Supplements for Bloating

Bloating is the tight, swollen feeling in your stomach that usually comes from gas, slow digestion or the way your gut responds to certain foods. The right supplement depends on the cause.

If your jeans fit at 9am and you're undoing the top button by 4pm, you'll know exactly what we mean. Bloating is one of the most common digestive complaints in the UK, and it's frustrating partly because it doesn't have one single cause. Working out which kind of bloating you have is the first step to choosing anything that might help.

Our bloating range is built around Probiotic Live Cultures. Each daily capsule contains 35 billion friendly bacteria from 15 different types, in a capsule that protects them from stomach acid so they reach your gut alive. It also contains a natural fibre from chicory root, which the bacteria feed on. You'll also find Pro Marine Collagen Peptides, which has its own live cultures, and our Beauty Protocol bundle, which pairs the two.

Why choose Swallow for bloating?

35 billion friendly bacteria, guaranteed

The number of live bacteria in a supplement is measured in CFU, which stands for colony-forming units. Some brands print the count from the day it was made, and that number starts to fall in the months afterwards. Ours is guaranteed at 35 billion CFU right up to the end of its shelf life, so the label tells you what you're actually taking.

15 types of friendly bacteria

Bacteria come in different strains, which are specific types within the same family. Each one behaves slightly differently in your gut, so a formula with several well-researched strains covers more ground than a single one. Ours contains 15, mostly from the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium families, the same friendly types found naturally in a healthy gut and in foods like live yoghurt and kefir. It also includes a hardy strain that's naturally resistant to stomach acid and a friendly yeast.

A capsule built to survive stomach acid

Stomach acid is strong enough to destroy many bacteria before they get anywhere near your gut, which is where cheaper live culture supplements can fall down. Ours use a delayed-release capsule that stays sealed as it passes through your stomach and only opens further along your gut, so the bacteria arrive where they're needed.

Natural fibre to feed them

Every capsule includes chicory root fibre, also called inulin. It's a prebiotic, which means it acts as food for the friendly bacteria once they arrive.

Vegan, with no fridge needed

Probiotic Live Cultures is suitable for vegans and free from dairy, gluten and soy. You don't need to keep it in the fridge. Just store it somewhere cool and dry and out of direct sunlight, like a kitchen cupboard away from the oven and kettle.

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For wider digestive support, explore our full range of digestive health supplements.

What causes bloating?

Most bloating is caused by gas building up in your digestive tract. Some of that is air you swallow, and some is produced when bacteria in your large intestine ferment carbohydrates your small intestine hasn't fully digested. Some of the most common causes are:

• Swallowing air, from eating quickly, talking while eating, chewing gum or fizzy drinks.
• Constipation, as stool that sits in the bowel for longer continues to ferment.
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which affects how your gut moves and how sensitive it is.
• Food intolerances, such as lactose intolerance, and coeliac disease.

Hormones play a part too. Many women notice more bloating in the days before a period, and changing oestrogen and progesterone levels in perimenopause can make it more frequent. Sweeteners such as sorbitol and xylitol, found in sugar-free sweets and chewing gum, are another common trigger. Your gut can't fully absorb them, so bacteria in your large bowel ferment them instead, producing gas.

What supplements can help with bloating?

Different supplements suit different causes of bloating, so it helps to match them to what's behind yours:

• Live cultures, often called probiotics, are friendly bacteria. They've been researched most for bloating linked to IBS or an unbalanced gut, and different types of bacteria work in different ways, which is why formulas that combine several types are popular.
• Soluble fibre such as psyllium can help keep your bowel movements more regular if constipation is something you struggle with, though adding fibre too quickly can increase gas at first.
• Digestive enzymes such as lactase help if you have a specific intolerance, such as lactose.

Our range focuses on live cultures because they add friendly bacteria to your gut every day, and taking one fits easily into your routine, just a capsule with your morning coffee. If you already know a particular food, such as dairy, is behind your bloating, cutting back on it or trying an enzyme is the better place to start.

How live cultures work in your gut

Your large intestine is home to trillions of bacteria, collectively called your gut microbiome. They break down fibre your body can't digest on its own, producing short-chain fatty acids that nourish the cells lining your gut. Around 70% of your immune tissue is located in the gut, where these bacteria interact with the gut barrier and help regulate immune responses.

Antibiotics, illness, stress, travel and a diet low in fibre can all shift the balance. Live culture supplements add beneficial bacteria back into the mix. The catch is that stomach acid destroys many bacteria before they arrive, which is why the supplement you choose is really important.

How to take Probiotic Live Cultures

Take one capsule of Probiotic Live Cultures a day, either first thing in the morning with water or with a meal, whichever you're more likely to remember. Swallow it whole and don't open the capsule, because the shell is what protects the bacteria.

If you also take a multivitamin, our guide to taking a multivitamin and probiotic together explains the best timing.

When to see a GP about bloating

Most bloating is harmless and comes and goes. The NHS advises seeing a GP if you've been bloated for 3 weeks or more, or if you're bloated alongside any of the following:

• Unexplained weight loss.
• Blood in your poo, or poo that looks black or tarry.
• A change in your bowel habits that doesn't go away.
• A lump in your tummy, or pain that keeps coming back.
• Feeling full very quickly when you eat.

If you're over 50 and bloating is new for you, don't wait to get it checked. A supplement should never be used to cover up symptoms that need investigating.