How to Get Rid of Menopausal Belly Bloat

Hormones

Fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone are linked to gastrointestinal symptoms, including bloating, during menopause (and menstruation), according to Orlando Health.

Hormone Replacement Therapy

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is useful for many of the symptoms of menopause, but it can actually make bloating worse. According to a 2024 analysis, higher levels of estrogen can lead to gastroparesis, a condition that slows down the digestive process and causes bloating.

If you’re taking HRT, talk to your doctor, who may consider adjusting your dosage or changing medications to see if it lessens your bloating.

Water Retention

Changing hormone levels can cause your body to retain excess fluid. Evidence suggests that a drop in estrogen affects how well your kidneys handle water. It may seem counterintuitive, but drinking more water can actually help your body let go of the fluids it doesn’t need, according to Northwestern Medicine.

Dehydration can also lead to constipation, which contributes to bloating. Adults should drink about six to eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day.

Stress

Midlife is often a challenging time for women as they try to balance work and family obligations while navigating the physical changes of menopause. According to UChicago Medicine, anxiety and stress release hormones and neurotransmitters that can negatively impact gut motility and affect the delicate balance of bacteria in the gut, causing an upset stomach; this is often referred to as the “gut-brain connection.”

Examine Your Diet

Making dietary changes is often the first strategy recommended to relieve bloating because a wide variety of different foods can cause it. To determine what’s causing your belly bloat, try to remember what foods made you bloated and try eliminating them to see if it subsides.

Foods that can cause bloating include high-fat or fried foods or high-fiber foods like bran-type breakfast cereals. Another culprit can be dairy products if you’re lactose-intolerant. The list of food that may induce bloating also includes starchy foods, carbonated beverages, chewing gum, and certain vegetables, such as onions, broccoli, beans, cabbage, turnips, and Brussels sprouts. Foods containing fructose or the sugar alcohol sorbitol can also cause bloating in some people, according to Mayo Clinic.

Stretch

According to Northwestern Medicine, stretching out your abdominal muscles can offer immediate relief from bloating and aid digestion. One way to do this is to lie on your back and pull one knee at a time toward your chest. Getting regular exercise is important as well for overall good health.

Reduce Your Salt Intake

If you get too much sodium in your diet, as many Americans do, it could be causing you to retain water, according to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The American Heart Association recommends limiting your salt intake to a maximum amount of 2,300 mg per day for healthy adults.

Check labels to find those products that have the least sodium, as most of the sodium in the typical American diet comes from processed foods, such as soups, snack foods, cheese, deli meats, and breads.

Simple activities like swallowing air or overeating may be responsible for belly bloat. In some cases, frequent bloating can be a result of something more serious, such as ovarian cancer, pancreatic insufficiency, or Crohn’s disease, according to Cleveland Clinic. Check with your doctor to determine the cause of your bloating and how best to treat it.

Women are more likely to gain weight as they go through menopause because of hormonal changes, which tend to be associated with increases in both overall body fat and abdominal fat, according to a 2021 review. This increase in abdominal fat may sometimes be mistaken for bloating.

Increasing the amount of physical activity you get and changing your eating habits can help limit this risk. The U.S. Department of Agriculture suggests dividing your plate equally between fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains to help you get the right balance of nutrients.

Eating foods low in energy density, or calories per gram of food, at the start of the meal can help fill you up so you eat fewer calories over the course of the meal. Beans, broccoli, whole-grain products, and fruits are some examples of low-energy-density foods, per Mayo Clinic.