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UK surgeon explains why eating a fibre-rich breakfast can be the solution to your night-time bloating
Dr Rajan explains that bloating is not cause by what you eat, but by the timing of eating. He recommends adding more fibres to your breakfast.
Do you often end the day feeling uncomfortably bloated - like an overfilled balloon - despite eating what you think is a healthy, fibre-rich dinner? If you’re piling on the vegetables at night and still dealing with gas and discomfort, the problem may not be what you’re eating but when you’re eating it. Fibre itself isn’t the villain; poor timing is.
Dr Karan Rajan, a UK-based surgeon and popular health content creator, is breaking down why you get bloated by the end of the day and how what you eat for breakfast may be playing a bigger role than you think. In an Instagram video shared on January 8, the surgeon explains how fibre functions in the body and how adding more of it to your first meal of the day can help reduce bloating and stomach discomfort.
Why do you get bloated?
According to Dr Rajan, how you start your day - what you eat for breakfast - can determine whether you get bloated or not. He points out that most people tend to skip fibres until dinner - coffee for breakfast, a quick lunch, then a massive load of veggies for a healthy dinner. This uneven fibre load could be the reason why you get bloated at night.
The surgeon highlights that timing plays a bigger role in digestion than the specific foods consumed. He explains, “When you start the day with fibre, you wake up your gut. Fibre holds onto water and then gently stretches the intestines and that stretch tells your gut's nervous system it's time to move. This kickstarts gut motility, clears leftovers from yesterday, and prevents food from sitting there fermenting all afternoon.”
Timing and the gut microbiome
Dr Rajan notes that the gut microbiome functions in shifts, and when it’s given little to work with all day before being hit with a heavy fibre intake at night, it can result in excessive fermentation and bloating. A small, consistent dose in the morning helps them work more efficiently.
He elaborates, “If you give them nothing all day and then one giant fibre load at 8:00 pm, you get excessive fermentation, gas, pressure, and bloating. A small consistent morning dose gives them a steady job. They build enzymes, they get efficient, and fermentation becomes easy and predictable.”
Fibre-rich breakfast recommendations
Dr Rajan adds that fibres slow down digestion, keeping you fuller for longer, which comes as an added bonus. This also prevents grazing throughout the day, which is also a common trigger for bloating. Dr Rajan recommends getting at least 10 grams of fibres in your first meal. His top picks include, “Oats and chia, yoghurt and berries, or some whole grain toast and half an avocado.”
The surgeon advises starting with a fibre-rich breakfast for a few weeks to allow your gut to adjust to the new routine and see whether bloating persists. He explains, “Keep this up daily for two to four weeks. That's how long it takes for your gut to retrain. Oftentimes, bloating isn't because of too much fibre. It's an untrained gut reacting to an unpredictable routine. So, start your day with fibre and see how your evenings change.”
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. It is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
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