Bloating and gas are so common among vegans that every forum has a topic related to that. Every plant-based Facebook group has multiple discussions around it. Many web sites and magazines publish articles with miracle solutions. Every new vegan asks this question, and it’s no surprise. Bloating might be very uncomfortable. Gas is embarrassing. It’s very hard to deal with. Especially if you are surrounded by people all day long. Especially if you are a strength athlete, like me. Imagine squatting a few hundreds of pounds while you barely can hold a fart :). Well, you get the point...
I read every article, every blog, and every forum trying to find a solution that works. I found so many different tips and tried them all. Some of them made a little difference, some of them didn’t, but none solved, or even significantly improved my situation. I was desperate. I started putting all the information I was able to find together and analyze. I kept thinking and experimenting until I saw real improvement. Now, when this issue is long gone, I’d like to share with everyone what I found out. I’d like to help you solve this problem as I did for myself.
So why getting rid of bloating and gas on a plant-based diet is so hard? Why recommendations do not work?
The answer is actually very simple - there is much more than one potential reason that may cause this condition, so to achieve real relief you need to address as many of them as possible, hopefully, all of them.
Below is a list of potential reasons and solutions. The order is random since the contribution of each factor varies from person to person based on the nuances of their diet and differences in one’s microbiome.
Reason #1 - your metabolism might be still adjusting
If you went vegan recently, your digestive system microbiome may take time to adjust to higher food volume and fiber that comes with more vegetables, greens, whole grains, legumes and nuts. If this is what’s happening, you will see some reduction in gas and bloating after 2-3 months.
Reason #2 - your gut needs help moving fiber
Plant-based diets might have extremely high amounts of fiber, especially those based on whole foods. You can help your gut a lot by increasing hydration, specifically targeting guts. Drink at least one cup of water in the morning on empty stomach (this is how water goes straight to your guts). Drink a cup of water about 15 minutes before every meal. Bigger meals (or higher on fiber) can benefit from drinking water with food. I know, we were taught that drinking with food is bad for digestion because it dilutes stomach enzymes. While it might be true for carnivores, it’s absolutely wrong for herbivores. Unless you drink too much with your food, fiber will absorb most of the liquid, actually helping digestion.
Reason #3 - some foods need a little extra work to become digestion-friendly
Beans, legumes, and whole grains are hard to digest. Sufficient soaking softens them, making digestion easier. Soaking also reduces harmful chemicals, oxalates, that contribute to gas and bloating as well as to other nasty issues, such as reduced mineral absorption, not to mention that they are simply lowkey toxic. You will find detailed soaking recommendations here. You might also want to explore sprouting, it helps even more. Nuts also require soaking for similar reasons and intake shall be limited. For detailed recommendations read the same article.
Another food group that requires pre-treatment consists of kale, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and brussels sprouts. You probably were advised to simply ditch them, but this is a bad advice. They have so many unique health benefits that I would recommend including them in your diet unless you have a medical reason (serious thyroid issues) to do so. Excluding them from your diet isn’t a good thing. Boil or steam them instead, this will make them much easier on your digestive system.
Reason #4 - insufficient production of digestive enzymes
The ability to produce digestive enzymes varies from person to person and also declines with age. An insufficient amount of enzymes will leave some food unprocessed which leads not only to reduced absorption of nutrients but also to gas and bloating. Thorough chewing (you probably heard about 40 times, which is unfortunately true) really helps. Eating smaller portions while possible might be beneficial as well. A lot of help comes from supplementing quality digestive enzymes, vegans especially benefit from ones high on amylase, protease, and bromelain.
Reason #5 - you might be swallowing too much air
Eating fast, talking while eating causes swallowing too much air with food and drinks, which contributes to gas and bloating. To reduce the amount of ingested air eat and drink slower and avoid carbonated drinks (soda, beer). You may want to skip the gum and hard candy, this makes a difference.
If you want to get real relief you will need to address all contributing factors applicable to your situation.
Good luck!
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