A bloated stomach is most often caused by trapped or excess wind.
Trapped wind can occur when consuming food and drinks which are hard to digest and promote gas.
Junk food and stodgy foods are the most obvious culprits, but some vegetables like cauliflower, sprouts, onions, broccoli, beans and cabbage can also leave you feeling gassy.
Beverages like soft drinks and beer can also contribute to excess gas.
However, other foods can help relieve a bloated stomach, by aiding digestion.
One vegetable which can help ease a bloated tummy, is cucumber.
Cucumbers have many properties which can aid digestion, such as fibre, magnesium, potassium and manganese, as well as vitamins C and K.
Fruit and vegetables in general are high in fibre, which is essential for the digestion process.
This is because fibre keeps everything moving easily though the digestive system.
It also bulks up the stools, making them easier to pass.
“Fibre is an essential part of a healthy diet. It helps to keep your digestive system in good working order, and has many other important health benefits,” said Bupa.
Magnesium, meanwhile, is a mineral which turns food into energy, keeping the body energised.
Manganese helps make and activate some of the enzymes in the body, which are needed to break down food.
Potassium helps control the balance of fluids in the body, which can reduce water retention.
Water retention can contribute to a feeling of bloating in the tummy, as the body holds on to water in order to prevent dehydration.
Sometimes when eating food which is high in salt, for example, the body can hold on to excess water so as to avoid dehydration.
Due to its high water content, cucumber can help flush toxins from the body and prevent water retention, by keeping you hydrated.
This way the body won’t think it’s dehydrated anymore and won’t hold on to excess water.
Eating cucumbers may also help support regular bowel movements and prevent constipation, due to its high water content.
It’s important not to eat too much cucumber, however, as this can have the opposite effect and cause diarrhoea.