Stomach bloating can cause a person pain and discomfort, and is usually caused by a build up of gas when the digestive system breaks down foods.
While stomach bloating and trapped gas is entirely natural, some foods can promote more gas than others.
When foods prove difficult for the digestive system, the food is sent to the colon which is full of gut bacteria.
The gut bacteria then ferments the undigested particles of food, and this creates gas which then sits in the abdomen.
So what foods are the hardest to digest and the worst for trapped wind.
According to Rennie there are six food groups you should consider cutting down on.
High fibre foods
While it’s still important to get your five fruit and vegetable a day, high fibre foods such as beans, broccoli, cabbage, onions and brown rice can be difficult to digest, particularly if you’re not used to them.
Fizzy drinks
The fizz in carbonated drinks can cause gas to get trapped in the belly.
Dairy foods
If you find yourself experiencing bloating after eating these you could be lactose intolerant.
This means you have an inability to digest lactose, which is a sugar found in milk.
Fructose
This is a sugar that passes undigested in to the colon and therefore needs a lot of breaking down. So you should try and go easy on the fruit juice.
High fat foods
Fat takes longer to digest, so while it keeps the stomach full for longer, it can be a key culprit of bloating.
Carbohydrates
Some carbohydrates cannot be digested in the small intestine because of a lack of the enzymes that help their digestion.
While certain foods can be the cause of bloating, a number of every day habits can also be to blame, for example not chewing food properly.
David Wiener, nutrition specialist at fitness app Freeletics, said: “This is because chewing helps to mechanically break down food and release digestive enzymes in saliva. Bypassing this important stage of digestion puts more pressure on the rest of the digestive tract, meaning food may sit longer in the gut fermenting and producing gas.
“Inhaling your food also means you are likely to swallow more air, only adding to the problem. Try to chew your food at least 20 times before swallowing and put your cutlery down between each mouthful.”
Eating too quickly, being distracted when eating, and dehydration can also cause bloating.