Beans and Bloat: Why I Still Eat Them (and You Should, Too)
Yes, beans can cause gas. But did you know your gut can actually adapt to them? Here’s why beans are worth keeping in your diet—and how to reduce bloating after eating them.
I recently posted on my Instagram about my delicious, homemade, very bean-heavy snack hack.
I self-identify as “not a good cook,” so it’s super easy to make. Besides several kinds of beans, it has corn, tomatoes, peppers, and lots of great spice; I make a big batch and store it in my fridge. I love it and eat it as a light meal (it has tons of protein) almost as often as I snack on it.
Boy, was I surprised by the response I got!
So many of you had questions about beans causing gas and bloat, and others of you jumped in to provide advice and suggestions—I loved it! It only makes sense, then, to talk about that today.
Beans—not the green kind, but the ones that are harvested dry in their seedpods—have amazing nutritional profiles.
That’s why I use so many in my “snack mix.” All types of beans (including black, cranberry, Great Northern, dark red, light red, and white kidney, navy, pink, pinto, and small red) are good sources of protein, excellent sources of both soluble and insoluble fiber, and naturally fat-free, sodium-free, and cholesterol-free.
Many kinds are also good sources of potassium. The U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend you eat about 1 to 3 cups of legumes, including beans, every week, which is about ½ cup of beans every day. This is what I shoot for.
But truthfully, beans can give you gas, and yes, that can make you feel bloated, especially if your digestive system is not accustomed to eating them.
According to The Bean Institute in Chicago, beans contain oligosaccharides, which are nondigestible, fermentable fibers that cause gas.
These fibers survive stomach acid and don’t get digested in the upper gut, traveling intact to the colon where they’re fermented by good bacteria; gas is the byproduct of the fermentation process.
And it’s actually a good thing: It indicates these beneficial bacteria are well-fed and thriving and may help prevent diseases of the gut and other organs in the body. Fibers from foods like beans that promote growth and activity in the gut microbiome are called “prebiotics.”
But here’s the thing: Counterintuitive as it may seem, the more often you eat beans, the less GI discomfort you’ll suffer.
That’s because your gut gets used to them. Science bears this out: In one study, healthy adults ate a half-cup of legumes (pinto beans, black-eyed peas, or navy beans) or carrots each day for 8-12 weeks.
Initially, half the people reported increased gas, but after 8 weeks they were back to normal levels. These results suggest that while some may experience gas from eating beans, regularly consuming them (½ cup daily) for 8 weeks may reduce bloating and abdominal discomfort.
A few gas reducing tips:
Still worried about beans making you gassy? Here are some suggestions to help your GI tract get familiar with them, courtesy of The Bean Institute.
For more bean health info, recipes, and other resources, click here to visit their website.
- Increase your bean intake slowly. Start with 2 to 4 tablespoons of beans per day, and gradually increase the amount to the ½ cup-per-day guideline. Try pureed bean dishes (easier to digest) such as hummus, or include beans in salads, soups, and casseroles so you’re not consuming too much in one meal.
- Drink more water when you eat beans to help the fiber move more efficiently through your digestive tract.
- Change the water several times over several hours when soaking dry beans before cooking. The gas-producing fibers are released into the soaking water, and discarding it removes some of these compounds.
- Rinse canned beans without sauce before eating or using them in recipes. This flushes out some of the oligosaccharides and also reduces the sodium content of canned beans.
- Cook with herbs. Certain herbs may also help break down the gas-producing fermentable fibers. Try epazote (commonly used in Mexican cuisine) or asafetida (commonly used in Indian cuisine).
- Combine beans with less fiber-rich foods. Balanced meals can reduce the gas caused by beans. Pair them with easy-to-digest vegetables to help aid digestion, and avoid eating them with gas-producing foods like cabbage or onions.
- Consider using a gas-reducing enzyme tablet, such as Beano. Available over the counter in many pharmacies, these supplements contain enzymes that break down oligosaccharides that cause gas.
- Talk to your healthcare provider if you have excessive gas, bloating, and/or abdominal distress; these can be caused by illness or other conditions as well.
And since I know you’ll ask: You can find my easy-peasy-tasty bean snack mix on Instagram by clicking here. Enjoy…and remember that gas is usually a sign of good things happening in your gut!
