The Best Dairy Product to Relieve Bloating, According to Dietitians

This product can help with digestion, gut health and regularity.

Reviewed by Dietitian Casey Wing, RD, CD

Key Points

• Fermented A2 dairy like yogurt and kefir may help reduce bloating by improving digestion and gut health.
• A2 dairy can be easier to digest than A1 dairy, which can slow gut motility and increase bloating.
• Choose plain, unsweetened fermented dairy to avoid added sugars that may worsen bloating symptoms.

Bloating—or abdominal fullness, pressure and distention—is pretty common nowadays, but when it’s happening on the reg, it isn’t normal. While bloat typically occurs or worsens within a few hours of eating certain foods, even the gassiest foods (hello, beans!) aren’t actually the cause of bloating; they’re typically just surface-level symptom triggers. Bloating is actually caused by a buildup of trapped gases that are produced when gut bacteria ferment poorly digested food particles (or even impacted feces, if you’re backed up).

Food-wise, dairy is probably not the first food group most people would turn to if they want to relieve bloating. But research shows—and experts agree—that not all dairy products are the enemy of digestion. We asked gut-health dietitians for recommendations on the best dairy product to lean into when feeling bloated, and they all pointed to plain (unsweetened) fermented A2 dairy products—or more specifically, A2 variations of yogurt and kefir. Read on to learn how and why plain A2 yogurt and kefir are your best dairy allies for debloating.

Why A2 Yogurt and Kefir Can Help You Debloat

Easier Digestion

“A2 dairy refers to milk that contains only the A2 form of the beta-casein protein,” explains Abigail Hueber, RD, LDN. She notes that the key differentiator between A1 casein (the type of casein found in most conventional cow’s-milk products in the United States) and A2 casein-predominant dairy is a genetic variation in the dairy cows. Recent studies show that people who consume A2 dairy products experience significantly less bloating than A1 dairy consumers.

Alternatively, A1 casein has been shown to slow down gut motility and increase the likelihood of gut inflammation. “A1 casein is usually harder on digestion and can cause more bloating,” shares Meg Gerber, RD, LDN, IFNCP, CGN. “When it’s digested, it releases a peptide linked with slower gut transit (think: constipation), inflammation and increased gas and bloat,” she adds.

A2 cow’s milk isn’t the only type of dairy that can contain A2 beta-casein. Gerber points out that goat milk, sheep milk and buffalo milk are also naturally A2-dominant, which may explain why some people—particularly folks with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or other gut disorders—can tolerate goat or sheep milk better than cow’s milk. “Goat-milk dairy also contains smaller fat globules, lower lactose and higher amounts of highly absorbable MCTs (medium-chain triglycerides)—all of which make it easier to digest,” she explains.

Gut Health and Regularity

Yogurt and kefir are the two primary types of lacto-fermented dairy that are naturally abundant in probiotics, or healthy bacteria that help digest our food, while keeping overgrowth of unhealthy gas-producing microbes in our gut more under control. “Yogurt and kefir are packed with probiotics that help balance gut bacteria, calm mild gut irritation and reduce bloating and discomfort,” states Katie Rodriguez, RD, CDCES, IFNCP.

While every fermented dairy product on the market varies to some extent in terms of its probiotic content, research shows that many of the digestive benefits of fermented dairy can be generally attributed to certain key probiotic strains such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. This means you can look for these names on the label of various dairy items in the grocery store to ensure you’re getting a gut-friendlier product.

Constipation is another little-known (but very common) sneaky culprit of bloat. Yogurt and kefir may also help alleviate bloat indirectly by supporting healthy regularity and faster gut transit time. “The live cultures in yogurt and kefir can improve bowel movements, preventing constipation-related bloating,” says Rodriguez.

Lower Lactose Content

Casein makeup aside, research confirms that yogurt and kefir are lower in lactose and thus generally better tolerated than regular milk, especially for people with lactose intolerance, from a bloating standpoint. “The fermentation process breaks down lactose, making it easier to digest for many people with lactose sensitivity,” Rodriguez explains.

Alternatively, undigested lactose—found in dairy milk of any kind—is more likely to get consumed and fermented by the microbes in your intestines, leading to unwanted symptoms of gas, bloating and possibly other types of digestive discomfort.

Healthier Gut Biome

While some types of added sugar (like cane sugar) may not come to mind as symptom triggers of bloat, certain types of sweeteners (especially those higher in fructose, like honey, agave nectar and high-fructose corn syrup) can trigger bloat for folks with a fructose intolerance. This is partly due to the negative impact of added sugar on healthy gut bacteria. “Choose plain, unsweetened options to avoid added sugars that may trigger bloating,” Rodriguez advises.

Even low-fructose variations of added sugar (especially refined sugars) can still indirectly exacerbate some of the underlying root causes of bloating, especially for folks with gut disorders like IBS.

More Strategies to Help with Bloating

• Chew your food well: Chewing food thoroughly helps reduce the burden on your digestive system. “Chew, chew, chew to applesauce consistency before swallowing,” advises Rodriguez. “Aim for 15 to 30 chews per bite, especially for protein and fibrous vegetables,” says Hueber.
• Move your body: “Gentle movements (such as walking) after meals can help to support blood sugar and digestion,” advises Rodriguez.¹¹
• Practice breathwork: Gerber recommends taking three deep breaths, three times per meal. “This helps you slow down at mealtimes and get your brain connected to the eating process, which can increase digestive juice production—a win for de-bloating,” she explains.

Other Considerations

While research shows that switching to A2 fermented dairy can help alleviate bloat for many people, please keep in mind not everyone will react in the same way. Many people with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, or SIBO (which often presents with severe bloating, no matter what you eat) as well as folks with histamine intolerance may actually get more bloated after consuming fermented foods of any kind—even A2 yogurt and kefir.

Our Expert Take

Dietitians are in agreement that replacing A1 nonfermented variations of dairy milk with plain, unsweetened fermented A2 dairy products like yogurt and kefir may help reduce the likelihood or severity of bloating for many. Even if yogurt and kefir don’t remedy bloat, substituting these types of dairy for their higher-lactose, nonfermented counterparts may still help alleviate symptoms to a certain extent.

Either way, A2 fermented dairy doesn’t work for everyone. If you struggle with bloating, make sure to work with your doctor and a registered dietitian to help you identify and address your unique trigger foods, as well as the underlying root cause(s) of your bloating. Consider ruling out SIBO and/or histamine intolerance if you find plain yogurt or other fermented dairy products seem to worsen your bloat.