Can Probiotics Help With Bloating? What the Research Says

Understanding bloating

Bloating refers to the trapped gas that accumulates in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. When food moves slowly through the GI tract, you may experience feelings of fullness, tightness, or visible distension in your abdomen. Bloating is also frequently accompanied by gas or changes in digestive patterns.

But what causes it? One factor that can cause bloating is the composition of your gut microbiome. Trillions of bacteria residing in your gastrointestinal tract directly shape how your body digests food, produces gas, moves food through the system, and experiences digestive comfort.

That microbiome is heavily influenced by diet and lifestyle.

Low-fiber, ultra-processed diets decrease microbial diversity, leaving the gut less adaptable and more reactive. Most people experience bloating after large meals or after eating foods their body finds harder to break down. Stress and poor sleep can also shift the balance of bacteria in your gut microbiome, influencing your digestive comfort.

How probiotics help with bloating

Probiotics are living strains of beneficial bacteria. When you consume probiotics regularly, they help support a normal gut environment and digestive comfort in several ways:

• Microbial balance: Third-party clinical research suggests that certain probiotic strains may help support a healthy balance of gut bacteria in some individuals. A more balanced gut microbiome is associated with normal digestive function, including typical patterns of gas production during digestion.¹ When digestive processes are functioning optimally, bloating may be less likely to occur.
• Gut barrier support: Some probiotic strains have been studied for their role in supporting gut barrier function and gut lining health, which may contribute to overall digestive comfort. Your gut barrier acts as a filter for what gets absorbed through your intestinal wall. Supporting gut barrier function is one aspect of overall digestive health.²
• Gut motility: Certain probiotic strains have been studied for their role in supporting normal gut motility (how quickly food moves through your digestive system). When motility is sluggish, it may contribute to gas retention and bloating in some people.

Best probiotics for bloating

When it comes to probiotics for bloating and gas, strain specificity matters. Even if multiple species produce a helpful microbe in the gut, most studies focus on one particular strain and cannot be generalized to probiotics as a whole.

When considering options, look for products that list the full strain name—genus, species, and strain designation—since research is conducted at the strain level, not just the species level. A few strains that have been studied for digestive comfort include:

• Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM: Research around this probiotic strain is extensive. It’s known for promoting digestive comfort, gut lining support, and microbial balance—all helpful for supporting normal digestive function.⁵
• Lactobacillus plantarum LP-115: Studies suggest this strain can help support digestive regularity and comfortable digestion.³
• Bifidobacterium lactis HN019: Bifidobacterium lactis has been shown to promote bowel regularity and digestive comfort in research.

What to know when starting probiotics

One of the most common questions people have when starting a probiotic is whether it will make bloating worse before it gets better, and the honest answer is: sometimes, temporarily.

• When beneficial bacteria from a probiotic supplement are introduced to your gut microbiome, your system may go through an adjustment period. Some people experience mild gas, bloating, or changes in bowel habits within the first week or two as their gut adapts.
• However, this doesn’t mean the probiotic isn’t right for you—it’s most likely just your gut going through a normal adjustment period.
• In most cases, these signs pass within two to four weeks as your microbiome stabilizes with your daily dose of probiotics. If you experience significant or persistent discomfort, it’s worth speaking with your healthcare provider.

A few more practical points worth knowing:
Start with a daily probiotic and take it daily. Your gut microbiome and the bacteria taking up residence in your gut will appreciate you keeping a consistent routine. Stopping and restarting can lengthen the adjustment period and slow the time it takes to notice results. A diverse diet rich in veggies, legumes, whole grains, and fermented foods helps create an environment where beneficial bacteria can thrive. The more variety on your plate, the more fuel you’re giving your biome to work with. Probiotics and a varied diet work best together, each reinforcing what the other does. When your gut bacteria are fermenting food, one of the byproducts is gas. If your diet is high in fiber and you’re still experiencing more gas than is comfortable, it may be worth reviewing your overall gut health habits.

Choosing the right probiotic for your needs

With so many probiotic supplements for bloating on the market, it can be hard to know what to look for:

1. Look for specific strain names. Look for a probiotic supplement that lists specific strains by their full name—that is, the genus, species, and strain—(“Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM” rather than simply “Lactobacillus acidophilus”).
2. Consider the full formula. A probiotic that also includes digestive enzymes and prebiotic fibers will generally offer more support than a probiotic alone. Prebiotic fibers help feed the good bacteria you’re introducing to your gut, while digestive enzymes do what their name implies—help your body break down the foods you eat. Both can help support digestive comfort day-to-day.
3. Think long-term consistency, not the highest dose. The strains in your probiotic need to not only survive digestion and make it to your colon, but you need to take them regularly every day to reach and maintain the beneficial levels science has shown can shift your gut microbes.⁹
4. Think beyond bloating alone: Bloating doesn’t occur in a vacuum. It’s one part of how your digestive system is functioning. Finding a probiotic formula that prioritizes your gut health as part of an overall program of Foundational Nutrition will serve you better than if you try to address bloating as its own isolated concern.

References:

1. Hungin APS, Mitchell CR, Whorwell P, et al. Systematic review: probiotics in the management of lower gastrointestinal symptoms—an updated evidence-based international consensus. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2018;47(8):1054-1070. doi:10.1111/apt.14539
2. Quigley EMM. Gut microbiota and the role of probiotics in therapy. Curr Opin Gastroenterol. 2016;32(2):74-79. doi:10.1097/MOG.0000000000000243
3. Ducrotté P, Sawant P, Jayanthi V. Clinical trial: Lactobacillus plantarum 299v (DSM 9843) improves symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. World J Gastroenterol. 2012;18(30):4012-4018. doi:10.3748/wjg.v18.i30.4012
4. Hungin APS, Mulligan C, Pot B, et al. Systematic review: probiotics in the management of lower gastrointestinal symptoms in clinical practice—an evidence-based international guide. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2013;38(8):864-886. doi:10.1111/apt.12460
5. Sivieri K, Morales ML, Adorno MA, Sakamoto IK, Saad SM, Rossi EA. Lactobacillus acidophilus CRL 1014 improved “gut health” in the SHIME reactor. BMC Gastroenterol. 2013;13:100. doi:10.1186/1471-230X-13-100
6. In a triple-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled parallel-designed clinical trial evaluating nutrient biomarkers and microbiome shifts in 105 healthy adults ages 20-59 over the course of 12 weeks.
7. In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled 2-week crossover clinical trial assessing nutrient gaps and microbiome shifts in 20 active adults ages 19-37.
8. In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled 2-week crossover clinical trial assessing nutrient gaps and microbiome assessments of 24 healthy adults with occasional GI distress, ages 26-59, over the course of 4 weeks.
9. Maftei NM, Raileanu CR, Balta AA, et al. The potential impact of probiotics on human health: an update on their health-promoting properties. Microorganisms. 2024;12(2):234. doi:10.3390/microorganisms12020234
10. Waller PA, Gopal PK, Leyer GJ, et al. Dose-response effect of Bifidobacterium lactis HN019 on whole gut transit time and functional gastrointestinal symptoms in adults. Scand J Gastroenterol. 2011;46(9):1057-1064. doi:10.3109/00365521.2011.584895