️ The three that can make it worse

Eating quickly can contribute — people swallow excess air when they eat fast, and that trapped air has to go somewhere, often building up in the gut before it can escape. Soaking and rinsing dried beans before cooking can reduce some of the fermentable carbohydrates linked to gas. Canned beans rinsed well do something similar, and going from zero to a full serving in one meal is usually where the problem starts.

A number that doesn't move

Lactose intolerance was considered abnormal in Western medicine for much of the 20th century because Northern European populations digest dairy well into adulthood — a genetic trait that evolved relatively recently and is not the global norm. Many adults lose some ability to digest lactose with age — which is why dairy causes bloating in many people without a formal diagnosis. Undigested lactose reaches the colon and gets fermented by bacteria, producing gas and causing symptoms that range from

Foodbe

June 4, 2026

Why am I always bloated?

The pressure builds up gradually. By the time anyone notices, the gut may already feel stretched and distended.

Bloating happens when gas builds up in the intestines faster than the gut can move it through. Most of that gas comes from gut bacteria breaking down carbohydrates the small intestine didn't fully digest — a process that produces hydrogen, methane, and carbon dioxide and is a major cause of bloating in many people.

Beans, lentils, onions, garlic, cabbage, and wheat can all create fermentation in the gut and are common high-FODMAP foods. The fermentable carbohydrates they contain are among the most studied triggers of bloating in people with sensitive digestion.

Ancient medicine texts described bloating and abdominal discomfort in ways that are recognizable today — long before anyone knew gut bacteria existed. They blamed it on food combinations and imbalances in the body's internal systems, which was as logical a conclusion as they could reach without microscopes.

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About this article

Foodbe.ai exists to inform consumers about the food they buy and eat. Every claim is cited. Sources: NIH, USDA, FDA, Smithsonian, and JSTOR. Found an error? Email us at admin@foodbe.ai to report any source or fact issues.