Ten foods to AVOID to banish the bloat: How ditching broccoli, salt and root vegetables can give you a flat stomach

Bloated tummies can afflict even the healthiest of eaters and nutritionists have revealed that sometimes our best intentions could be to blame.

Certain vegetables, as well as fibrous beans and pulses, can all cause stomachs to inflate, according to experts.

Two top nutritionists have now listed a series of foods - many unlikely - to avoid if you want to keep your tummy flat.

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Some cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli cannot be digested properly by some people, perhaps due to a lack of enzymes

Surprisingly, they say certain vegetables, fruit and even some spices can cause bloating. And chewing gum and diet cola is strictly off limits.

As well as listing foods to avoid, the experts also said that eating smaller meals more frequently and taking more time to chew your food can reduce any chance of irritation in the gut. 

1. Cruciferous vegetables 

Dr Marilyn Glenville, author of Natural Alternatives to sugar, said that cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage can cause trouble.

'For some people these vegetables are not digested completely in the small intestines, maybe due to a lack of enzymes,' she said. 

'It means, that when they reach the large intestines, bacteria in that part of the gut can cause gas and bloating when breaking down those foods.'

Pulses such as lentils can also cause bloating - but soaking them overnight in water helps.  Stone fruits such as plums can also cause tummy troubles

2. Pulses, beans and root vegetables 

Although healthy and often a staple of any clean-living diet, nutritionist Cassandra Barns said foods such as beans, pulses and root vegetables can cause your tummy to swell.

'Although they are good for you and are low in fat, try and choose salad vegetables such as salad leaves, and tomatoes, which will not make you bloated,’ she said.

Furthermore, lentils contain phytic acid, which may lead to bloating - but soaking them in plenty of cold water with some lemon juice or vinegar overnight can reduce the potency.  

3. Stone fruits

Stone fruits such as plums, as well as dried fruit, are packed with organic compounds called sugar alcohols and, while beneficial to our digestion and overall health, it does depend on the bacteria in your gut. Dr Glenville says if they're not digested properly, these can ferment, causing bloating and gas.

4. Spices 

Although they have many beneficial properties, some spicy foods can stimulate the release of stomach acid. 'These can cause irritation and others can ferment in the digestive system causing bloating,' says Dr Glenville 

Some spices can trigger the release of stomach acid which can cause irritation in your gut

5. Chewing gum 

‘It might keep your mouth busy and stop you reaching for the biscuit tin but chewing gum can also lead to swallowing air, which can cause bloating,' says Dr Glenville. 

'It can also stimulate your digest enzymes to expect food, which can then stimulate hunger. If you do have to snack, it's better to graze on a healthy, high-fibre snack like oatcakes, carrot batons or low fat popcorn.'.

Although you might think it takes your mind off eating food, Dr Glenville warns it can make you 'swallow air' which causes bloating and stimulates hunger

Meanwhile salt can increase water retention, as well as being bad for your heart and blood pressure

6. Salt

Salt can increase water retention, warns Cassandra. 

She said: ‘Never add extra salt to your food - not only is this bad for your heart and your blood pressure but especially for dieters, salt actually increases the amount of water that the body retains and can therefore make you look more bloated and heavier.'

7. Diet cola

They might be low in calories, but the fizzy bubbles in carbonated diet drinks can cause gas to get trapped in your stomach and will cause bloating. 

Cassandra advises: 'Instead, drink water flavoured with lemon, lime, or cucumber or try some peppermint tea for a soothing beverage that may help reduce bloat. Not only are these great bloat-free alternatives but they will also help you to cleanse and detoxify the body.'

Although some are low in calories, fizzy drinks can cause gas to become trapped in your stomach. Milk, meanwhile, cannot be broken down properly in some people as they lack a certain enzyme

8. Avoid sweetener

Equally, artificial sweeteners need to be avoided. Many people suffer from bloating because they consume too much sugar alcohol in artificially sweetened foods and drinks, Dr Glenville warned. 

9. Dairy 

Some people don’t produce the enzyme lactase, which helps them breaks down lactose, a sugar found in milk, explained Cassandra. 

'You need this enzyme in your body in order to break down the lactose, otherwise it ferments in the gut causing pain, gas and bloating,' she said. 

Refined carbohydrates such as pasta are broken down more quickly than unrefined carbs, causing bloating

10. Refined carbohydrates 

Foods containing refined carbohydrates such as cookies and pasta have a higher glycaemic index than their unrefined counterparts, explained Dr Glenville.

'This means they are broken down into glucose (sugar) more quickly which can cause bloating and gas. They can also often contain wheat, which can be a problem for people with IBS symptoms. 

'Wheat is also one of the grains excluded on the FODMAP diet, which aims to reduce the amount of fermentation happening in the digestive system.'