Goal · Digestion
Food and digestive comfort: bloating, gas and sensitive guts
For a sensitive gut, enteric-coated peppermint oil and a short, dietitian-guided low FODMAP trial have the strongest evidence. Most bloating comes from what and how fast we eat.
By the editors of Alimentotherapy Last reviewed 3 min read Not medical advice
The short answer
For recurring belly pain and bloating, the two food-related approaches with the best trial evidence are enteric-coated peppermint oil capsules and a time-limited low FODMAP diet, both recommended in the American College of Gastroenterology's IBS guideline Alammar 2019; Lacy 2021. Neither is a reason to skip a diagnosis: new or changing symptoms, weight loss or blood in the stool need a clinician first.
Foods and herbs for digestion, graded
Every claim from our remedy pages that relates to digestion, strongest evidence first. Each row links to the full page and its sources.
| Food or herb | Grade | What the research found |
|---|---|---|
| Yogurt and kefirDigesting lactose (lactose maldigestion) | Strong | The European Food Safety Authority accepted that live yogurt cultures improve lactose digestion in people with lactose maldigestion. A trial of plain kefir found breath hydrogen and gas were much lower than after milk. |
| PeppermintAbdominal pain and overall symptoms in people with IBS (enteric-coated oil capsules) | Moderate | Across 10 trials (1,030 patients), peppermint oil beat placebo for global symptoms and abdominal pain. The reviewers rated the evidence quality very low and side effects were more frequent. |
| PsylliumIrritable bowel syndrome symptoms | Moderate | US gastroenterology guidance suggests soluble fiber such as psyllium for global IBS symptoms; insoluble fiber such as wheat bran is not recommended because it can worsen bloating. |
| FennelBloating, wind and mild cramping after meals | Limited | Registered in the EU as a traditional herbal medicine for these symptoms based on at least 30 years of use. Clinical trials are limited; lab studies show fennel extracts relax smooth muscle. |
| Fermented foodsGut microbiome diversity | Limited | In a 17-week randomized study (18 adults per arm), a high fermented-food diet steadily increased microbiota diversity, while a high-fiber diet did not. Promising, but small and in healthy adults. |
| KiwifruitBloating and gut comfort with constipation | Limited | In a US trial of 75 analyzed patients, the kiwifruit group reported improved bloating scores and the lowest rate of side effects among kiwifruit, prunes and psyllium. |
| Yogurt and kefirDiarrhea from antibiotics | Limited | A Cochrane review found probiotic products lowered antibiotic-associated diarrhea in children (8% versus 19%), with moderate-certainty evidence. Those trials used defined strains at high doses, mostly as supplements, so they do not show that yogurt does the same. |
| Bone brothRepairing or "sealing" the gut lining | Not supported | We found no human trials. The claim comes from diets such as GAPS, which have not been tested in controlled studies. |
| Licorice rootIndigestion, heartburn and other digestive symptoms | Not supported | NCCIH says it is unclear whether licorice alone, outside herbal blends, has any effect on digestive symptoms. |
| PeppermintIndigestion from peppermint oil alone | Not supported | Some combination products with caraway oil have shown benefit, but NCCIH says there is no evidence for peppermint oil alone, and it may worsen indigestion in some people. |
Everyday gas and bloating
Some gas is normal. The common, fixable causes are swallowed air (eating fast, fizzy drinks, chewing gum) and fermentable carbohydrates that reach the large intestine undigested. A sudden jump in fiber is a frequent trigger, which is why fiber is best added slowly: NIDDK suggests about 2 to 3 grams more a dayNIH. Beans, onions, garlic, wheat and some fruits are rich in these carbohydrates, as are sweeteners ending in "-ol" such as sorbitol and xylitol NIH.
Lactose is another common cause. Many people with lactose intolerance can manage about 12 grams of lactose, roughly a cup of milk, with no or mild symptoms, especially with meals; yogurt and hard cheeses such as cheddar contain less lactose than milk NIH.
Gas and bloating on their own are rarely serious. Belly pain, diarrhea, vomiting, weight loss or blood in the stool alongside them are reasons to see a clinician rather than experiment with foodMedlinePlus; MedlinePlus.
Peppermint oil
A 2019 meta-analysis of 12 randomized trials (835 adults with IBS) found peppermint oil capsules improved global symptoms and belly pain compared with placebo, with no significant difference in reported side effects Alammar 2019. The ACG guideline suggests peppermint oil for global IBS symptomsLacy 2021. The trials used enteric-coated capsules designed to release in the intestine; mint tea is pleasant but is not the same dose or delivery. See the peppermint page for heartburn and drug-interaction cautions.
A low FODMAP trial, with a dietitian
FODMAPs are short-chain carbohydrates that some people absorb poorly. A 2022 network meta-analysis of 13 randomized trials (944 patients) ranked a low FODMAP diet first among dietary approaches for global IBS symptoms, belly pain and bloating, though most trials ran in specialist clinics and did not test the reintroduction phase Black 2022. The ACG recommends a limited trial of the dietLacy 2021.
"Limited" is the important word. The diet is meant to be a few weeks of restriction followed by structured reintroduction to find your own triggers, not a permanent way of eating. Cutting out many plant foods for months narrows the diet and can lower fiber. NIDDK suggests doing it with a dietitianNIH.
How to try a change fairly
Keep a short symptom diary for a week before you change anything, then change one thing for two to four weeks. Gut symptoms rise and fall with stress, sleep and periods, so a few good days on a new food are easy to over-read.
Fennel, ginger and fermented foods
Traditional digestive foods such as fennel seed, ginger and fermented foods are low-risk to try, and their pages grade the evidence for each claim. Fermented foods are not the same as probiotic supplements, and both are graded on what human trials show rather than on lab findings about gut bacteria.
When to see a clinician, not the pantry
- Blood in the stool, or black, tarry stools.
- Losing weight without trying.
- Vomiting, trouble swallowing, or vomiting blood.
- Heartburn that is getting worse, or symptoms that last more than a few days or change noticeably.
- Sudden, severe belly pain; or chest, jaw or back pain with sweating, which can be a heart attack: call 911.
Common questions
Does peppermint oil help bloating and IBS?
In a 2019 meta-analysis of 12 randomized trials in 835 adults with IBS, enteric-coated peppermint oil capsules improved overall symptoms and belly pain more than placebo, and the American College of Gastroenterology suggests it. Mint tea is a different, much smaller dose.
Should I go on a low FODMAP diet?
Only as a short, structured trial, ideally with a dietitian and after a diagnosis. Trials rank it first among diets for IBS symptoms, but it is designed as a few weeks of restriction followed by reintroduction to find your own triggers, not a permanent diet.
How much milk can someone with lactose intolerance have?
Research cited by NIDDK suggests many people with lactose intolerance can have about 12 grams of lactose, roughly one cup of milk, with no or mild symptoms, especially with food. Yogurt and hard cheeses contain less lactose than milk.
Sources
Primary research and government sources, each checked on the date this page was reviewed.
- PubMedAlammar N, et al. The impact of peppermint oil on the irritable bowel syndrome: a meta-analysis of the pooled clinical data. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2019. PMID 30654773.
- GuidelineLacy BE, et al. ACG clinical guideline: management of irritable bowel syndrome. Am J Gastroenterol. 2021. PMID 33315591.
- PubMedBlack CJ, et al. Efficacy of a low FODMAP diet in irritable bowel syndrome: systematic review and network meta-analysis. Gut. 2022. PMID 34376515.
- SourceNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIH). Eating, Diet, and Nutrition for Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
- SourceNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIH). Eating, Diet, and Nutrition for Lactose Intolerance.
- MedlinePlusMedlinePlus. Gas - flatulence.
- MedlinePlusMedlinePlus. Indigestion.
Keep reading
- RemedyPeppermintEnteric-coated peppermint oil capsules have consistent trial support for abdominal pain in people with IBS. Peppermint tea is pleasant but untested, and peppermint can make heartburn worse.
- RemedyFennelA traditional after-dinner seed for wind and bloating, recognized by European regulators on the strength of long use rather than trials. Colic studies in babies are small.
- GoalFood for regularity: fiber, fluids, kiwifruit and prunesMost adults eat well under the fiber they need. Raising it slowly, with fluid, is the first step; kiwifruit, prunes and psyllium all have trial support.
- RemedyYogurt and kefirCultured milks with the clearest evidence of any fermented food: their live bacteria help digest lactose. Other claims rest on probiotic supplement trials or observational data.
- RemedyFermented foodsSauerkraut, kimchi, miso, kefir and kombucha. One well-run trial suggests eating more of them changes the gut microbiome; claims beyond that are mostly untested in people.