Bloating is one of the common but unpleasant digestive symptoms that almost everyone deals with from time to time.
There can be numerous causes of bloating, but in cases where you cannot do much to rectify the factors contributing to belly bloat, it can be really helpful to have some strategies to reduce bloating quickly.
For this reason, it’s not all that surprising that one of the most popular queries that people have is “How to get unbloated fast.”
So, what helps with bloating? What can you drink for bloating? Are there any effective debloating drinks?
In this article, we will discuss what causes bloating, drinks that help with bloating, and other strategies and tips for how to reduce bloating quickly.
We will cover the following:
- How Do I Get Rid of Bloating Fast?
- What Causes Belly Bloating?
- The 9 Best Drinks That Help With Bloating
Let’s jump in!
How Do I Get Rid of Bloating Fast?
Although we would all like there to be a magic bullet “debloating drink” that would instantly relieve belly bloating naturally, the truth is that even the best drinks to reduce bloating generally are not instantaneous cure-alls that banish belly bloating instantly.
The best solution for how to get unbloated quickly is to not only address the symptoms of abdominal bloating with drinks that help fix bloating but also to focus your efforts on addressing the underlying cause of belly bloating in the first place.
A two-pronged approach to what helps with bloating is simultaneously addressing the cause of belly bloating, as well as the symptoms, which will help ensure that even if you are indeed having the best drinks to help with bloating, you aren’t further exacerbating the issue and “undoing“ your debloating efforts.
That said, some causes of bloating may not be readily corrected or eliminated.
For example, bloating is often associated with premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and if you suffer from bloating around your period, you might not be able to prevent the bloating itself.
Therefore, you may be relegated to focusing mostly on how to get rid of bloating with drinks that decrease bloating.
On the other hand, causes of bloating, such as drinking carbonated beverages, may be avoidable.
In these cases, trying to eliminate bloating from the root cause as you simultaneously work to get rid of bloating with natural strategies, such as drinking beverages that decrease bloating, can double up your efforts and lead to quicker and more effective results.
What Causes Belly Bloating?
So, what causes bloating?
Although there can be numerous factors that contribute to bloating, here are some of the most common causes of belly bloating:
According to the Cleveland Clinic, bloating occurs when air or gas gets trapped in your gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Gas can get trapped anywhere along the GI tract, from the stomach through the small intestines to the colon.
Water retention and dehydration can also cause abdominal bloating.
Additionally, risk factors for bloating include:
- Overeating
- Consuming too much salt
- Drinking too much alcohol or carbonated beverages
- Eating foods that cause the production of gas (such as cruciferous vegetables, FODMAPs, and sugar alcohols or artificial sweeteners)
- Eating foods that you are intolerant to
- Swallowing air from eating too fast or chewing gum
- Constipation
- Celiac disease or another inflammatory bowel disease
- Hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle
Now, let’s get into what to drink for bloating:
The 9 Best Drinks That Help With Bloating
Here are some of the best drinks that help with bloating:
#1: Green Tea
One of the best drinks that help with bloating is green tea. You can drink green tea for bloating, either hot or cold, with similar results.
There are several compounds in green tea that make this an excellent debloating drink.
First, green tea is almost entirely water, and drinking water when you are bloated can help your body restore proper hydration levels and release excess stored water held in the abdomen.
Secondly, green tea contains a natural source of caffeine, and caffeine is a diuretic. This means that green tea can help you release body fluid by increasing urination.
Green tea is also rich in antioxidants and polyphenolic compounds such as catechins, which are compounds that help the body attack free radicals and reduce inflammation in the body.
Free radicals and excess inflammation cause chronic, low-level swelling, so drinking green tea can help decrease bloating by supporting your body’s ability to combat inflammatory factors and oxidative damage from free radicals.
Studies have also found that catechins help support the beneficial bacteria in your gut, which are crucial for supporting digestion, reducing constipation that may be contributing to bloating, and helping prevent gastrointestinal disorders.
Finally, green tea can stoke your metabolism, which can potentially help with burning calories and getting your digestive system moving.
#2: Peppermint Tea
Peppermint has been found to confirm a variety of positive benefits, one of which is reducing abdominal bloating.
For example, one study found that subjects who had peppermint oil for four weeks saw a significant reduction in abdominal symptoms, including bloating.
Herbal peppermint tea typically contains peppermint oil, or you can brew your own debloating tea with fresh peppermint leaves whenever you feel discomfort or distention in your belly.
#3: Fennel Tea
Fennel has an anise flavor, somewhat like licorice.
Among the many benefits of fennel, this herb has antibacterial properties that have been shown to reduce indigestion, gas, and pain associated with colic.
You can make a debloating tea with fresh fennel bulb or fennel seeds.
Fennel also acts as a natural relaxant, so this is a great way to unwind before bed while simultaneously calming your stomach.
#4: Lemon Water
Another one of our excellent drinks that help with bloating is lemon water.
Like green tea, you can drink lemon water to reduce bloating either as a cold or hot beverage. However, it is important to use flat water rather than carbonated water because the carbonation will exacerbate abdominal bloating.
Lemon water helps hydrate the body and also contains vitamin C, an antioxidant that can help decrease inflammation.
Lemon juice also acts as a natural diuretic and may stimulate the metabolism as well as the bowels, helping you use the bathroom if you are constipated.
#5: Cucumber Water
Adding slices of fresh cucumber to a cold glass of water can also be an effective debloating drink.
Cucumbers are almost entirely water, so you may not get much of a deep bloating benefit from the cucumbers themselves, but many people find that adding cucumber to water encourages them to drink more.
Since dehydration is a common cause of water retention and belly bloating, drinking cucumber water may be a helpful beverage to reduce bloating.
#6: Watermelon Water or Smoothie
Watermelon is extremely refreshing and can help you hydrate your body.
Blending some up with ice and water and a little bit of mint to make a watermelon slushy is one of the best debloating drinks.
Watermelon is high in potassium. This electrolyte helps balance out sodium levels in the body.
Because sodium increases water retention, having foods and drinks with potassium can help eliminate belly bloating by enhancing the removal of excess body water from a high-sodium diet.
For example, if you have a particularly salty meal or go out to eat and find that you are bloated the next day, you can help offset the water retention with a potassium-rich, watermelon-debloating drink.
#7: Coconut Water
Like watermelon, coconut water is one of the best natural sources of potassium.
For this reason, a good drink to help with bloating is some fresh virgin coconut water.
Stay away from sweetened coconut water and coconut milk, as these are different products that will not help decrease bloating and contain excess sugar and fat.
#8: Pineapple Water
Drinking pineapple water or making a smoothie with peppermint can be an effective drink to reduce bloating.
Pineapple is packed with antioxidants like vitamin C, which can reduce inflammation.
Pineapple contains a natural digestive enzyme known as bromelain, which may help reduce indigestion and digestive symptoms such as abdominal bloating.
Adding pineapple to water can also encourage you to drink more because it enhances the flavor and can make water more enticing.
#9: Celery Juice
One of the classic cleanses is to drink celery juice.
Celery contains compounds that reduce inflammation and abdominal bloating, such as luteolin and pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ).
A single stalk of celery also provides about 5 to 6% of your daily potassium needs.
Because potassium helps regulate body fluid levels and offset sodium levels, celery is one of the best drinks to help with bloating.
However, be mindful that consuming excess celery can lead to abdominal cramping and explosive diarrhea.
Now that you know what to drink for bloating, try our 14-day lemon water challenge here.
