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Gastroenterologist recommends three easy switches if bread gives you gas and bloating
There’s nothing worse than eating a meal and instantly feeling bloated. It’s uncomfortable, annoying and sometimes very painful, and one food that commonly bloats people is bread.
That’s because it’s made of wheat, which contains a protein called gluten that many are sensitive to – but a stomach doctor has recommended three simple switches that could ease the symptoms.
Switches if bread gives you bloating
“Not a lot of people know this, but if bread gives you gas, bloating and stomach upset, then you’re gonna want to try this,” Dr. Joseph Salhab said on TikTok.
His first recommendation is to switch out your bread for sourdough, a bread made by fermenting dough using a bacteria called lactobacillaceae, and yeast.�
“The fermentation process makes it lower in gluten than other breads and the bacteria in yeast use up some of the bloating-causing ingredients which are called FODMAPs,” he explained.
FODMAP stands for�fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols, which are the sugars, starches, and fiber found in foods that are poorly absorbed in the small intestine, MedlinePlus reveals.
These foods absorb water and ferment in the colon, causing that tight belly feeling which occurs when gas builds up in your stomach.
The doctor explained that sourdough bread is also a fantastic source of prebiotics, meaning it helps your gut’s healthy bacteria grow.
The second option he recommends is sprouted bread, which contains no flour and is made from whole grains that have been allowed to sprout.
“The process of sprouting reduces the gluten content and reduces the fructan content, which is a common cause of bloating,” he said.
Salhab’s third easy switch is a normal English muffin, which is a small, round and flat yeast-leavened bread.
“If you limit yourself to just one English muffin per day, it’s been shown to be FODMAP and bloat friendly,” he explained.
See a doctor for severe gluten intolerance
The doctor iterated that none of these breads are gluten-free, and these switches should not be used if you are severely gluten-sensitive or have celiac disease. You should only try switching to sourdough, sprouted bread or English muffins if you are mildly sensitive to bread and gluten.
Celiac disease is a condition where the immune system is abnormally sensitive to gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley, MedlinePlus explains. It’s an autoimmune disorder, meaning the immune system malfunctions and attacks the body’s own tissues and organs.�
People with celiac disease usually have to undertake a strict, lifelong gluten-free diet to stop negative symptoms. If you think you may have a severe gluten intolerance, you should speak to your medical professional.
Dr. Joseph Salhab is a gastroenterologist who received his medical degree from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine Bradenton Campus. He is based in Davenport, Florida, and has been in practice for more than a decade.
