What foods stop stomach gurgling? A guide to quieting digestive noise

October 8, 2025 •

4 min read

While often harmless, the rumbling sound of a gurgling stomach—medically known as borborygmi—can be a source of embarrassment. The noises are caused by the movement of gas, fluid, and food through your digestive tract, and certain dietary changes can help manage and reduce them. Learning what foods stop stomach gurgling can be an effective first step towards a quieter gut.

Quick Summary

This nutritional guide explores the foods that can help calm a noisy digestive system and the common culprits that trigger stomach gurgling. It delves into the benefits of incorporating soothing herbs, probiotic-rich items, and easily digestible choices into your diet. Discover practical tips to improve your eating habits for better gut health.

Key Points

Increase intake of soothing foods: Incorporate ginger, peppermint tea, chamomile tea, and easily digestible foods like bananas and plain rice to calm digestive activity.
Consume probiotics regularly: Probiotic-rich foods like yogurt, kefir, kimchi, and sauerkraut can help balance gut bacteria, reducing gas and noise.
Avoid gas-producing and irritating foods: Limit or eliminate known culprits such as beans, lentils, cruciferous vegetables, carbonated drinks, and artificial sweeteners.
Drink plenty of water: Staying well-hydrated throughout the day aids in digestion and can help fill an empty stomach, reducing hunger-related gurgling.
Practice mindful eating: Chewing food thoroughly and eating smaller, more frequent meals can prevent indigestion and the intake of excess air.
Manage stress: Since stress can impact gut function, engaging in relaxation techniques like deep breathing or meditation can help reduce stomach noise.

Understanding the causes of stomach gurgling

Stomach gurgling, or borborygmi, is a normal and frequent part of the digestive process. However, when the sounds are excessively loud or accompanied by discomfort, it can be a sign that certain dietary or lifestyle factors are at play. One of the most common causes is an empty stomach, as contractions of the intestinal muscles produce sound when there is no food to muffle them. Incomplete digestion of food, often due to poor chewing or food intolerances, is another primary culprit. Swallowing excess air while eating or drinking, especially from carbonated beverages, can also contribute to the noise. By understanding the root causes, you can make informed choices about your diet to help quiet things down.

Foods that help soothe a gurgling stomach

Certain foods and drinks are known for their ability to calm and soothe the digestive system, reducing the likelihood of loud, embarrassing noises. Incorporating these into your diet can lead to a more comfortable and quieter gut.

1. Ginger Ginger has natural anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic properties that can help soothe an irritated stomach and speed up gastric emptying. It works by relaxing the smooth muscles of the digestive tract, which can help alleviate discomfort and bloating. Enjoy it as a tea by steeping fresh, grated ginger in hot water or chew on a ginger chew for relief.

2. Probiotic-rich foods An imbalance of gut bacteria can sometimes contribute to excessive gas and digestive noise. Probiotics, or beneficial bacteria, can help restore balance and regulate bowel movements.

Yogurt and Kefir: These fermented dairy products contain live, active cultures that support a healthy gut microbiome.
Kimchi and Sauerkraut: These fermented vegetables are excellent sources of probiotics and can aid in digestion.

3. Herbal teas Similar to ginger, certain herbal teas offer stomach-soothing benefits.

Peppermint tea: It has an antispasmodic effect that can calm digestive muscle contractions.
Chamomile tea: This tea helps reduce stomach acid and inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract.
Fennel tea: Fennel seeds are known to alleviate gas and bloating.

4. Easy-to-digest carbohydrates When your stomach is feeling sensitive, opting for bland, easily digestible carbohydrates can be a safe bet.

Plain rice and Oatmeal: These are gentle on the stomach and can absorb excess liquid.
Bananas: This soft, fibrous fruit is easy to digest and can help normalize bowel function.

5. Water Staying hydrated is key for optimal digestion. Drinking water can help move food through your digestive tract more efficiently and can fill an empty stomach, reducing hunger-related gurgling. However, avoid chugging large amounts quickly, as this can introduce more air.

Foods and habits to avoid

Just as some foods can help, others can worsen stomach gurgling by promoting gas or irritating the digestive tract. Avoiding or limiting these can make a significant difference.

Common culprits that cause gurgling

Gas-producing vegetables: Certain vegetables like beans, lentils, broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower contain complex carbohydrates that are difficult to digest and produce gas during fermentation in the colon.
Carbonated beverages: The bubbles in sodas, sparkling water, and beer introduce excess air into your stomach, which can lead to gurgling.
Artificial sweeteners: Sugars like sorbitol and fructose, found in many diet foods and sugar-free products, can trigger diarrhea and flatus, increasing intestinal noise.
Acidic foods: Coffee, citrus fruits, and tomatoes can increase stomach acidity and irritate the stomach lining.
Dairy products: For individuals with lactose intolerance, dairy can lead to significant gas and digestive issues.

Lifestyle tips for quieter digestion

Beyond what you eat, how you eat can also impact stomach noise.

Eat smaller, more frequent meals: This prevents your stomach from becoming overly full or completely empty, reducing the frequency of gurgling.
Chew thoroughly: Digestion begins in the mouth, and chewing food properly gives your stomach less work to do, preventing indigestion.
Manage stress: The gut-brain axis means that stress and anxiety can affect digestion and lead to increased stomach activity. Practices like meditation or deep breathing can help.

Comparison of stomach-soothing vs. irritating foods


Feature	Stomach-Soothing Foods	Potentially Irritating Foods
Effect on Digestion	Promote efficient and calm digestion	Cause fermentation, gas, and irritation
Carbohydrates	Plain rice, oatmeal, bananas	Legumes (beans, lentils), cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage)
Liquids	Water, herbal teas (ginger, peppermint)	Carbonated beverages, coffee, alcohol
Dairy	Probiotic-rich yogurt and kefir (if tolerated)	Milk, cheese, ice cream (especially for lactose-intolerant individuals)
Sweeteners	Natural options (in moderation)	Artificial sweeteners (sorbitol, fructose)

Conclusion

While a gurgling stomach is a normal part of digestion, you can take control of persistent or noisy rumbling through conscious dietary choices and mindful eating habits. By incorporating soothing foods like ginger, herbal teas, and probiotics, while limiting gas-producing and irritating items, you can foster a healthier and quieter digestive system. Remember that individual triggers can vary, so paying attention to your body's unique response to different foods is key to finding the right balance for you. For persistent or severe symptoms, consulting a healthcare professional is always the best course of action.

Visit the NIDDK website for more on dietary management of digestive issues.

Frequently Asked Questions

Stomach gurgling can occur when you are not hungry due to the normal process of digestion, as the muscles of your gastrointestinal tract contract to move food, fluid, and gas through your system. It can also be caused by swallowing air or the incomplete digestion of certain foods.

Yes, drinking water can help. It aids in the digestive process by helping to move things along and can fill an empty stomach, muffling the sounds of hunger contractions. For best results, sip water throughout the day rather than chugging large amounts at once.

Probiotics introduce beneficial bacteria to your gut, which helps regulate digestion and correct imbalances in your gut microbiome. This can reduce the excessive gas and bloating that often contribute to stomach gurgling.

Yes, peppermint, ginger, and chamomile teas are particularly effective. Peppermint has antispasmodic properties that relax digestive muscles, while ginger has anti-inflammatory effects, and chamomile can reduce stomach acid and inflammation.

Not necessarily. While some high-fiber foods like certain beans and cruciferous vegetables can cause gas and gurgling, others, like oats, are easily digestible. It's about finding the right balance for your body and introducing new fibrous foods slowly to allow your system to adjust.

Chewing food thoroughly helps break it down mechanically, making it easier for your stomach to digest. It also reduces the amount of air you swallow, which is a major contributor to gas and noise in the digestive tract.

If stomach gurgling is accompanied by other symptoms like persistent abdominal pain, chronic diarrhea, vomiting, unexplained weight loss, or bloody stools, you should see a doctor. These could be signs of a more serious underlying condition.