Worst Offenders: 6 Health Foods that Bloat

Sometimes even the healthiest foods have a way of making women feel less than one hundred percent. Case in point—foods that cause major bloat. Aside from how bad it looks to see yourself in the mirror with a fully bloated belly, it is also very uncomfortable and sometimes painful. Unfortunately, the cause can be your favorite healthy snack or food. If you are suffering from bloating issues, see if one of these six healthy foods is the root of your bloat problems:

Vegetables: Broccoli, cabbage and asparagus are diet favorites because you can eat a lot of them with minimal calories and carbs, so they fill you up without filling you out. But their dirty little secret is that they are the prime causes of bloat. The reason is because they have raffinose in them which is a sugar that does not get digested until it is in the large intestines. When it gets there, it ferments with a bacteria that produces methane. Try eliminating them from your diet for a few weeks and see if you notice a difference.

Beans: Black, kidney, garbanzo or lima—they are all the same. Their sugar is known as oligosaccharide and is also difficult to digest. And once it hits the large intestines, well, you guessed it. If you buy them dry, soak and cook them to reduce their bloating effect.

Apples and pears: These deliciously sweet fruits are filled with fiber which is what causes the problem of bloat if you eat too much of it. Fiber is great for your digestive system and it leaves you feeling full. Unfortunately, too much of it can leave you feeling overfilled.

Dairy products: Milk, cheese and yogurt are excellent sources of protein and healthy fat if you need it. However, some people experience severe bloating and even stomach pains after eating dairy. If this is the case, you may have a slight intolerance to lactose and should only consume lactose-free foods and drinks.

Fruit: As crazy (and depressing) as it may sound, some people find difficulty digesting the fructose that is in fruit. This natural sugar can produce a lot of bloating for anyone who has difficulty digesting high fructose fruit. The solution is to eat fruits like melons and apricots that have lower amounts of it.

You may think that eating sugar-free foods is better for you. But that is not often the case since the sugar is usually replaced with artificial sweeteners that have a reputation for being vicious belly bloaters. This applies especially to sugarless gum because the act of chewing allows air to get into your system and that, combined with the artificial sweetener, is a recipe for major bloat.

Even foods that are good for you can have an unpleasant side effect if you eat too much of it or if your body has a negative reaction to it. Sometimes what was fine one day can present a problem the next. Your body is always in a state of change and transition so it's not uncommon to develop issues with foods that were once okay for you to eat. If you're experiencing bloating and not sure what the cause is, try eliminating these six foods for a short time to relieve yourself from the discomfort. Once you start introducing them back into your diet, try to minimize the amount you eat to keep the bloating under control. Food shouldn't make you feel uncomfortable—especially those that are healthy. But sometimes your body has other ideas so listen to what it has to say and try to keep the bloat under control. For more tips, check out De-Bloat with these 7 Foods!