Many of us put bloating down to PMS, overindulging or problems with a certain type of food such as bread or dairy. New research suggests we may be ignoring the true culprit: the amount of salt in our diet. The study found that diets high in sodium (the main component of salt) increased the risk of bloating by 27%. The link between sodium and bloating is still not clear: it could be because sodium causes water retention or alters the balance of bacteria in the gut, resulting in the production of more bloat-inducing gases. In any case, too much salt is linked to high blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart disease and strokes, so we could all do with reducing our intake to no more than the recommended 6g per day.