Thoughts on SIBO

What is SIBO? Large amounts of bacteria overgrowth in the small intestine leads to gut dysbiosis - Yikes! SIBO is more common that you may think and is present in many of those with IBS. Untreated SIBO can lead to leaky gut and cause a production of endotoxins and pro-inflammatory cytokines. This can also progress to anemia, joint pain, rosacea, weight loss, malabsorption, and nutrient deficiencies.

Signs of SIBO can include fatigue, weakness, stomach issues - bloating, chronic diarrhea, abdominal pain, constipation, feeling swollen.

What we eat can also play a huge role in how we are feeding the bad bacteria - FODMAP foods.

- Carb intake

- Fructose

- Lactose

- Easily fermented foods in the gut

- Fiber

- Pre & probiotics

Some consider following a low FODMAP diet by restricting certain foods for about 4-6 weeks then slowly reintroducing and keeping note of which foods are triggering. This is a great way to find which foods we easily tolerate and don’t tolerate at all.

Nutrient deficiencies - SIBO can possibly damage the small intestinal mucosa & microvilli which leads to malabsorption of important nutrients (calcium, magnesium, B12, and vitamins A, D, E, )

How do we address the overgrowth? Commonly the antibiotic Rifaximin can be used however the use of herbals are just as effective (long-term use of antibiotics can make the gut worse!). Loving anti-microbial herbs - oil of oregano, wormwood, Coptis root, thyme, field horsetail, olive leave, & berberine extracts.

Don’t relapse! Protective components of a healthy gut - pancreatic enzymes, gastric acid, secretory immunoglobulin A, biofilm disruption, motility, bile acids.

Effective testing for SIBO - breath tests & stool samples

Has anyone had or currently have it now? I had a GI Map stool test done May 2022 and had SIBO show up. I took Biocidin drops (love this stuff) and the binder GI Detox for 8 weeks and noticed a huge difference. Twice a year, I typically do a big gut cleanse to keep me on track.

Commonly on SIBO, you want to avoid probiotics. I made a post about spore-based probiotics. You can actually take the Microbiome Labs MegaSporBiotic if you have SIBO!

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