Why Am I So Bloated?

Why Am I So Bloated? How to Beat the Bloat: An Expert Guide to Understanding, Managing & Resolving Bloating

Have you ever started the day with a flat stomach, only to end it feeling uncomfortably swollen—despite eating normally? Maybe you’ve found yourself avoiding certain foods or even social situations because of persistent bloating. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Why am I so bloated has to be the most frequently asked question in my clinical practice.

As someone who has spent years immersed in the science of digestive health—and co-founded a business that offers cutting-edge gut testing to the public—I’ve seen firsthand how misunderstood and mistreated bloating can be. It’s not “just gas” or a sign of overeating. In reality, bloating is a complex signal from the gut, and it deserves more than a dismissive shrug.

In this guide, I’ll unpack what bloating actually is, what causes it, and how we can begin to resolve it including strain specific probiotics—based on the latest research and clinical insights.

What Is Bloating, Really?

Bloating generally falls into two categories:

• Subjective bloating – the sensation of pressure, fullness, or discomfort in the abdomen

• Objective distension – a visible increase in abdominal size

You might experience one without the other. Some people feel intensely bloated with no visible change, while others visibly “balloon” but feel only mild discomfort. Either way, bloating is a message from your body that something isn’t quite right.

Why Chronic Bloating Deserves Attention

It’s easy to dismiss bloating as a harmless annoyance—but persistent bloating can:

• Disrupt your quality of life

• Cause embarrassment or anxiety

• Signal deeper imbalances like food intolerances, gut microbial shifts, sluggish motility, or even neurological conditions

For example, constipation—often linked with bloating—has been explored in the medical literature as a potential early marker for Parkinson’s disease. While that’s not cause for panic, it underscores why gut symptoms should never be ignored.

So, What’s Causing the Bloat?

Many people assume bloating is all about gas—but imaging studies show that only around 25% of individuals with bloating actually have increased gas levels. So what’s going on in the other 75%?

The reality is: bloating is multifactorial. It’s rarely caused by just one thing.

Some of the most common (and often overlapping) contributors (source) include:

1. Food intolerances

2. Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)

3. Visceral hypersensitivity

4. Sluggish motility or constipation

5. Gut-brain axis dysfunction (e.g. abdominophrenic dyssynergia)

6. Digestive deficits (e.g. low stomach acid, enzyme insufficiency)

7. Gut microbial imbalances (dysbiosis)

Let’s unpack each one.

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1. Food Intolerances: When Your Gut Says “No Thanks”

Some individuals struggle to break down specific carbohydrates or proteins—such as lactose, fructose, gluten, or sugar alcohols. When poorly digested, these compounds ferment in the gut, attracting water and producing gas. This can trigger not only bloating, but also cramps, wind, and irregular bowel movements.

Clues this may be affecting you include:

• Bloating after dairy, wheat, or high-FODMAP meals (especially garlic/onion)

• Loose stools or urgency

• Symptoms that vary based on diet

Food intolerances can be primary or secondary. In the latter case, the intolerance is caused by SIBO.

2. SIBO: Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth

The small intestine isn’t meant to host many bacteria—but when microbes migrate there and multiply, fermentation starts too early in the digestive process. The result? Gas, bloating, and discomfort—often within 30–90 minutes of eating.

SIBO is also linked to fatigue, nutrient deficiencies, and brain fog. If you bloat quickly after meals—especially after fermentable foods—it’s worth investigating.

Breath testing is the gold standard for SIBO diagnosis, and our business provides this non-invasively, alongside expert interpretation and tailored recommendations.

Order your SIBO test here.

3. Visceral Hypersensitivity: When Your Gut Overreacts

In some people, the nerves in the digestive tract become overly sensitive. Even normal gas levels or digestive activity can feel exaggerated and uncomfortable.

This is common in IBS and is often worsened by stress or anxiety. If your belly feels bloated but doesn’t look it—or your symptoms seem tightly linked to your emotional state—visceral hypersensitivity may be at play.

4. Sluggish Motility: When Digestion Slows Down

If food and waste linger in the digestive tract, fermentation increases—leading to bloating and discomfort. Surprisingly, you can have daily bowel movements and still have motility issues.

A simple at-home “sweetcorn test” (swallowing a few kernels and timing how long they take to reappear) can offer insight. If it’s more than 24 hours, your motility may be slow.

Constipation, thyroid imbalance, or nervous system dysfunction can all be involved—and these are often identifiable via stool or hormone testing.

5. Gut-Brain Muscle Confusion (Abdominophrenic Dyssynergia)

This lesser-known condition involves poor coordination between the diaphragm and abdominal muscles during digestion. Instead of relaxing and expanding appropriately, the muscles contract abnormally—creating visible bloating and discomfort even when gas levels are low.

APD is often seen in people with IBS or other gut-brain disorders, and it seems to be a reflex response to sensations of bloating. Essentially, your body reacts to discomfort by triggering a pattern of muscle movements that actually makes the problem look and feel worse.

Telltale signs include:

• “Pregnant belly” appearance by evening

• Bloating unrelated to diet

• Worsening symptoms when sitting or slouching

6. Digestive Deficits: When Your Body Isn’t Breaking Things Down

Stomach acid, bile, and pancreatic enzymes all play critical roles in digestion. When levels are suboptimal—due to stress, age, or underlying conditions—bloating can result from improperly digested food. This is often overlooked but easily detectable through stool analysis and enzyme markers.

What’s worth emphasising is that these digestive deficits are known risk factors for SIBO also.

What I find interesting is that these all require energy also. For example stomach acid is a very energy intensive process – that is why the parietal cells, the cells that produce stomach acid, have the highest number of mitochondria than any other cell. This is testament to the fact that stomach acid production requires high amounts of energy.

Is it at all surprising then that so many with chronic fatigue have chronic gut issues?

7. Microbial Imbalances: Dysbiosis

While no studies have directly examined how gut bacteria contribute to bloating or abdominal swelling, it’s well established that the gut microbiome plays a key role in digestion—affecting movement, sensation, and nutrient absorption in the digestive tract.

Research shows that people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) often have distinct differences in the types and amounts of gut bacteria compared to healthy individuals. In one study, IBS patients who didn’t experience bloating actually had lower levels of certain beneficial bacteria than both IBS patients who did have bloating and healthy participants.

This finding suggests that shifts in the gut microbiome may influence symptoms like bloating, although more research is needed to fully understand the connection.

When gut microbes ferment food, they produce gases that can be removed from the body in three ways:

• By being further metabolised by other microorganisms into non-gaseous substances
• By being absorbed into the bloodstream and exhaled through the lungs
• By being expelled through the anus as flatulence

In one study, researchers found that about 77% of this gas is eliminated through the first two pathways—absorption and exhalation—while the remaining 23% exits as flatulence, which is considered a less efficient route. People who frequently feel bloated or gassy often struggle to clear gas effectively and tend to be more sensitive to levels of gas that wouldn’t usually bother healthy individuals.

For example, when participants began taking a prebiotic called galactooligosaccharides (GOS), their total gas production increased by 37% during the first few days. However, after two weeks of continued use, gas levels normalized. Notably, more of the gas was being removed before reaching the end of the gut. This suggests that regularly consuming gas-producing (flatulogenic) foods may help “train” the gut and microbiota to manage gas more efficiently—enhancing absorption into the blood and release through the lungs.

What Foods Typically Cause Bloating?

Certain foods are more likely to ferment in the gut and trigger bloating—especially for those with sensitive digestion. These often include:

• Legumes (beans, lentils)

• Certain vegetables (broccoli, onions, cabbage)

• Fruits high in fructose

• Dairy products

• Whole grains

• Sugar alcohols (found in many “sugar-free” products)

However, sensitivity is highly individual—and what causes bloating in one person might be well-tolerated by another. That’s why generic food lists often fall short. Personalised insight from stool testing and symptom tracking provides much more clarity.

In a randomised controlled trial, 50 % of healthy subjects reported increased flatulence in the first week of consuming pinto or baked beans, but the reported percentage dropped to 38 % after the second week. Thereafter the percentage of people reporting flatulence symptoms consistently declined to 15–23 % for weeks 6–12.

A Smarter Way to Resolve Bloating

As someone who’s both lived with chronic bloating and studied its mechanisms at the highest level, I can tell you this: real, lasting relief doesn’t come from guesswork, restrictive diets, or endless supplement trials.

It comes from understanding what’s actually going on in your gut.

With the right data—through microbiome analysis, SIBO testing, and expert interpretation—we can identify your unique root causes and map a clear, evidence-based path forward.

Evidence Based Probiotics For Bloating

While testing can. be incredibly helpful we do have research demonstrating that specific strains of probiotic seem to help those suffering with bloating.

My tried and trusted probiotics of choice are Lactobacillus Plantarum 299v, or VSL#3. Both have been shown to be significantly superior to placebo in reducing the abdominal bloating score (source).

Final Thoughts: You Deserve Better Than “Just Live With It”

Bloating is more than an inconvenience—it can chip away at your confidence, your social life, and your wellbeing. But it doesn’t have to be your normal.

Science, testing, and personalised support have opened a new frontier in digestive care. Whether your bloating is mild and mysterious or severe and persistent, it’s time to get real answers—and take control of your gut health for good.