4 Foods that Deflate the Abdomen

There are a number of foods that deflate the abdomen that are worth knowing about in order to enjoy greater well-being. Keep reading.

Written and verified by el nutricionista Saúl Sánchez.

Last update: 19 June, 2023

There are a number of foods that deflate the abdomen that can be included in the diet to improve well-being. They won’t cause you to lose weight but will reduce the feeling of discomfort and intestinal distension. Of course, it’ll also be very important to strengthen the transverse muscles to achieve a significant effect.

Before beginning, it should be noted that the feeling of abdominal swelling can be due to different causes. For example, some food intolerances cause increased fermentation and gas production, which can also cause pain. It’s key to correctly identify the causative element in order to remedy it effectively.

Foods that deflate the abdomen

Although the occasional consumption of the following foods is effective, remember that you need to guarantee that your diet is sufficiently varied. Otherwise, nutritional deficits could be experienced that would condition the state of your health in the medium term.

1. Yogurts

Yogurts are one of the best foods to end stomach and intestinal discomfort. They provide high-quality nutrients, such as proteins, fatty acids, and calcium.

Likewise, they contain probiotics, which are live bacteria that manage to selectively colonize the digestive tract, generating a benefit to the host. A study published in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research confirms this.

In fact, regular consumption of fermented dairy is considered very positive for health. It can reduce the incidence of inflammatory intestinal diseases, which often cause abdominal distension.

In addition, the frequent intake of these foods could reduce the symptoms of certain food intolerances, such as those caused by lactose. This is evidenced by research published in the Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition.

It should be borne in mind that not all yogurts are considered quality foods. In the supermarket, you’ll find many of these foods adulterated with large amounts of added sugars or artificial sweeteners. These could cause a negative impact on blood glucose, affecting the proper functioning of the pancreas in the medium term.

Now, not only yogurts are positive. Other dairy-type products such as kefir can help improve health status. These also go through a fermentation process, so they provide high-quality probiotics. Supplementation with these compounds could even be considered to reduce swelling at the intestinal level and improve the quality of digestion.

In any case, before starting a supplementation process, it’s always advisable to consult with a specialist. It’s often necessary to choose the product correctly, something that may not be easy. It’s key to introduce the correct strain at the right dose. The dosage will also matter, as, if it’s not taken properly, the bacteria won’t reach the area they need to colonize alive.

2. Apple

Apples are a source of soluble fiber. This element ferments in the intestine, assuming the main energy substrate for the bacteria that live there. This is indicated by a study published in the journal Gut Microbes . Now, these prebiotics can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, they prevent bloating from developing at the abdominal level, thus improving the digestion process.

However, if there’s dysbiosis present, it can be magnified. After all, bacterial growth isn’t selective. Beneficial microorganisms and pathogens reproduce from the fiber. For this reason, in some situations, it’s important to momentarily reduce the intake of dietary fiber until a change in the composition of the microbiota is achieved.

Even so, outside of this type of somewhat more complex contexts, soluble fiber can be a beneficial element in order to reduce the feeling of bloating and improve the quality of digestive processes. Most dietary guidelines recommend a daily total fiber intake of at least 25 grams. However, in most current diets, this dose isn’t reached, which is problematic.

3. Pineapple

Pineapple is a fruit that contains a large amount of digestive enzymes inside. These streamline and facilitate the processes that take place in the stomach and intestine.

This reduces the incidence of abdominal pain and discomfort, as well as bloating. You could even achieve better use of certain nutrients, so it’s positive that it appears in the diet on a regular basis.

Papaya also has this property. These are fruits that are characterized by their concentration of antioxidants. We’re talking about a series of compounds that can help neutralize free radicals and their subsequent accumulation in the body’s tissues. What’s achieved in this way is a reduction in inflammatory processes in the internal environment, which are related to various types of discomfort.

Antioxidants are key to preventing aging, as evidenced by research published in the journal BioMed Research International. It’s important that they appear in the diet on a regular basis. They can be found mostly in foods of plant origin. An intake of at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day is recommended to guarantee a sufficient consumption of said group.

4. Avocado

Avocado is a characteristic fruit due to its lipid content, although we’re talking about healthy fats, especially the unsaturated type. These compounds manage to help control inflammation in the internal environment, so they can also help deflate the abdomen. They facilitate certain digestive processes and improve muscle health, in addition to helping to maintain balance at the hormonal level.

In fact, omega-3 fatty acids themselves are related to the prevention of cardiovascular disease, according to a study published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences .

It’s decisive to equate your intake with that of omega-6 fatty acids. These have antagonistic functions and an imbalance could promote certain inflammatory mechanisms, negatively impacting the functioning of the body.

It shouldn’t be forgotten that avocado is a very energetic fruit. For this reason, it has to be consumed in moderation. If it appears in excess in the diet, a situation of energy surplus could be generated that would negatively condition the state of body composition. In this case, little by little, adipose tissue would be increased, something that can have a negative impact on the efficiency of physiological processes.

Other habits to deflate the abdomen

Deflating the abdomen requires more than just including the foods that we’ve discussed in your diet. It’ll also be key to avoid a series of toxic elements or poor-quality, processed-type products.

Among them, we can highlight alcohol, a very harmful substance whose intake is fully normalized today. It has been shown to favor the development of complex diseases, and not only of a digestive type.

In the same way, the intake of sugary soft drinks and carbonated drinks should be limited. These increase blood glucose levels and are capable of causing intestinal disorders. They can even be related to abdominal pain. Fruit juices are always a better alternative, although the best tool to guarantee a good state of hydration is natural mineral water.

It’s essential to avoid other bad habits, such as smoking and a sedentary lifestyle. Both negatively condition the efficiency of internal physiological processes.

These can promote a state of excess weight and obesity, which will also translate into intestinal discomfort and abdominal distension. It’s best to follow an active lifestyle in which physical exercise is present on a daily or regular basis.

As far as supplements are concerned, there are some compounds that can improve digestion, thus helping to deflate the abdomen. We’ve already mentioned probiotics, but they’re not the only ones.

Some combinations of proteolytic enzymes are available on the market that facilitate protein breakdown, modulating fermentation processes and reducing gas formation in the internal environment.

Food intolerances and swollen abdomen

A particular case of abdominal swelling is that which is generated in the context of food intolerances. In these cases, it’s possible that the consumption of a certain nutrient or food increases the production of gas.

A typical example would be lactose intolerance. On many occasions, it’s best to limit the presence of the compound in the regimen, although there are reversible cases or those that are transitory.

It’s important to highlight that some of these food intolerances are conditioned by problems in the intestinal microbiota. The bacteria that inhabit the digestive tract are involved on many occasions in the digestive processes in a decisive way. If there’s not adequate diversity, certain nutrient absorption processes could be compromised.

Be that as it may, in these cases, it’s best to consult a nutrition specialist to implement the optimal treatment in each context. Not all people react the same to the same approaches, so it’s important to emphasize the need for individualization.

In the worst case, it may be necessary to establish certain dietary restrictions. If this happens, diet may need to be reconfigured to avoid deficits that affect the efficiency of internal processes.

Introduce foods that deflate the abdomen into your diet

There are a number of foods that deflate the abdomen and that can be included regularly in the diet to improve digestion and maintain a good state of health over time. They’re also foods with a high content of quality nutrients, so they’ll help to guarantee the efficiency of internal physiological processes.

In any case, there are several factors that can affect this symptom. Not having been fed breast milk during the first year of life could increase the risk of developing dysbiosis or inflammatory bowel disease. For this reason, the habits maintained from the early stages of life will be decisive to ensure the optimal functioning of the body in the future.