the colon contributes to both accidental released gas (never fun when you’re at an event) and stomach bloating.
Onions
All types of onions, including leeks in soups and red onions in salads, contain a carbohydrate called fructan. The body does a pretty poor job at absorbing fructan, which leads to water retention in the intestine, which leads to — you guessed it — stomach bloat.