5 Causes Of Stomach Discomfort And Gas After Eating (and How To Fix Them)

You’re having a nice meal with your parents ... until suddenly, you’re not.

You hear their bellies gurgling and think, “Oh no, not again!” While it’s nothing serious, you can tell that the post-meal stomach discomfort and gas symptoms are bothering your parents.

Understandably so. Eating is supposed to be enjoyable. Pleasurable. So, what can you do to help your parents look forward to — instead of dread — mealtimes again?

Well, for starters, you could learn the 5 common causes of stomach discomfort and gas after eating so you understand what you could have them do to experience some much-needed relief in their tummies.

#1: Eating too fast

First up: your parents could be pounding the food down way too fast.

While the stomach is a stretchy, muscular bag that can expand to accommodate food, it has a limit to how much it can do so. When your parents eat too fast, they risk overeating, which overstretches their stomach and causes discomfort and gas after eating.

How does eating speed affect satiety?

Essentially, it takes time for food to travel from their mouth to their stomach. Their brain also needs time to realize that their stomach is full (thanks to gastric stretch receptors and the response of certain appetite-regulating hormones), and studies have shown that this could take up to 20 minutes.

So, here’s what you could have your parents do to slow themselves down during mealtimes and prevent stomach discomfort and gas after eating:

Practice mindful eating. Get them to focus fully on their food as they eat. Ask them to eliminate all distractions — the computer, phone, television, etc. — so they can concentrate on the tastes, smells, and textures of their food.
Set a timer for 20 minutes. Try not to let them finish their meal before it goes off.
Place their cutlery down between bites. Don’t let them pick it back up until they’ve finished chewing and swallowing the food in their mouth.

#2: Consuming “trigger foods”

Certain foods just don’t play nice with the gut. While foods that trigger stomach discomfort and gas after eating often vary from person to person, some common ones can include:

Greasy foods. These are rich in fat, which is the slowest digested macronutrient. They could delay gastric emptying (the time it takes for food to empty from the stomach), promoting fermentation in the stomach and potentially causing bloating, gas, and other symptoms of abdominal discomfort after eating. Common greasy foods to have your parents avoid are burgers, fries, pizza, potato chips, and fried chicken.

Foods high in FODMAP content. FODMAP stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols. These are carbohydrates that resist digestion. Studies have shown strong links between FODMAPs and abdominal discomfort after eating, including gas, bloating, and constipation. High-FODMAP foods and ingredients your parent should watch out for include sweeteners (e.g., high-fructose corn syrup), wheat (e.g., bread), dairy products (e.g., soft and fresh cheeses), vegetables (e.g., Brussels sprouts), and legumes (e.g., baked beans).
Caffeine. This stimulant increases gut motility, or food movement through the digestive tract. When the stomach empties too quickly, the small intestine receives large amounts of poorly digested food — potentially causing symptoms of nausea and bloating. A few surprising dietary sources of caffeine your parent may wish to avoid (especially if they’re already drinking a ton of coffee to boost their energy levels) include matcha ice cream, protein or energy bars, and cacao nibs.

To better identify your parent’s trigger foods, try getting them to keep a food journal.

Have them log everything they eat or drink daily and whether they experience stomach discomfort and gas after eating. Over time, they may see a pattern that can better inform their food choices.

#3: Lying down immediately after meals

Do your parents love curling up on the couch after meals?

That may be why they experience stomach discomfort and gas after eating. When they go horizontal after eating, the food they just ingested — which has made its way through their esophagus and the entrance of their stomach — may make its way backward, along with some stomach acids, and up into their throat.

When this happens, they may experience symptoms of heartburn and stomach discomfort.

That’s why most gut health experts recommend holding off on going horizontal immediately post-meals; some even recommend walking after a big meal.

Just so you know, walking after eating may not only aid digestion by stimulating the stomach and intestines (helping food move at a healthy pace through your parent’s digestive system) but could also help your parent’s body maintain normal blood glucose levels, which is key to feeling vibrant and energized throughout their day.

Ideally, you should have your parents wait 30 minutes to 4 hours after eating before lying down. However, they can experiment with the time frame to determine what works best for them.

#4: Not getting enough probiotics and prebiotics

An imbalanced gut microbiome may contribute to stomach discomfort and gas after eating.

So, how do you keep the “friendlies” and “unfriendlies” in your parents’ gut in check? By getting them to make a conscious effort to incorporate probiotics and prebiotics into their diet:

Probiotics. Live microorganisms that, when consumed, confer a health benefit. Essentially the same thing as “good” gut microbes. Your parents can get probiotics from fermented foods, such as kimchi, gochujang, sauerkraut, and yogurt.
Prebiotics. Non-digestible fibers and compounds (mostly resistant starches) that serve as a nutrient source for “good” gut microbes. Health experts recommend consuming between 3 to 5 grams of prebiotics daily for gut health; sources include bananas, lentils, and oats.

#5: Failing to stay well-hydrated

Water facilitates the digestion process.

More specifically, it keeps things moving smoothly through your parent’s intestines. It’s also an essential component of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, which aids in the breakdown of food, activation of digestive enzymes, and bacterial control.

That said, you shouldn’t just have your parents drink more plain water. Instead, hydrogen water could be more beneficial.

That’s because molecular hydrogen (H2) is a potent antioxidant.

It could help with oxidative stress in the gut, which has been linked to an imbalanced gut microbiome and a compromised gut lining. These are known causes of digestive issues, including stomach discomfort and gas after eating.

Right. Hydrogen water sounds fantastic — but where would you even get it?

The answer is right here, at Nutrionics™. A single tablet of our Nutrionic™ H2 Energizer dropped into a glass of water yields 10+ ppm of superpowered molecular H2 water.

Fun fact: gulping that down does more than simply address your parent’s stomach discomfort and gas after eating (or make them go, “Ahhh,” on a sweltering day).

Hydrogen water also has many health benefits, including supporting healthy glucose curves, cholesterol levels, joints, and optimal exercise performance. If you’d like to learn more, feel free to explore our in-depth, 3-part series exploring molecular hydrogen’s beneficial effects on the human body:

Part 1 covers molecular H2’s association with healthy weight management, blood glucose management, and lipid levels
Part 2 highlights molecular H2’s positive relationship with gut, skin, and brain health
Part 3 dives into how molecular H2 promotes vitality plus supports optimal exercise performance and recovery