If you've been diagnosed with IBS or have been struggling with gut issues and feel like nothing helps, this might be why. SIBO, also known as Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth is a condition of the gut that studies have found accounts for 70-80% of IBS1. The good news is it's treatable, and we will explain the options.
SIBO occurs when too many bacteria have started to populate the small intestine. These bacteria aren't good or bad. They've just overgrown well beyond the levels they should be in the wrong place. That can cause symptoms such as bloating, pain, gas, nausea, constipation/diarrhea, food intolerances, skin issues, and problems losing or gaining weight. The overpopulation of bacteria can also rob your body of vital nutrients and cause structural damage to the lining of the intestines. That can cause mood, skin, hair, energy and brain fog issues.
SIBO is highly underdiagnosed and unrecognised. With only 90% of all the research on the gut taking place in the last ten years, it's easy to see why. Testing for SIBO is not commonly performed. You can only test for two or three known types of SIBO in most countries, and the test takes several hours and tends to be expensive. Standard tests like stool samples run by doctors will not detect SIBO leaving sufferers feeling lost and confused when 'everything comes back normal'.
A common issue with SIBO is a growing list of foods that cause uncomfortable symptoms. That can include certain fruits, veg, beans, lentils, gluten and lactose.
Why does this happen? The overpopulation of bacteria in the small intestine reacts with these foods, which releases gas. Bloating is often painful because the small intestine wasn't designed to be stretched this way, and there is no easy path for gas to escape.
SIBO is also closely connected to problems with losing or gaining weight, autoimmune conditions and increased levels of anxiety and depression.
"My gut issues seemed to just get worse and worse over time. I went to so many doctors that just said IBS or gaslit me into thinking it was just in my head or it was anxiety. I had all the standard tests done, which came back normal, and nobody ever suggested I may have SIBO for a long time.
My bloating was so bad and so painful."
"I became nutrient deficient and started losing my hair in clumps..."
"...and to top it all off, I had psoriasis outbreaks on the regular."
The light at the end of the tunnel, though, is that SIBO is treatable. Let's talk about the options:
Antibiotics are the most commonly used and most widely studied treatment for SIBO. The best-known and most effective antibiotic is available in most countries, costing around $500-5000 per two-week course. Most people require a few rounds. Unfortunately, most public health systems don't cover it, nor do most private health insurance companies.
There is a natural option that has been proven to be as effective as the antibiotic in studies2, 3, 4 ,5 ,6, but there are some things to caution with this. It involves using naturally occurring antimicrobials. These come from plants that are used for their active components.
These natural ingredients can offer other gut benefits besides addressing the overgrowth. They can be a good option for people:
Wanting to take a more natural approach.
Antibiotic non-responders.
Chronic relapsers.
Those wanting other benefits for their gut while addressing SIBO.
They can also be a good option for those unsure if they have SIBO or something else going on. Conditions like dysbiosis, general gut imbalances, candida, or leaky gut can often be tackled by the ingredients these products include. Many brands mix the ingredients for SIBO with other natural Ingredients for IBS so even if SIBO is not the cause of your symptoms, you might still see benefit.
Click to see the FixBIOME systemHowever, unlike antibiotics, which are consistent across the globe because of their synthetic nature, there is massive variation between brands regarding quality and efficacy.
The ingredient quality matters a lot regarding these supplements in order for them to do anything for you. You need to ensure the product's active natural ingredients have been designed to stand up against the stomach acid and stay in the gut instead of being absorbed into the bloodstream or neutralised. One of the best-known supplement systems that includes ingredients proven in the literature to treat SIBO is the 6-8 week SIBO course by the brand FixBIOME. The system has grown in popularity massively over the last year for both general IBS and SIBO due to its focus on restoring gut health as a whole. The system was developed by doctors and scientist and uses a manufacturing processes designed for the gut. However, the brand has been known to sell out, and counterfeit products have entered the market recently.
“I tried antibiotics at first and got amazing relief. However, I unfortunately relapsed not long after. I tried again, and it was a similar experience to the point where I was just chronically relapsing and then stopped responding altogether.
I then tried the antimicrobial route and FixBIOME system after it was recommended to me by my naturopath.
It was suggested because it doesn't just focus on addressing the bacterial overgrowth but rebalancing and rebuilding the gut as a whole. The system includes ingredients that support the flourishing of healthy bacteria in the right places (large gut) while focusing on restoring the gut's structural integrity and daily motility. This often becomes damaged in those with SIBO from the gas production that causes constant stretching in the small intestine. That damage can be a contributing factor to relapse and lead to leaky gut or intestinal permeability, which is another problem people with and without SIBO can face that the FixBIOME system also focuses on.
It was a godsend. I found it really effective to the point where I finally feel normal again. I take their daily Gut Fix for maintenance purposes and to continue to assist with structural damage caused by years of gut issues. I couldn't be happier and couldn't recommend them highly enough”
You can check out FixBIOME and the FixBIOME system here:
We hope you learnt something about the gut today and found this article in someway helpful.
1 Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth and Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Bridge between Functional Organic Dichotomy
2 Select Herbals Proposed as Beneficial in the Eradication of Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth
3 Herbal Therapies in Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders: A Narrative Review and Clinical Implication
4 Herbal therapy is equivalent to rifaximin for the treatment of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth
5 Eradication of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth in irritable bowel syndrome using herbal therapy: A case report
6 Chinese herbal medicine for the treatment of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)
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