Why cutting foods won't solve bloating & what actually works!

Did you know that 4 out of 10 people in the UK experience bloating?¹ That’s a lot of people! Whether it happens after a big meal or during your period, long-term bloating can feel like a heavy weight at every meal.

Here’s the thing: Cutting foods doesn’t fix bloating long-term because bloating is usually a digestion problem — not a food problem.

Removing foods may reduce symptoms temporarily. But if your gut isn’t breaking food down properly, if motility is sluggish, or if your nervous system is stuck in stress mode, the bloating will simply come back — sometimes triggered by even more foods than before.

Let’s break it down…

Why cutting foods can work… at first!

If you’re feeling constantly bloated and uncomfortable, you may decide to eliminate certain foods or food groups. This is a popular first step for many, and it often does work short-term. Removing certain foods, especially those with fermentable fibre, can reduce gut fermentation and digestive tract irritation.

Elimination diets can be helpful if:

You have a true food intolerance that requires monitoring by a dietician.
You need to reduce symptoms quickly (e.g., following a low-FODMAP plan for IBS).²

But here’s the catch: elimination diets don’t fix the root cause. They’re tools for symptom management and identification, not permanent solutions.

Why are some foods fine… sometimes

It can feel confusing when certain foods trigger bloating one day but not the next. That’s because your digestive capacity changes daily. Factors that influence this include:

Stress – This can turn off parasympathetic activation, your “rest and digest” response. If you’re stuck in a stress state, your digestion will slow, and your food will sit in your gut, fermenting for longer.³
Sleep – Disordered sleep has been linked to disruptions in the gut microbiome.⁴ It is also important for microbiome cell rest and repair, as well as the regulation of digestive hormones.⁵
Movement – Regular exercise and movement help improve motility, keeping food moving through your gut properly. It also improves circulation and helps tone your digestive muscles — yes, these need to be exercised too!⁶
Hormones – These play a crucial role in digesti o n, with ghrelin, GLP-1, PYY, and CCK affecting appetite, satiety, gastric emptying, motility, and insulin release.⁷
Nutritional deficiencies – Nutrients are critical for the functioning of the cells in your body and can, therefore, affect cells responsible for digestion too! Nutritional deficiencies can have a knock-on effect, impairing gut cells, slowing digestion and nutrient absorption.⁸

Your digestive system doesn’t operate alone! It is a web of interconnected systems and processes. If you can eat a food sometimes but not always, it’s more likely a digestion issue than a true food intolerance.

The problem with long-term restriction

Restricting foods long-term can backfire, creating a self-perpetuating cycle of poor digestion:

Diets like low-FODMAP restrict foods that feed your beneficial gut bugs. Fewer gut bugs → harder digestion → more food sensitivity.

Cutting out nutritious foods can worsen gut function, leading to more bloating and digestive issues.

Aside from what happens to your gut bugs and digestion, food restrictions can cause stress and fear around eating, activating the sympathetic nervous system, slowing digestion and increasing gut permeability.⁹
Restriction can have a social and emotional cost, making meals stressful and less enjoyable and impacting overall quality of life.

The smarter approach: address the root cause of bloating, rather than eliminating foods for life. At Chuckling Goat, we love the 80/20 rule — eat well 80% of the time, and enjoy a little indulgence 20% of the time.

What works better than cutting foods

Instead of cutting out foods and leaving them out, we recommend trying the following:

Support digestion instead of just suppressing symptoms: Chew food properly, sit down to eat without distractions,¹⁰ include probiotics (like our kefir) and prebiotics (like our Complete Prebiotic).
Improve gut motility and meal timing: Regular movement, stress reduction, and eating three meals a day (with dinner at least 2–3 hours before bed) helps digestion.¹¹
Regulate your nervous system: The nervous system has a direct impact on digestion. Stress isn’t always unavoidable, but your body doesn’t need to be stuck in a state of constant danger. Use breathing exercises, meditation, or humming to activate rest-and-digest mode. You can find some tried-and-tested breathing techniques here!
Rebuild tolerance – Re-introduce foods slowly to allow your gut microbiome to adapt and improve digestion. Taking a Microbiome Test can help guide this.
Using elimination strategically, not permanently: Only remove foods short-term and under guidance of a dietitian to avoid nutrient gaps and maintain beneficial gut bacteria.

It’s easy to see why cutting out whole food groups may feel like the answer. And while elimination can sometimes provide short-term relief, it rarely solves the underlying issue. Bloating is often less about the food itself and more about how well your gut is functioning day to day, influenced by stress, sleep, movement, hormones and nutrient status. Long-term restriction can shrink your beneficial gut bacteria, increase sensitivity, and create a frustrating cycle of poorer digestion and more food fear.

The good news? You can reduce bloating sustainably. By supporting digestion, nurturing your microbiome, improving motility, regulating your nervous system and rebuilding tolerance to foods, you can address the root cause rather than just managing symptoms. At Chuckling Goat, we focus on strengthening your gut, not shrinking your diet. True digestive health is about resilience, not restriction!

Any questions? Contact one of our Nutritional Therapists via live chat, weekdays from 8 am to 8 pm.

Why cutting foods won’t solve bloating & what actually works!

Why cutting foods can work… at first!

Why are some foods fine… sometimes

The problem with long-term restriction

What works better than cutting foods

References

Questions? Talk to a Nutritional Therapist on live chat!

More from The Gut Health Express

As Featured In