There swollen belly is one of the most common hassles, both for women and for men: it is a common fate for 20% of Italians, or 12 million people. In addition to the unpleasant sensation, the style effect is added: containing the belly inside the buttons of skirts and trousers sometimes seems an impossible mission.

An Italian study has shown that eliminating from the diet some foods you can get rid of the abdominal swelling and regularize the intestine, keeping FODMAP at bay, foods that ferment too much in the intestine and cause belly swelling. The most common mistake is to confuse the swelling with being greased: this is not always the case. If losing weight is more complicated operation – even if it can be enough even one day! – deflate the belly is easier and faster. To avoid the problem of swelling, in fact, it is sufficient to examine what we put in the plate and replace the foods that dilate, with those that on the contrary help to deflate.

Attention to fermentation
If fermentation is a technique that can add nutrients and taste to foods – in fact fermented foods such as miso, but also the yeast made with the sourdough, bring clear digestive benefits (yogurt, probiotics and fermented milk are friends of the intestine , you know), we must not even confuse this with it the fermenting capacity of foods in our belly. It is she who causes swollen belly and gas production, and those responsible in particular are oligosaccharides, fructose, lactose and polyols.

Here are some foods in which:

THE legumes they have high fermentation capacity; so be careful to consume chickpeas, lentils, beans, broad beans and peas. Also there fruit has the habit of fermenting during digestion, in the basket better not to have too many apples and pears and (unfortunately) also the sweet summer fruit (apricots, peaches, watermelons, plums and prunes).

The vegetable is not far behind. In the list of vegetables that inflate there are: artichokes, asparagus, beets, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, fennel, garlic and shallot. To complete the list, add the milk and soft and fresh cheeses. In addition, eye to carbohydrates, starting from those coming from wheat, but also rice and rye, especially if they are baked goods leavened. Finally, most of the sweetening substances like the very common honey and fructose. And also the sweeteners found in many packaged products such as sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol and corn syrup.

A note: it is not just what foods to eat, but also how and how many. There distribution of meals it's very important: breakfast should not be underestimated; much better to do one spezzafame snack – for example munching dried fruit – that arrive on the table voracious; in the evening, really limit the carbohydrates.

The foods that help
The picture may discourage. In reality there is still a lot of choice. For example i seasoned cheesesi and the hard ones. The animal milk can be replaced with soy or rice drinks. All the fruit are indicated among the fruit citrus fruits (which we can also use for cooking!), kiwi, grapes, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and bananas (which also make the heart so good).

Among the vegetables have effects that limit the swelling celery, tomatoes, peppers, aubergines and green beans. To close in sweetness, glucose and maple juice are sweeteners that do not swell.

After having done a skimming of the products that are brought to the table, within ten days, the first benefits should be noted. Otherwise, the swelling could be an important indicator of irritation to the colon or some intolerance, which must be diagnosed by a qualified specialist and that can also be treated by eating.

Barbara Roncarolo
March 8, 2016
updated by Carola Traverso Saibante
February 2019

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