Should I see a doctor about bloating?

See a GP if bloating is persistent (most days for 3+ weeks), accompanied by unexplained weight loss, blood in stool, persistent pain, or significant changes in bowel habits. These could indicate conditions requiring medical attention. For occasional food-related bloating, a food diary is a helpful first step before or alongside medical consultation.

Track Bloating After Eating & Find Your Triggers

Q: What foods commonly cause bloating?

Common bloating triggers include FODMAPs (onions, garlic, wheat, certain fruits), dairy products (lactose intolerance), beans and lentils, cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage), artificial sweeteners (sorbitol, xylitol), and carbonated drinks. However, triggers vary significantly between individuals - what bloats one person may be fine for another.

Q: How do I track what's causing my bloating?

Use NutraSafe to log every meal (scan barcodes or search foods), then log bloating episodes when they occur, noting severity and timing. The app's algorithm analyses the 3-7 days before each bloating episode and identifies ingredients that consistently appear before your symptoms. After 3-5 logged reactions, patterns typically emerge.

That uncomfortable, swollen feeling after meals. You know something's causing it, but what? NutraSafe tracks your meals and bloating episodes, then uses pattern detection to identify which foods and ingredients are your personal triggers.

Why Track Bloating?

Bloating affects up to 30% of the UK population regularly. While occasional bloating is normal, frequent bloating that affects your quality of life often has identifiable food triggers.

The challenge is that bloating can occur 30 minutes to 24 hours after eating the trigger food. This delay makes it nearly impossible to identify triggers without systematic tracking.

What Causes Bloating?

Bloating occurs when gas builds up in your digestive system. This can be caused by:

Fermentation - Certain carbohydrates (FODMAPs) aren't absorbed in the small intestine and ferment in the large intestine, producing gas
Enzyme deficiencies - Lactose intolerance means undigested lactose ferments in your gut
Swallowed air - Eating quickly, carbonated drinks, chewing gum
Food sensitivities - Reactions to specific proteins or additives
Gut bacteria imbalance - Certain foods feed gas-producing bacteria

Common Bloating Triggers

These are frequently identified as bloating culprits, but remember - your triggers may be different. That's why tracking matters.

🧅 FODMAPs

Onions, garlic, wheat, apples, pears, beans, lentils - fermentable carbs that cause gas in sensitive people.

🥛 Dairy

Milk, ice cream, soft cheese. Up to 68% of the world's population has reduced lactose digestion.

🌾 Gluten

Wheat, barley, rye. Even without coeliac disease, some people are gluten-sensitive.

🥦 Cruciferous Veg

Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts - contain raffinose, a gas-producing sugar.

🍬 Artificial Sweeteners

Sorbitol (E420), xylitol, mannitol - poorly absorbed sugar alcohols found in "sugar-free" products.

🫘 Beans & Pulses

Chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans - contain oligosaccharides that ferment in the gut.

🥤 Carbonated Drinks

Fizzy drinks introduce gas directly into your digestive system.

🧂 High-Salt Foods

Salty foods cause water retention, which can feel like bloating.

💡 The Hidden Culprits

Many processed foods contain hidden triggers. Onion powder, garlic powder, and wheat derivatives appear in sauces, seasonings, crisps, and ready meals. NutraSafe scans ingredient lists so you can spot these.

How to Track Bloating with NutraSafe

Step 1: Log Every Meal

Scan barcodes of packaged foods, search our UK database for branded items, or add generic foods like "beans on toast". The more complete your food diary, the more accurate your results.

Step 2: Log Bloating When It Happens

When you feel bloated, open NutraSafe and log a reaction. Select "Bloating" as the symptom, rate the severity (mild, moderate, severe), and note the time it started.

Step 3: Let the Algorithm Work

Our algorithm analyses everything you ate in the 3-7 days before each bloating episode. It looks at:

Recency - What you ate in the 24 hours before bloating gets highest weight
Frequency - Do the same ingredients appear before multiple bloating episodes?
Cross-correlation - Does the same ingredient appear in different foods that preceded bloating?

Step 4: Review Your Patterns

After 3-5 logged bloating episodes, check your trigger analysis. You'll see which foods and ingredients score highest as potential triggers. Look for patterns you might have missed.

🎯 Real Example

One user thought bread was causing their bloating. Tracking revealed the trigger was actually onion powder - present in their bread, but also in the crisps, ready meals, and sauces they ate bloating-free. The bread alone wasn't the issue; the onion load throughout the day was.

Bloating & FODMAPs

FODMAPs (Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols) are a group of short-chain carbohydrates that are poorly absorbed in the small intestine.

In sensitive people, FODMAPs:

Draw water into the intestine (osmotic effect)
Ferment rapidly when they reach the large intestine
Produce gas (hydrogen, methane, carbon dioxide)
Cause the bowel to stretch and expand

High-FODMAP foods include:

Fructose - Apples, pears, honey, high-fructose corn syrup
Lactose - Milk, soft cheeses, ice cream
Fructans - Wheat, onions, garlic
Galactans - Beans, lentils, chickpeas
Polyols - Sorbitol, mannitol, stone fruits

NutraSafe helps you identify which specific FODMAPs affect you - because not all of them will. Many people can tolerate some FODMAPs but not others.

Learn more about FODMAP tracking →

⚠️ When to See a Doctor

While food-related bloating is usually harmless, see your GP if you experience:

Bloating most days for 3 weeks or more
Unexplained weight loss
Blood in your stool
Persistent abdominal pain
Significant changes in bowel habits
Feeling full quickly when eating

These symptoms could indicate conditions that need medical investigation. NutraSafe is a tracking tool, not a diagnostic tool.

Start Tracking Your Bloating Today

Free to download. Log meals, track bloating, discover patterns. Most users identify their triggers within 2-4 weeks.

Download NutraSafe Free

Frequently Asked Questions

What foods commonly cause bloating?

Common triggers include FODMAPs (onions, garlic, wheat, certain fruits), dairy products, beans and lentils, cruciferous vegetables, artificial sweeteners, and carbonated drinks. However, triggers vary significantly between individuals.

How long after eating do you get bloated?

Bloating typically occurs 30 minutes to 2 hours after eating trigger foods. However, some foods cause delayed bloating up to 24 hours later, especially high-FODMAP foods that ferment in the large intestine.

How do I track what's causing my bloating?

Use NutraSafe to log every meal, then log bloating episodes when they occur. The app analyses the 3-7 days before each episode and identifies ingredients that consistently appear before your symptoms.

Is bloating a sign of food intolerance?

Frequent bloating after eating specific foods can indicate food intolerance (difficulty digesting certain foods) rather than food allergy (immune reaction). Tracking helps identify patterns that suggest intolerance.

Can stress cause bloating?

Yes. Stress affects gut motility and can increase sensitivity to normal amounts of gas. However, if certain foods consistently precede bloating, there's likely a food component too. Track both.

Related Guides

Always check the label. NutraSafe helps you spot potential triggers and track reactions — but ingredients change and cross-contamination varies by batch. The packaging is your source of truth.