Natural Cures for Bloating and Fluid Retention

Baking Soda

3 User Reviews
5 star (2) 
  67%
1 star (1) 
  33%

Posted by Melissa (Belpre, OH) on 06/08/2008
★★★★★

Baking Soda in water helped cure my gassey, bloated stomach. I mix a tablespoon or two with water. It doesn't taste the greatest, but it's tolerable. It's worth it!

Replied by Lori Walker
(San Jose, Ca)
04/24/2011
★☆☆☆☆

WARNING!

Bakig soda is dangerous for people with high blood pressure. Be careful and ask your doctor.

Replied by Lou
(Tyler, Tx)
06/15/2013

Read the baking soda package! 1-2 Tablespoons is too much! I think the recommended dosage is 1/2 tsp. In water. Read the box, but buy the aluminum free kind.


Betaine HcL, Probiotics

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Ksafan (Riyadh Central Province) on 02/17/2021
★★★★★

If you are bloated; means you are not digesting the food in time, indigestion causes gas to accumulate. This will lead to gas to go up the esophagus and cause problems. Usually when having indigestion is a sign of low stomach acid. Taking betaine-hcl tabs and probiotics would. That is what I did. I made my own concoction smoothie. My smoothie is made up of 2 saba(bananas), moringa leaves, saluyot leaves, a little ginger, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1 bottle yakult, some coco water I blend all engridients to a smoothie. 15 min before each meal I eat half a cup of smoothie.

Try this it worked for me. This will heal your gut. You'll see the result after a few days. Also avoid fried and fatty foods. No need to take any meds. Try it. Good luck.


Cabbage

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Eva (Mt. Laurel, Nj) on 07/19/2010
★★★★★

Try to blend a cup of cabbage with some water and drink it 3 times a day. Good for acidity and bloating pain.


Check for Low Stomach Acid

Posted by A.C. (Las Vegas, Nevada) on 04/09/2017

For Fluid Retention: Get a stomach acid test. Most people suffer from leaky gut and low stomach acid production and don't even know it. Causes things like Diabetes and a myriad of other problems. If your body does not make enough acid it has a hard time breaking down proteins, and does not signal to the pancreas to release enzymes etc... Lots of things to consider here


Dandelion Root

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Jeremiah (San Diego, California) on 07/13/2009
★★★★★

For fluid retention, Dandelion Root tea is quite possibly the best natural diuretic I can recommend. I know that it really made me go, which in turn made me lose a lot of water weight in my body.


Dietary Changes

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Hoppimike (Kent, England) on 06/05/2015 26 posts
★★★★★

I reduced my previously very bad gas and bloating to almost nil by switching to a diet that separated my intake of fibre and carbohydrate. This is because (I theorise) fibre pulls the carbs down to the colon, where it feeds whatever imbalance is down there (I suspect Candidiasis or some kind of infection).

So, every morning I have olives. I do this because they have fibre but zero carbs. I have a fair few, enough to keep my system moving.

Then, during the rest of the day, I have zero fibre. I eat fish, meat, zero fibre sweets, lactose-free dairy sometimes, stuff like that. Limited, yes, but at least it works!

The results is little to no gas, more energy, etc.

In the long run, I want to actually FIX the problem in my colon, but at least this is helping!

Best of luck! :)


Dietary Changes, Enzymes

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Rebekah (Athens, Ga) on 10/01/2009
★★★★★

I have had a terrible problem with bloating for at least a year now. Feeling terrible after every meal, looking like I always had a huge pot belly and I am a small person so this was very disturbing for me. My remedy is extreme, but my results have been AMAZING.

I cut out from my diet all sugar (including fruit), all dairy except butter, all gluten (like wheat and rice), all alcohol, and all beans. I use the proper food combining technique which I'm sure is easy available on the web (never eat protein and starch together in a meal). I now eat fresh and cooked vegies, organic meats, and non-glutenous grains as my diet. I think it helps to cut out nuts also, but I do eat sunflower seeds as a snack and drink kefir. I am also taking a probiotic formula twice a day, and with each meal I take a digestive enzyme supplement that has I think 8 different types of enzymes.

Let me tell you, in two weeks my belly is flat as a board and it looks like I have been working out! I definitely haven't been working out, but I am soooo happy that the bloat is gone and all the agony of leaving sugar and alcohol behind has been worth it. My allergies have also gone away. I drink a tiny amount of coffee in the morning with no sweetener.
I'm sure that this regime is not for everyone since it is incredibly difficult to maintain, but the way I feel and look now is astonishing compared to two short weeks ago.

Good luck to anyone out there who is bloating, I know from experience that it can make life hard.
~Rebekah

Replied by Saffi
(New York, NY)
10/01/2009

Dear Rebecca,

Thank you for the info. I've been having crazy bloating and gas problems for a year also, and I'm tiny as well which makes me look pregnant on top of it all. I don't think I need to explain to you how terrible this feels. I'd like to give your method a shot. Sounds hard but I'm curious and I can see that it has many benefits. If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to ask you for two things:

1. Can you post a sort of "template" or outline of your diet for a day? Such as what you eat and at what time.
2. And a list of foods that you do eat?

I would REALLY appreciate it.

Thanks so much.

Replied by Rebekah
(Athens, Ga)
10/03/2009

To Saffi-

Yes I know how you feel! I'd be happy to share more details. And I must warn you- if you have been a big sugar eater like I used to be, the first week will be absolute torture and the sugar cravings will practically keep you up at night. It is a real challenge.

For the most part I have been following the advice in a popular book and I don't think I am allowed to recommend any specific products, but if you can find a book about balancing the body's inner ecology, that has helped guide me.

Now for the food that I eat:

First thing in the morning it's nice to drink some unsweetened kefir. I feel like this helps put the "good bacteria" in my system to start out the day. I wait a while before eating if I have some kefir. I also take a probiotic supplement at this time.

Breakfast is usually cream of buckwheat with butter and sea salt. Yummy if made with unsweetened coconut milk instead of water. The coconut milk has been easy on my stomach and seems to be the only type of "milk" that I can consume. Another breakfast fave of mine is scrambled eggs and a salad. I found a salad dressing made with apple cider vinegar (the only type of vinegar I can handle) and no added sweetener. I am reading labels like crazy now and I am shocked to see how much sugar is in everything! Oh and I should mention that I never have the buckwheat at the same time as eggs- it goes against "proper food combining" to eat protein and starch together. And I use butter to cook everything instead of using any heavy oils. It's so much easier on my tummy. (Butter and kefir are the only dairy products I have been consuming.)

Lunch is usually soup! I have never really cooked in my life before now, but I found a bunch of recipes for soups and I just make a huge batch that lasts me a few days. That way when I am hungry (which is often on this diet!) I can just heat up some soup. Lots of carrots and onions in the soup kinda satisfy the urge for sweetness. I am eating a lot of salads, I haven't done this yet but something good would be to have salad with hard boiled egg or maybe some chicken on top.

Dinner is generally some organic meat and then steamed or sauteed vegies. Pork chops, boiled chicken, even steaks I have eaten and my tummy is feeling good. I try to have more vegies than meat. I never eat too much to the point of feeling full, I try to keep my portions reasonable (I used to overeat at meals) and never have seconds. I don't want to overload my stomach any more. I take the digestive enzymes before every meal. And apparently sipping some water with a tsp of apple cider vinegar in it along with meals is another good digestive aid. I have done this a few times and it is nice.

Every now and then I will have a vegetarian dinner of all vegies or have the "meat" be some red potatoes. Apparently red potatoes have less sugar than other kinds. And never meat and potatoes together! Or something I hope to do more is have some gluten free grain like millet or quinoa, with side of vegies.

For snacking I hit the sunflower seeds or some raw carrots. Or have a small bowl of soup. I get hungry so often that I would rather eat another small meal than just have a snack.

For beverages I am drinking a lot of ginger tea and fennel tea. Both are great for digestion and also happen to be super yummy. No sweetener!

If I am out with friends I order soda water with lemon or lime. At home sometimes I will make myself a "mocktail" of mostly sparkling mineral water with some unsweetened cranberry juice added. It's really good!

And at night, another probiotic supplement. That's pretty much it I think. And like I said I have terrible cravings for DAYS, I was fantasizing about pancakes and muffins and bread, and actually feeling lightheaded at times as I think my body was detoxing. But I am finally at a point now where I am not having cravings... YAY! And I am more or less off the coffee, every few days I will have less than half a cup just for a little taste. And it is a real treat.

So here is a list of the foods I "can" eat: buckwheat, amaranth, quinoa, millet, sunflower seeds, soaked almonds, organic meats, cold water fish, shellfish, sea vegetables, carrots, onions, garlic, red peppers, spinach, squashes, pumpkin, fennel, red potatoes, daikon radish, zucchini, cucumber, ginger, lemons, limes, unsweetened cranberries. Nothing fermented- I avoid soy sauce and miso. Nothing too oily. And nothing with any yeast. I think most any vegetable would be fine, but I guess beets and yams are too sugary. I hope to be able to add some things back into my diet slowly over time but not until I really feel healed.

I really hope this helps you or anyone else suffering the dread bloated pot belly. I finally feel like I am digesting my meals. And no hurting belly any more. And geez I am so much more confident about my body!!!

Best of luck,
~Rebekah

Replied by Saffi
(New York, NY)
10/11/2009

Dear Rebekah,

Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a detailed response. And also for your willingness to share the info. I have just started your diet, along with probiotics and digestive enzymes before each meal. I'm super excited to see if I get the same results as you are getting!

Thanks again for the info. I love this site for allowing us to connect and be able to help each other!

Replied by Rhonda
(Providence, Ri)
12/19/2009

Hello Saffi from New York -- Read your post from back in October, and I'd love to know how you're doing on the low-sugar program. I've cut out all sugar and grains too, for about 2 months now, but still suffer from bloating. I wonder if it's because of all the beans I love? Or maybe my portions need to be smaller. I stopped eating fruit also to eliminate that possibility.

Well, I hope you're having wonderful progress & I'd like to hear from you! ~~~Rhonda

Replied by Joyce
(Joelton, Tn)
12/22/2009
495 posts

Hello Rhonda from Providence, RI,

If the bloating is from the beans you love, a simple cure for that is to put 1/4 tsp. ground ginger to the pound of dry beans you are cooking. Ginger is great for decreasing gas.

Replied by Jen
(Tacoma, Wa)
10/01/2011

I'm confused... Brown rice doesn't contain gluten so why is it on your "no" list?

Replied by Lou
(Tyler, Tx)
06/15/2013

Look up SIBO on Earth Clinic. Then read some posts on other forums too. Brown rice is actually bad if you have SIBO. If you have IBS, most likely, you have SIBO.


Garlic

3 User Reviews
5 star (3) 
  100%

Posted by Faithinhealing (Forest Park, Ohio) on 04/29/2010
★★★★★

I wanted to say YEA for using garlic for bloating and fluid retention. I actually started garlic because I have gallstones and was trying to fight an infection that I knew I had, although lab results said my urine was clear. I took three cloves of garlic crushed up in some yogurt before bed. I have insomnia really bad and was up urinating most of the night.

I also suffer from extreme mood swings and I noticed that I felt lighter the next day in mood and in weight. I got on the scale and my weight was down from 206 the previous day to 199. I have lost 7 pounds of water weight over night!

In my quest to get rid of the infection that seems to be wreaking havoc on my body, I'm still taking three cloves of garlic at night. This is my second week and hopefully the garlic will kill the infection.

Replied by Lou
(Tyler, Tx)
06/15/2013

The best thing to tame down gallstones, I've found, is lots of apple juice. The malic acid dissolves them.


Garlic
Posted by Monet (Cincinnati, Ohio) on 05/02/2009
★★★★★

Hello, I use your site all of the time and want to thank you for such useful information!

Recently, my feet started swelling along with blood pressure spiking to very high levels. I do not have high blood pressure so I could not understand what was going on. By day three I figured out I had a tooth infection that was probably starting to seep into my blood causing the swelling, blood pressure spikes, tingling in head, legs, and feet. After speaking with a dentist who felt they were unrelated and would not give me any advice on whether I should go to the ER, I decided to use garlic infused with yogurt (yogurt helps it go down easier). I took about 1 T. of crushed garlic and 1 T. of yogurt. Within 5 minutes the swelling in my feet went away and I felt my blood pressure had gone down. I took my blood pressure and it had dropped over 50 points! Obviously, the blood pressure spikes were brought on by the tooth infection, unbeknownst to the young Dentist!!!

I cook with garlic all of the time, but RAW GARLIC is terrific for blood pressure and infections!!!

Thanks!


Garlic
Posted by Adeline (Los Angeles, CA) on 12/07/2008
★★★★★

I ate 1 raw clove of garlic hoping to kill some bacteria (an unrelated cure I had read about here and was trying) An unexpected side effect: I woke up the next day feeling happier than I have in a long time. Energetic. I felt trimmer. I felt like I had been carrying around a dress size worth of water and it was gone. I'm starting to think garlic is a miracle food. I think it's cured my infection and happily I think it will be the cure to my chronic bloating. Thanks for the site!


Homeopathy

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Anne (Southampton, England) on 03/22/2008
★★★★★

I used to have awful trouble with bloatedness. Immediately after food hit my stomach I would swell up like a balloon. I called a homeopathic company and they advised me to take lycopodium pillules. After a week of taking the recommended dosage my bloating troubles were all gone - I could eat almost anything with no excessive gas as a result! I didn't even have to keep taking them, after about three weeks I slowed down on dosage and then stopped, and the bloating problem didn't come back at all.

Replied by Vasudha
(Ca)
05/29/2018

Regarding the post from 2008, what would be the daily dosage for lycopodium? Also wondering what the concentration was and how many times a day?

Phil
(Florida)
07/12/2021

I would love to know more details too. Thanks.


Mimosa

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Tan Koon Peng (Singapore) on 09/02/2008
★★★★★

A middle aged lady with bloated stomach and legs take mimosa on the advice of her friend who have learn about the healing properties of mimosa. Her condition is serious and she can`t afford medical treatment.After taking mimosa her condition improves and she is recovering fast.

EC: Read more about Mimosa here.


Multiple Remedies

Posted by Anonymous (USA) on 11/25/2013

Eating large meals can put stress on the liver and cause bloating, eat smaller lighter meals. Get more vitamin A, like in carrot juice and parsley.

Don't eat wheat, milk or sugar.

Coffee is a diuretic, but if you use it too much it can cause bloating because it causes your body to want to retain salt. It is also said to suppress the body's healing process and to leach minerals from bones and create an overly acidic body. It can raise your blood pressure to the extent that the tiny blood vessels in your eyes and kidneys can be damaged. It also impairs memory because it puts your body in the "fight or flight" mode - a type of "overdrive" which naturally changes how you remember things.

Don't take aspirin, especially with coffee on an empty stomach. It can cause ulcers in the stomach. If you dissolve the aspirin in water and drink it it is less likely to cause an ulcer.

Take kelp powder, spirulina, hemp seed powder, eat fresh parsley, fresh broccoli. Eat raw cucumbers, squash and pumpkin. Try raw eggs if you're brave, whole milk cottage cheese, 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder and 1/2 tsp. ginger powder in hot milk. Hot milk with 1/2 tsp. cumin powder.

If you have bloating from leaky gut avoid scratchy foods like popcorn, crushed black pepper granules, strawberries (seeds), whole wheat bread. Don't take crushed flax seed.

Azithromiacin or another antibiotic may help if the bloating is from an infection.

Fennel seed tea, fresh apples help settle digestion.

Hawthorn and hibiscus may help, too.


Olive Oil

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Doris (Santa Ana, California, USA) on 04/15/2008
★★★★★

Cramps under my ribs began a month ago after each dinner. I often felt nausea, overfull of food, irritable. When hubby had a kidney stone attack and this site had his (lemon + oliveoil + water) cure, we also bought ACV hoping to fix his allergies.
I knew an apple slice before bed prevents heartburn, and helps gall bladder. I feared my years' lower back pains also pointed to gall bladder, liver.

I googled _gall bladder holistic_ and read here and at alive(dot)com the liver, gall bladder, small intestines, stomach issues and holistic fixes. I decided to try a light purge.

My breakfast was mostly fresh fruit and lots of water, with hot lemon tea (gall bladder cleanse beginning), by lunch while hubby drank his 2nd day's kidney stone cocktail, I also drank one (2 oz lemon juice blended with 2 oz olive oil chased with big glass water) - my gall cleanse at work. 5pm dinner my usual cramps above stomach in ribcage began. But this time with bloating. At 530pm I drank a mix of 1 oz ACV with 3 oz water. At 6pm still bloated, despite the full meal, I ate an apple. At 620pm instead of worse pain from eating more volume, my stomach felt MUCH better. Rib cage felt light yet low belly felt very heavy - gall purge building. When at 630pm I sat down as lower intestines really were _gathering momentum_, I wondered if I had some diarrhea bug and didn't know it. I hoped it was the lemon-olive oil, ACV and apple working. At 6:40pm I suddenly felt relief under my ribs and looked down, watching bloat go away before my eyes; it not only left, but my stomach was flattening too. My tshirt was loose! My stomach didn't hurt at all, NO bloating at all, I was visibly thinner! Lower intestines were churning. Decided to eat an half-inch apple slice just before 9pm bedtime. It canceled slight nausea from the churning. In a few minutes, a repeat of the slight bloat, lower instestine churning, then relief with disappearing bloat and visibly flattening stomach. I expected gas from the disappearing bloat. The gas bloat feeling didn't travel south, it disappeared! Amazing. I woke up about midnite with slight stomach upset, so I ate 1 more bite of apple. The repeat pattern never happened. It felt so good to not be bloated, and have a happy stomach for once. At the morning toilet I did flush a terrible lot of mucousy greenish light-brownish sludge then 15 minutes later a much lesser quantity of the same. Immediately I felt like energetic and upbeat, ready to take on the day. Miracle of natural healing! My body operates like I'm 18 since then - no heartburn, no coffee cravings, no bloat, more often smaller stools, lower intestines feel calm, sleeping deep and rested, far more energy, no nausea ever after meals, no heavy stomach feeling anymore. The scale shows slow and steady weight loss too HOORAY! Thank you, thank you, thank you.


Parasite Cause

Posted by Heavenlychoirs88 (London) on 02/05/2013

Could worms only be causing my bloating?

Hi, I have soft yellow stools, massive bloating every time I eat and gas. I have tried many cures which have done not very much - clarkia I shed some white bits in my stools for a few days but then I stopped it and went onto H2O2, Diatomaceous earth did nothing, mms gave me severe cramping so I discontinued it and am now on H2o2. What I would like to know is could the worms I found in my stool - 2 different types - one a roundworm and other other unidentifiable (and I did a metametrix test which came up with pin worm but no others). So could the worms in my stool really be giving me this 10 months pregnant bloating after I eat something or could it be something else? Hope you can help. I am desperate.

Replied by Roec
(Los Angeles, Ca)
02/05/2013

You may want to investigate possible liver issues when stool is light in color.

I recommend a parasite cleans using Black walnut, wormwood and cloves.

This protocol is the best for eliminating parasites in the gut thus alleviating bloating. This is to be administered 3 times a day 30 minutes before a meal for 21 days.

Be sure that the black walnut you receive is still green in color as its most effective when still green. It's difficult to find a good source of green tincture and tinctures oxidize quickly when opened repeatedly and become less effective over time. That's why I prefer freeze dried Black walnut. Its even harder to find Black Walnut freeze dried that is still green in color.

In late summer, there are Black walnut trees in England that fruit walnuts. I would advise you make your own tincture. I have made a how to video on youtube. Just do a search on "how to make black walnut tincture" Mine is the one with just music in the background as I collect the nuts and make the tincture.

Replied by Heavenlychoirs88
(London)
02/06/2013

Thank you for your reply. Do you know a good source where I can buy the tincture as I don't know of any walnut trees near me so can't make my own which is a shame?

Replied by Healthyeatn
(Richmond, Va)
02/06/2013

Candida can cause the bloating you describe. Parasites can also accompany the candida so just getting rid of the parasites will not completely solve the problem. Do a search on candida treatments (this site and others) for ways to effectively deal with candida. At a minimum, reducing sugar and things that convert to sugar is mandatory, alkalizing your body with foods and using supplements like Pau d'Arco, Black walnut, ACV, and coconut oils can help. Be prepared for "die off" and know how to manage that... Vit C and lots of h2o help. You will feel so much better but may feel worse at first due to die off. Good Luck and Be Patient!

Replied by Heavenlychoirs88
(London)
02/06/2013

Hi, Yes, I tested positive for candida but did an 8 week treatment of horopito to get rid of it and because I no longer have vaginal discharge, I assume it is gone. So the massive bloating is not that.

Replied by Roec
(Los Angeles, Ca)
02/06/2013

I don't know in your area. I do recall watching a video on youtube by an English guy talking about green walnut tincture. He outlines how effective the light green tincture is before it darkens. He makes and sells it in England but that's all I know. I'd try to find that video again but youtube is blocked here at work.

I would investigate the old neighborhoods with tall trees or out in the country for walnut trees. They are fairly common. In the fall when the nuts are on the trees, the best way to spot them is to look for the fallen walnut husks on the ground, or listen to friends or family complaining about cleaning them every year out of the yard.

That is how I discovered them here in California. I was at a park and saw these small blackened balls on the ground and saw green ones in the trees. After researching online I was ecstatic, they are a black walnut species native to southern California. I had no idea there were black walnuts in herw California.

Replied by Amy
(Minnesota)
07/23/2017

Did you ever find out more for you what helped? I feel very similar to you.



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