I’ve had bloating issues ever since I was in my teens, experiencing uncomfortable symptoms such as constipation, a distended belly (I’ve been asked serval times if I was pregnant when I wasn’t!), terrible pains, and the most common symptom: embarrassing gas. What helps the most is eating a plant-based diet and avoiding certain foods like sugar and fat, but that’s so hard, especially when I love to bake.
Many of the registered dietitians I follow on Instagram including gut expert Jessie Wong, RD, who specializes in FODMAP diets and helping people with IBS, often talk about how eating fiber-rich foods like chia seeds can prevent bloating and improve digestion. So I thought I’d see if their “magical” powers could help me.
Wong told POPSUGAR that eating chia seeds could help with some types of bloating. “The most common type of bloat is from constipation, and adding more fiber in your diet can help stool move faster.” Chia seeds swell when they’re soaked, and they’re a good source of insoluble fiber which she explained adds bulk to your stool. This can help prevent constipation, and in turn prevent the bloating that goes along with it. You just need to make sure you drink enough water when you increase your fiber intake, Wong said. So I decided to do a two-week personal experiment. Keep reading to find out what happened.