Bloating: 5 Common Dietary Causes and How to Reduce Digestive Discomfort
Discover the top dietary causes of bloating, including sugar, lactose, and FODMAPs, plus practical tips to reduce digestive discomfort and improve gut health.
Most people have experienced bloating at some point in their lives. That uncomfortable sensation of abdominal fullness, tightness, or excessive gas can make your stomach feel stretched and uncomfortable.
Bloating is a common digestive symptom and is often triggered by specific foods, carbohydrates, or ingredients that are poorly digested or absorbed. For individuals with food intolerances, enzyme deficiencies, or sensitive digestion, bloating can be frequent and disruptive.
This article breaks down five of the most common dietary causes of bloating, why they trigger digestive symptoms, and what you can do to identify and manage your personal triggers.
1. Sucrose (Table Sugar)
Sucrose, commonly known as table sugar, is composed of two simple sugars: glucose and fructose. Before your body can absorb sucrose, it must be broken down by an enzyme called sucrase in the small intestine.
When sucrase levels are low or absent, sucrose passes through the digestive tract undigested, where it pulls water into the gut and becomes fermented by bacteria. This process often leads to bloating, gas, and abdominal discomfort.
Sucrase deficiency is more common than often recognized and frequently goes undiagnosed. In one study of adults reporting unexplained digestive symptoms, 31 percent showed evidence of sucrose malabsorption.
Foods high in sucrose include fruits such as pineapple, oranges, and syrup-packed canned fruit, vegetables like corn, peas, carrots, and sweet potatoes, refined grains including cookies, cakes, muffins, and sugary cereals, snacks such as granola bars and pudding, condiments like syrups, barbecue sauce, jelly, and most dressings, and beverages including juice, lemonade, soda, sports drinks, and energy drinks.
Tolerance depends on the severity of the enzyme deficiency, meaning some people can handle small amounts without symptoms while others cannot.
2. Fructans (A Common FODMAP Trigger)
Fructans are a type of soluble fiber and belong to a group of carbohydrates known as FODMAPs. These carbohydrates are poorly absorbed in the small intestine.
As a result, fructans draw water into the gut and are fermented by gut bacteria, which can lead to bloating, gas, and abdominal pain. Fructans are a well known bloating trigger in people with irritable bowel syndrome, but can also affect individuals who believe they are sensitive to gluten.
Research suggests that fructans, not gluten, are often the true cause of symptoms attributed to gluten intolerance.
Foods high in fructans include wheat and rye, garlic and onions, asparagus and artichokes, chicory root, and agave. Many of these foods contain inulin, a type of fructan commonly added to supplements and functional foods that may worsen bloating in sensitive individuals.
3. Fructose
Fructose is a naturally occurring simple sugar and a component of sucrose. While it is easily absorbed by many people, others experience fructose malabsorption, a condition in which fructose is not efficiently transported across the intestinal lining.
Unabsorbed fructose draws water into the gut and becomes fermented by bacteria, causing bloating, gas, and diarrhea. Fructose intolerance is common in individuals with irritable bowel syndrome but is increasingly seen in people without diagnosed digestive conditions.
Research suggests that consuming around 50 grams of fructose in a single sitting is sufficient to provoke symptoms in many adults.
Foods high in fructose include fruits such as apples, grapes, dried fruit, and fruit juices, vegetables like sweet corn, sugar snap peas, pickles, and tomato paste, and sweeteners including honey, agave syrup, high fructose corn syrup, molasses, caramel, and pancake syrup.
4. Sugar Alcohols
Sugar alcohols are sweeteners that resemble sugar molecules but contain an alcohol group. Because they are incompletely digested and absorbed, they provide fewer calories than sugar but often cause digestive discomfort.
When consumed in larger amounts, sugar alcohols can cause bloating, gas, and diarrhea due to their osmotic effect and fermentation in the colon.
Common sugar alcohols include xylitol, sorbitol, mannitol, maltitol, lactitol, isomalt, and erythritol. Among these, erythritol and xylitol tend to be better tolerated than others, though tolerance varies by individual.
Sugar alcohols occur naturally in small amounts in fruits and vegetables and are frequently added to products marketed for weight management or blood sugar control.
5. Lactose
Lactose, often referred to as milk sugar, is composed of glucose and galactose. To digest lactose, the body relies on an enzyme called lactase.
Many people produce insufficient lactase, allowing lactose to pass undigested into the colon where it causes bloating, gas, and discomfort. Lactase deficiency may be present at birth, develop due to intestinal inflammation, or increase naturally with age.
Lactose intolerance is most prevalent among African American, Hispanic or Latino, and Asian populations and least common among individuals of European descent.
Most people with lactose intolerance can tolerate up to 12 grams of lactose, roughly the amount found in one cup of milk, before symptoms occur. Regular lactose exposure may also help promote lactose digesting bacteria in the gut, improving tolerance over time.
Foods high in lactose include cow’s milk, cream cheese, cottage cheese, ice cream, whipped cream, and dairy containing baked goods, sauces, dressings, puddings, and custards.
Many people with lactose intolerance can tolerate milk protein isolate supplements because most lactose is removed during processing.
How to Identify Foods That Cause Bloating
Identifying the true cause of bloating can be challenging. Many people eliminate foods unnecessarily, believing one ingredient is responsible when another is actually the trigger.
While diagnostic tests exist, they can be expensive and unreliable. One of the most effective tools is a structured elimination diet.
An elimination diet temporarily removes suspected trigger foods for two to six weeks, allowing symptoms to resolve. Foods are then reintroduced one at a time while monitoring digestive responses. Keeping a detailed food and symptom journal can help pinpoint problem foods.
Because elimination diets can be restrictive and nuanced, working with a registered dietitian is recommended.
Probiotics and Digestive Enzymes for Bloating Relief
Probiotics are live microorganisms that provide health benefits when consumed in adequate amounts. Research shows probiotics can crowd out harmful bacteria, support immune health, and reduce digestive inflammation.
When it comes to bloating, probiotics have been shown to significantly reduce symptoms, particularly in individuals with irritable bowel syndrome.
Probiotic rich foods include yogurt, kefir, apple cider vinegar, kimchi, kombucha, and sauerkraut. Supplements often contain strains from genera such as Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Saccharomyces, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, Escherichia, and Bacillus.
Digestive enzymes may also help reduce bloating by improving the breakdown of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Enzyme deficiencies can occur due to inflammation, pancreatic disorders, or age related changes.
Some supplements combine probiotics with digestive enzymes and gut supportive nutrients to provide comprehensive digestive support.
Why PEScience Proteins Are Designed to Minimize Bloating
Protein powders are a common source of bloating for many people, often due to lactose content, low quality protein sources, or excessive fillers and sweeteners.
PEScience formulates its protein products with digestive comfort in mind. PEScience Select Protein uses a whey protein isolate and micellar casein blend, combining fast and slow digesting proteins for smoother digestion and sustained amino acid release.
Whey protein isolate undergoes advanced filtration to remove most lactose, fat, and carbohydrates, making it more tolerable for individuals with lactose sensitivity. Micellar casein digests slowly, helping reduce digestive stress associated with rapid digestion.
PEScience ISOLATE Protein further minimizes bloating risk by eliminating nearly all lactose and avoiding high amounts of sugar alcohols, gums, and unnecessary fillers. These are ingredients commonly associated with digestive discomfort.
For individuals who experience bloating with traditional protein powders, choosing a high quality whey isolate or whey and casein blend can significantly improve digestive comfort.
The Bottom Line
Bloating is extremely common and often diet related rather than a sign of serious disease. Sucrose, fructans, fructose, sugar alcohols, and lactose are among the most common dietary triggers.
The degree to which these ingredients affect you depends on genetics, enzyme production, gut microbiota, and portion size. Using a structured elimination diet, along with targeted use of probiotics and digestive enzymes, can help identify and manage bloating triggers.
By choosing foods and supplements designed with digestibility in mind, you can support better gut comfort, improved digestion, and a higher quality of life.