On Instagram, Dr Jean-Michel Cohen discusses foods capable of supporting the microbiota in cases of bloating or digestive discomfort. The answer is nuanced: some foods can help, but none suit all tummies.
Fibers and prebiotics: useful, but not always well tolerated
The nutritionist first emphasizes the role of fiber:
“What will feed the microbiota? Well, mainly, it will be fiber.”
The idea is broadly correct: fiber participates in intestinal functioning and can be particularly useful when bloating is accompanied by constipation.
They are found in particular in fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains. The EFSA considers that an intake of 25 g per day is adequate for normal laxation in adults. But that doesn’t mean you have to suddenly increase all fiber as soon as your belly swells.
In some people, especially those with sensitive stomachs, an excess of highly fermentable fibers can increase gas and bloating. This is where individual tolerance matters as much as the nutritional quality of the food.
The expert also cites garlic, onion and leek as examples of prebiotics. More precisely, these are foods rich in prebiotic fibers, that is to say substrates used by certain micro-organisms of the microbiota. On the other hand,
prebiotics do not “make” probiotics : they can promote the activity or growth of certain bacteria already present.
In practice, these foods can be interesting, but also poorly experienced by people prone to bloating. It is therefore better to think gradually:
- Increase fiber in small stepsrather than changing your entire diet at once;
- Observe which foods trigger or soothe discomfort, without unnecessarily cutting out entire families;
- Favor well-tolerated quantities, particularly if you know that garlic, onion, leek or certain vegetables cause the stomach to swell.
To go further on the different possible causes, you can also understand the causes of a bloated stomach.
Fermented foods: possible support, not an automatic solution
Another avenue put forward by Dr Jean-Michel Cohen: fermented foods. He cites in particular yogurts, fermented products, buttermilk, kefir, sauerkraut and even cheeses. These foods can actually provide live microorganisms depending on the products, manufacturing processes and storage conditions.
But we must avoid frequent confusion: not all fermented foods are automatically probiotics in the strict scientific sense. A probiotic refers to live microorganisms, administered in adequate quantities, with demonstrated benefit. Not all cheeses, sauerkrauts or fermented products necessarily meet this definition.
That doesn’t make them uninteresting. Yogurts, certain fermented milks or kefir can find their place in a balanced diet, if you digest them well. But again, the effect is not universal: a food can soothe one person and annoy another.
The right reflex is therefore to look for the probable cause of the discomfort. Bloating linked to constipation, very large meals, a diet suddenly richer in fiber, digestive stress, irritable bowel syndrome: the dietary responses will not be the same. In the event of persistent, recurring, painful or unusual symptoms, medical advice is preferable rather than relying on a single food.
Fermented foods remain an avenue worth knowing about, provided you do not attribute to them an automatic promise of relief. To better distinguish the concepts, you can consult our article on foods rich in probiotics or the one devoted to the benefits of fermented foods.