Do you often experience increased gas after eating oatmeal? If so, you’re not alone, as many people find that consuming this popular breakfast food can cause digestive discomfort. Gas is normal and healthy part of digestion but the excessive amount experienced from oatmeal can be unpleasant. Fortunately, there are several methods to help reduce uncomfortable gas symptoms caused by oatmeal-laden meals. In this blog post, we’ll discuss why it’s important to understand the cause of your bloating and provide five expert tips on how to prevent gas after eating oatmeal. Let’s dive in!
Contents
- 1 Overview of why oatmeal makes you gassy and bloated
- 2 How to prevent gas after eating oatmeal?
- 3 What will happen if you start eating oats every day?
- 4 Tips on how to relieve stomach pain after eating oatmeal
- 5 Ways to avoid getting gassy and bloating from oatmeal
- 6 Can eating oats every day cause gas ?
- 7 Why can oats cause gas and bloating ?
- 8 Who shouldn’t eat oats?
- 9 FAQ: gas after eating oatmeal
Overview of why oatmeal makes you gassy and bloated
Oatmeal can cause bloating and gas, especially for individuals with certain gastrointestinal issues like irritable bowel disease. This is primarily due to its high fiber content, with one cup of oats containing a little over 8 grams of fiber. For individuals with sensitive stomachs or who struggle to tolerate high fiber foods, choosing lower fiber alternatives like cream of wheat, grits, or white rice may be a better option. Additionally, individuals with celiac disease should opt for gluten-free certified oats to avoid potential gluten contamination.
How to prevent gas after eating oatmeal?
- Soak your oats overnight
Did you know that soaking your oatmeal in water or non-dairy milk overnight can help improve its digestibility? By doing so, the oat’s fiber is partially broken down, making it easier for your body to absorb and reducing the likelihood of bloating. Plus, this method only takes a few minutes before bed and ensures you’ll have a delicious breakfast ready to go in the morning.
- Add oatmeal to your diet gradually
If you’re new to eating oatmeal, it’s essential to add it to your diet slowly and in small portions. By giving your body time to adjust, you can avoid sudden increases of gas production that may lead to bloating and discomfort. Consider starting with a 1/4 cup of oats and gradually increasing your serving size over time.
What will happen if you start eating oats every day?
Incorporating oatmeal into your daily menu can potentially reduce the risk of diseases, promote gut health, improve bowel movements, and enhance satiety. To begin your mornings with a bowl of oats, give our Cinnamon-Roll Overnight Oats recipe a try.
Tips on how to relieve stomach pain after eating oatmeal
If you experience stomach pain after eating oatmeal, here are some tips to help relieve discomfort:
- Drink water: Stay hydrated to aid digestion.
- Avoid high-fiber foods: Temporarily limit your intake of other high-fiber foods.
- Stop taking any fiber supplements: Pause any additional fiber supplements you may be taking.
- Take a gentle walk: Light physical activity can stimulate bowel activity.
- Gradually reintroduce fiber: When your symptoms subside, slowly reintroduce fiber into your diet.
- Ensure a balanced fiber intake: Consume a mix of soluble and insoluble fiber.
- Stay consistent: Aim for a consistent amount of fiber daily.
- Increase water intake: Drink more water to support digestion.
- Maintain a balanced diet: Eat a variety of nutritious foods.
- Exercise regularly: Engage in daily physical activity.
These tips can help alleviate stomach pain after consuming oatmeal or other high-fiber foods.
Ways to avoid getting gassy and bloating from oatmeal
To minimize gas and bloating caused by oatmeal, consider the following strategies:
Portion Control: Opt for smaller servings of oatmeal or spread out your consumption throughout the day to reduce gas production.
Mindful Eating: Chew your food well and eat slowly to aid digestion and prevent bloating.
Oatmeal Selection: Choose steel-cut oats, as they are less processed and may be easier to digest compared to instant oatmeal.
Digestive Aids: Incorporate digestive aids like ginger or fennel seeds into your oatmeal to help alleviate gas and bloating.
Hydration: Ensure adequate water intake while eating oatmeal as high fiber content can lead to constipation if not properly hydrated. Staying hydrated helps maintain smooth digestive system functioning and reduces gas and bloating.
Can eating oats every day cause gas ?
Consuming oats regularly may lead to gas and bloating. However, these side effects can be minimized by starting with a low dose and gradually increasing it to the desired amount. Over time, your body will adapt to oat bran, reducing the likelihood of experiencing these side effects.
Why can oats cause gas and bloating ?
There are several factors that can contribute to gas and bloating when consuming oats. One possible reason is the presence of a protein called avenin in oats, which can cause a reaction in a small number of individuals with celiac disease. Additionally, the high levels of soluble fiber in oats can also lead to gas and bloating, depending on the amount consumed.
Who shouldn’t eat oats?
Individuals with disorders of the digestive tract, including the esophagus, stomach, and intestines, should avoid consuming oat products. Eating oats can potentially block the intestines, especially for those experiencing digestive problems that may prolong the digestion process.
FAQ: gas after eating oatmeal
Why am I so gassy after eating oatmeal?
Consuming one cup of oats, which contains a little over 8 grams of fiber, may result in bloating and gas for individuals with sensitive stomachs, according to Roxana Ehsani, MS, RD, CSSD, LDN, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Media Spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
What high fiber foods don’t cause gas?
High fiber foods that are less likely to cause gas include oatmeal, beans, lentils, and certain fruits and vegetables.
How can I increase my fiber intake without gas?
To increase your fiber intake without experiencing gas, follow these tips:
- Gradually add fiber-rich foods to your diet.
- Stay hydrated by drinking an adequate amount of water.
- Avoid behaviors that can lead to swallowing excessive air.
- When preparing dried beans, soak them overnight to enhance digestibility.
It can, although I haven’t found that it does. It contains a lot of soluble fibre, which breaks down in your large intestine under microbial action. If your intestinal microbes produce gas from oatmeal, then you might have to live with it, depending on the rest of your diet or frequency of your oatmeal consumption.
I have done it for a month when I was trying to save money to open a small store for my parents. I noticed that I feel more energetic and very light. Not slouchy and lazy at all. Very alert and motivated. You will have a consistent bowel movement every morning. I was told that eating oatmeal was a healthy thing to do. But I never told anyone that I will do it for a month. . I ate rice occasionally if I was invited to a feast or party. I didn’t get sick at all. Maybe because I was inspired of my noble plan for my parents. I wasn’t afraid and I was very confident that I had to do it for a cause. I am no medical practitioner. I am just sharing my experience. I believed that it has something to do with my determination to achieve something. Your mindset is important as well. I am 53 years old now and I am not taking any medicine for maintenance. I still prefer to eat oatmeal over unhealthy snacks. I usually add ripe bananas, mangoes and raisins.
One can develop a food sensitivity or allergy to a food one has eaten for a long time.
Sometimes, one can eat the food for several days, but then develop gastric or other symptoms.
I have eaten rice since I was a child. About 10 years ago (over 50 years since I was a child), after eating homemade pho with rice noodles four days in a row, I got diarrhea. Trial and error over the next couple of years revealed that I was now allergic to rice in all forms. I can eat it very occasionally, only once or maybe twice, and then not again for months (longer is better). If I eat it more than a couple of days in a row, I get diarrhea.
Abdominal swelling can also be a sign of food allergy. I get that when I eat anything with legumes (anything made with previously dried beans and garbanzos), cashews, anything with gluten, and anything with milk. Growing up I was never allergic to any food, just cats. After being sick for over a decade with various things that affected my immune system, I now am.
So, stop eating oatmeal for a year or so to give your gut and immune system time to heal (and toss into the composting bin the oatmeal you have on hand). Then eat a serving of oatmeal once. If nothing happens, after a month, eat it two days in a row. If nothing happens, after two months, eat it three days in a row. Keep going until a) you develop diarrhea or other signs of allergy, or b) you can eat it once again daily without any signs or symptoms of allergy.
There are some possibilities not mentioned yet by other commenters:
It may be a coincidence.
You may have an allergy/sensitivity to oatmeal that has nothing to do with gluten.
If you normally eat bread or other wheat products without problems then it would be a fluke for it to be a gluten problem such as coeliac disease that just happened to show up with the trace gluten contamination of oatmeal.
Similarly, if you don’t usually have a problem with milk products it’s highly unlikely to be lactose intolerance, which usually develops gradually.
I’ve never heard of oatmeal causing diarrhea because of it’s high fibre content. Much of the fibre is soluble fibre, which is gentler on the digestive system than insoluble fibre.
I’m not a doctor, but for what it’s worth when I had my heart problems last year and it was linked to a hiatal hernia and related problems, both a cardiologist and later a specialist in gastrointestinal problems told me that the best breakfast to eat is oatmeal with whole wheat toast and one banana.
It is of course important not to smother it in butter or pour a bunch of sugar all over it, and you want to make sure there are no allergy issues (as Will Wister smartly notes). I personally prefer a small amount of a very healthy non-butter spread “Earth Balance” that has little fat or other bad crap in it, and I add a bit of honey (which we get from my dad’s bee hives) and then pour a small amount of milk on it (lactose free, because of my stomach issues).
It’s probably healthier to eat the oatmeal with nothing on it at all, but the added taste makes me eat more of it and eat it often. I also do eat a whole banana with it, and a piece of whole wheat toast. And I try to eat it as soon after getting up as possible (after brushing my teeth, though, because the idea of eating food before cleaning the yuck from my mouth is gross, and I drink orange juice with it so I don’t want to be scrubbing my teeth right after drinking something acidic since that can be bad for your teeth).
If you don’t have any allergy issues related to that breakfast, I highly recommend it. It’ll help make you regular, is great for your digestive system and heart, really tastes good, and comes to me recommended by a heart specialist and a gastrointestinal specialist. Doesn’t get much better than that!