5 Best Supplements for Bloating

Bloating can strike anywhere, anytime. Not only can the overly-full feeling associated with bloating really slow us down, the pain, gas, nausea, and discomfort that often comes with it can be enough to really put a damper on any day. In this article, we’ll explore natural solutions for bloating with the five best bloating supplements. 

What causes bloating? 

Common causes of bloating include: 

• Indigestion
• Acute illness (such as food poisoning or stomach flu)
• Chronic illness (such as Crohn’s disease or Irritable Bowel Syndrome)
• Overeating
• Hormonal changes
• Food intolerances 
• Diet and lifestyle
• Constipation
• Water retention
• Dysbiosis or leaky gut
• Lack of digestive enzymes 
• Low stomach acid
• Medications

So here are the 5 Best Supplements for Bloating:

5. Best Supplement for Digestive Bloating: Standard Process Zypan

Perhaps the most common form of bloating, digestive bloating can stem from what we eat, how we eat, and our body’s ability (or inability) to break down certain types of foods.

As we age, our digestive system produces fewer and fewer of the enzymes necessary to break down the food we eat, which in turn slows down digestion. This can make us more likely to experience unwanted digestive issues such as nausea, bloating, and gas. 

Standard Process Zypan helps boost the body’s natural digestive processes by supplementing key enzymes such as pepsin and pancreatin.

What is Pepsin?

Pepsin is a digestive enzyme responsible for breaking down protein in the stomach and upper GI tract. Produced in the stomach lining, pepsin plays a major role in our digestive process, and a deficiency can cause major problems throughout our bodies, including bloating after protein-rich meals. 

What is Pancreatin?

Pancreatin, one of the other major components of Zypan, is a commercial blend of three digestive enzymes: amylase, protease, and lipase. These enzymes are manufactured in the pancreas. Each breaks down a different macronutrient: amylase targets carbs, protease handles protein, and lipase helps digest fats.

Standard Process Zypan also contains betaine hydrochloride, a compound that helps the body maintain appropriate levels of stomach acid for optimal digestion. 

 As a result, Zypan is able to offer broad-spectrum bloating support and can be a great supplement choice if you struggle with bloating from slow digestion. 

4. Best Supplement for Hormonal Bloating: Standard Process Wheat Germ Oil 

l functions from digestion, to metabolism, to mood and fertility. Hormones are the chemical messengers that tell our bodies how and when to regulate the fine-tuned processes that make life possible.

Although we typically associate the word “hormone” with sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone, this chemical class also contains adrenaline, cortisol, and insulin. 

Hormonal bloating can stem from many causes. Bloating is a common part of the menstrual cycle–in fact, one 2014 study published in BMC Women’s Health found that 62% of women experienced bloating before their period, and 51% experienced bloating during their period. Similarly, the hormonal fluctuations associated with perimenopause can also lead to bloating. 

In men, hormonal bloating can occur as a result of low testosterone (a sex hormone that naturally declines with age), or high estrogen. And in both genders, hormonal bloating may be caused by high stress, adrenal fatigue, or an underactive thyroid. 

Wheat Germ Oil 

Our top supplement for hormonal bloating is Standard Process Wheat Germ Oil. Studies show that Wheat Germ Oil, with its high level of Vitamin E, can help counteract hormonal bloating in multiple ways. 

Vitamin E, also known as tocopherol, is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays a critical role in steroidogenesis, the process through which the body makes most hormones, including testosterone and estrogen. When the body is Vitamin E deficient, it’s unable to produce enough of these hormones, resulting in imbalances that produce a range of symptoms, including bloating. 

When Vitamin E is supplemented, the body is able to produce enough of the lacking hormone to get back in balance–and reduce bloating, making it a great supplement for both men and women. 

Additionally, the Vitamin E found in Wheat Germ Oil has anti-inflammatory properties that can help mitigate the effects of cortisol and oxidative stress, such as fatigue, inflammation, and bloating. 

3. Best Supplement for Inflammation Bloating: Dr. Eric Snow’s Gut Rescue

Over time, oxidative stress and inflammation, as well as lifestyle factors such as diet, can have an adverse effect on the good bacteria that live in our gut. When these good bacteria fail to thrive and their numbers dwindle, it can cause inflammation, illness, and other unwanted effects that leave us feeling sick, tired, and bloated. 

Antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds are the key to fighting inflammation bloat. That’s why our favorite supplement for inflammation bloating is Dr. Eric Snow’s Gut Rescue. Gut Rescue contains a powerful combination of antioxidant support, anti-inflammatory herbs, and prebiotic reishi mushroom to soothe GI inflammation, restore gut lining, and help good gut bacteria thrive. 

Dr. Eric Snow’s Gut Rescue contains:

Organic clove, oregano, wild bear garlic, and olive leaf that work together to soothe intestinal inflammation and limit the overgrowth of bad bacteria and yeasts, so that good bacteria have the space and resources to grow. 

Reishi mushroom that feeds good bacteria, stimulating growth and reproduction. Reishi also helps relieve inflammation and balances immune function to reduce bloating. 

Aquamin® Red Algae, a marine product rich in minerals that can help reduce inflammation in the gut and restore the integrity of gut lining affected by dysbiosis.  

2. Best Probiotic for Bloating: Dr. Eric Snow’s Gut Restore

Another common cause of bloating is a disruption in our microbiome. This can occur for many reasons–illness, sleep deprivation, and antibiotic use among them. You’re probably familiar with fermented foods and how they can help the good bacteria in your gut . And you’re probably no stranger to the benefits of probiotics, either. 

However, most probiotics only contain, at most, 3-4 strains of good bacteria. Many of those bacteria aren’t equipped to survive transport, storage, and the acidic environment of the stomach and upper GI tract. As a result, most probiotic bacteria contained in probiotic supplements may be dead by the time they reach your GI tract. 

This is why our top probiotic supplement in this list is Dr. Eric Snow’s Gut Restore. As a probiotic, Gut Restore wins in several critical categories:

Biodiversity

Rather than the typical 3-4 strains, Dr. Eric Snow’s Gut Restore contains a staggering 18 strains of unique probiotic bacteria that can help repopulate your gut. Included probiotic strains help support bloating and digestion relief, energy and metabolism, as well as mental health and athletic performance. If you’re serious about supporting your gut’s microbiome, Gut Restore is a great choice. 

Durability

Dr. Eric Snow’s Gut Restore includes DE111 Bactilus subtilis, a uniquely hardy and spore-forming probiotic bacteria that can survive transport, storage, and stomach acid. But it isn’t enough to just arrive in the lower GI tract alive and functional; good bacteria have to be able to reproduce.

This is part of what makes DE111 so powerful–as a spore-forming probiotic bacteria, the colonies DE111 establishes are able to reproduce quickly and with a high success rate. 

Convenience

Unlike other high-quality probiotics that require careful refrigeration and expire quickly, Gut Restore is shelf-stable at room temperature for up to two years. 

1. Best Supplement for Constipation Bloating: MediHerb Colax by Standard Process

Constipated? Not only is irregularity a major cause of bloating, it can be extremely uncomfortable on its own.

For the occasional episode of constipation, our top supplement is MediHerb Colax. MediHerb Colax uses all-natural herbs like Chamomile, Yellow Dock Root, Cascara, and Dandelion to gently stimulate the bowel. 

All of the ingredients in MediHerb Colax have been traditionally used to help relieve constipation, bloating, and unwanted gas. By encouraging gut motility (the movements in intestinal muscles that transport waste toward the colon), Colax uses the body’s natural waste-elimination methods to clear waste from the lower GI tract. Its major ingredients are often considered a gentler alternative to similar constipation-aids such as aloe vera and senna. 

However, Colax may not be right for everyone. MediHerb Colax  contains Cascara bark. Cascara is a small tree native to North America that has been used as a laxative for centuries. Individuals with gallstones and other gallbladder issues should only use Colax under the direct guidance of a physician, as some of the ingredients have been contraindicated in gallbladder blockage. 

MediHerb Colax also contains Dandelion, a member of the daisy family, which may cause an allergic reaction in some individuals.