Association of dietary fat type with abdominal bloating: a case control study

Abdominal bloating is a common gastrointestinal complaint, especially among women, and can significantly affect quality of life. Despite its high prevalence, the role of dietary fat intake in the development or exacerbation of bloating remains poorly characterized. This study aimed to examine the association between abdominal bloating and the consumption of various types of dietary fats among Iranian women.

A case-control study was performed on 229 women with bloating and 224 women without bloating in Tehran, Iran. Dietary intake was assessed using a validated 168-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), and nutrient analysis was conducted using Nutritionist IV software. A binary logistic regression method, adjusted for confounders was applied to assess the link between bloating and the intake of fats.

An inverse association was found between abdominal bloating and omega‑3 PUFA intake (OR = 0.34, 95% CI: 0.13-0.87, p = 0.024), which remained significant after multivariable adjustment. Following correction for multiple comparisons using the Benjamini-Hochberg false discovery rate (FDR, q < 0.10), statistical significance was retained only in the fully adjusted model (q = 0.091). No significant associations were found for total fat, saturated fatty acids (SFAs), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), total PUFA, cholesterol, or omega‑6 PUFA.

Higher dietary intake of omega-3 PUFAs may be associated with reduced bloating, while other types of fats showed no significant association. This highlights the potential role of omega-3 fatty acids in managing bloating. Further research is needed to explore causal relationships and the therapeutic implications of these findings.