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Why do our stomachs always seem to make the most noise in the quietest rooms? Although stomachs are technically just as likely to rumble in noisy areas as they are in quiet ones, borborygmi (another name for stomach growling) is much more noticeable on a date or work meeting, and it’s easy to feel self-conscious about it. The good news is that a growling stomach usually isn’t indicative of another underlying health issue, especially if it’s not accompanied by pain, bloating, and irregular bowel movements (which could be signs of IBS). Still, it can be distracting and even embarrassing at inopportune times.
If your stomach has a tendency to steal the spotlight, you might be wondering what you can do to stop it. To help keep your stomach calm — and more importantly, quiet — we asked experts about how to stop stomach growling in its tracks. Read on to learn what may be causing your stomach to rumble in the first place, and what you can do to quell it.
Experts Featured in This Article:
Katherine Mounce, RD, is a registered dietitian based in Ohio.
What Causes Stomach Growling?
We’ve been trained to think that stomach growling means you’re hungry, but sometimes your stomach makes noises even after eating. While borborygmi can signal hunger as your body prepares itself for food, stomach noises generally occur when food, liquid, or gas moves through your digestive tract. Other causes of stomach growling include:
- Eating too quickly
- Swallowing too much air
- Hunger
- Stress
- Eating something that’s hard to digest
- Food Intolerances
- Gas
How to Stop Stomach Growling
If the noises bother you, there are some strategies to help stop stomach growling and prevent it from cropping up again. These four expert-backed steps are a great place to start:
- Slow Down When You Eat: According to Katherine Mounce, RD, one of the best strategies for beating stomach growling is to take your time. “Eat more slowly,” she advises. When you eat in a rested, relaxed state (instead of absentmindedly scarfing down your dinner in the middle of your latest Netflix marathon), your body has time to properly digest your food, which may help to quiet some of the noises that take place while your food is passing through the digestive system.
- Take In Less Air: An added benefit to chewing your food slowly is that it helps you avoid swallowing air. Along these lines, “Avoid talking and eating at the same time, chewing with your mouth open, and chewing gum,” Mounce says. Excess air in your stomach and intestines can contribute to stomach growling, and following these practices on a regular basis can help to minimize the noise.
- Eat at the Right Time: When it comes to borborygmi, the most likely culprit is hunger. “If you find that you are becoming hungry (and noisy) at a particular time of day on a regular basis, you might not be eating enough or eating the right balance of foods at the prior meal,” Mounce says. If your stomach is causing an uproar due to hunger, she advises that you “consider eating some source of protein and/or fat at that meal, as these components promote satiety.”
- Say No to Certain Foods: If there are particular foods that always make you feel gassy or bloated after you eat them, it’s probably time to say goodbye (or at least cut way back). Mounce says some common culprits are “high-fat foods, foods with alternative or artificial sweeteners, dairy, caffeine, and even alcohol.” The exact trigger will depend on the reason for your digestive distress (IBS, celiac disease, to lactose intolerance, etc.). What causes your stomach to growl may differ from somebody else, so pay attention to how certain foods make you feel.
If you’re experiencing other symptoms that suggest your stomach growling may be more serious than just a little hunger, be sure to see your doctor for the best personalized medical advice. Look out for symptoms like pain, fever, nausea, excess gas, constipation, unintentional weight loss, and blood in your stool. A healthcare provider can also help you navigate more complex conditions such as IBS, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis, or simply help you determine potential triggers for your stomach rumbling.
— Additional reporting by Mirel Zaman and Chandler Plante
Tarah Chieffi is a theme park and family travel journalist who discovered her words were best used to help travelers plan fun-filled family vacations. When she isn’t eating theme park food and riding roller coasters, she can be found cycling wherever her bike will take her, tucked under the covers with a good book, or planning her next adventure with her husband and three young sons.
Mirel Zaman is the health and fitness director at PS. She has over 15 years of experience working in the health and wellness space, covering fitness, general health, mental health, relationships and sex, food and nutrition, spirituality, family and parenting, culture, and news.
Chandler Plante is an assistant editor for PS Health and Fitness. She has over four years of professional journalism experience, previously working as an editorial assistant for People magazine and contributing to Ladygunn, Millie, and Bustle Digital Group. In her free time, she enjoys finding new ways to rock her 18(!) different eye patches, and making videos about chronic illness, beauty, and disability.