Small intestine bacterial overgrowth, or SIBO, is a chronic and excruciating medical disease. The Sibo Diet may be an excellent solution to sibo!
It occurs when bacteria that usually flourish in one region of your digestive system, such as your colon, begin to establish themselves in your small intestine.
SIBO can cause pain, constipation, and malnutrition if not addressed (from the loss of essential nutrients to the body).
Adequate nutrition can reduce these harmful germs.
While on antibiotic therapy, using the SIBO diet may expedite your recovery and eliminate annoying symptoms.
SIBO diet: What is it?
Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, often known as SIBO, is one of the least understood gastrointestinal conditions.
Excessive bacterial growth in the small intestine can result in various symptoms, including extreme bloating, gas, burping, diarrhea, and constipation.
SIBO is highly underdiagnosed and significantly more common than believed since most practitioners are unfamiliar with this freshly identified illness.
Because of this, a sizable portion of people with SIBO receives an incorrect diagnosis of IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), are urged to “eat more fiber” (which might exacerbate SIBO) or are told there is nothing they can do.
Most of us who struggle with SIBO feel obligated to educate and care for ourselves.
I decided to produce this article as a resource for people in need.
Warning Signs and Symptoms of SIBO
While SIBO has specific symptoms with lactose intolerance, IBS, and other gastrointestinal disorders, there are a few universal markers that can help you identify SIBO.
SIBO may entail:
- Bloating
- Malabsorption
- stomach pain following a meal
- Nausea
- constipation weight loss
- Malnutrition
- hunger loss
- Fatigue
- Cramps
- Diarrhea
SIBO is often distinguishable from other gastrointestinal diseases like IBS due to its rapid onset.
For instance, if one day you feel well and the next you have a firm, enlarged belly that makes you look pregnant, it is a good idea to get tested for SIBO.
Another prevalent and characteristic feature of SIBO is excessive burping.
A severe case of SIBO may result in thousands of burps per minute, especially after eating foods that feed bacteria.
Foods to Eat On SIBO Diet
The most excellent meals for SIBO are those that quickly break down into simple sugars because they supply nutrition without feeding the bacteria in your lower intestines.
Foods that are suitable for SIBO Diets include:
- any meat
- Eggs
- Lactose-free milk and hard cheeses
- White bread, cream of wheat, and spaghetti
- Beets and carrots are examples of roots.
- Fruit and vegetable products like peppers, tomatoes, squash, and cucumbers
- Mushrooms
- Oats, pork and fish crackers, and unsweetened cereal that is all gluten-free (made from low FODMAP grains)
- spaghetti and summer squash, among others
- Just the heads of broccoli; less than 3/4 cup
- Green carrot leaves
- Noodle soup rice without gluten
- Olives
- Peanuts
- Potatoes
- Quinoa Pumpkin Seeds
- several fruits (blueberries, grapes, oranges, and strawberries)
Foods to Avoid On SIBO Diet
- Pecans with cashews
- licorice onions
- Calf milk (unless lactose-free)
- Yogurt (unless lactose-free) (unless lactose-free)
Risk factors for SIBO development
Many individuals wrongly think SIBO is caused by “bad bacteria” in the stomach; however, the problem is not the type of bacteria but the number.
It is common to have a lot of bacteria in the colon, where digestion proceeds more slowly. Still, bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine may cause unpleasant symptoms like gas and bloating or more severe ones like diarrhea and constipation.
The following can increase your risk of developing SIBO:
Age: It is impossible to determine the number of young people with SIBO based on existing research.
However, SIBO is a fairly common disease in the elderly; roughly 15% of seniors have the condition.
Older people are also more susceptible to SIBO because they are more likely to experience delayed digestion and gastrointestinal operations, which can upset the equilibrium of gut flora.
IBS and other ailments: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and SIBO share several symptoms, and some estimates suggest that one-third of IBS sufferers also have SIBO.
You may be more prone to developing SIBO if you have a condition that impairs digestion, such as Parkinson’s disease, hypothyroidism, or diabetes.
Stomach obstruction: SIBO is more likely to develop in those with bowel obstructions or intestinal distortions due to surgery.
Proton-pump restraints: If you use proton-pump inhibitors like omeprazole to treat an issue like acid reflux, your stomach acid levels will decrease.
Since stomach acid prevents bacterial overgrowth in the upper small intestine, being without it makes you more likely to develop SIBO.
Management Tips for SIBO Diet Changes
Inflammation has a role in a variety of disorders. Today’s inflammatory conditions include:
Keep things simple at first.
Utilizing a few easy recipes you’ve chosen, make a short food list.
Initially, expect to consume a lot of the same food. Refrain from tasting complicated foods right away.
Once you are comfortable with your dietary changes and know the items that trigger your symptoms, you may explore new terms and expand your culinary horizons.
Be prepared.
When the inflammation from your stomach enters your brain, it may alter the neurotransmitters, or “happy mood” chemicals, there.
Follow the diet as closely as you can for two to four weeks.
This method can help you eliminate symptoms quickly and provide an excellent place to start when reintroducing foods to your diet.
Avoid sticking with a diet for too long if it isn’t working.
Try a different approach if there has been no change after a few weeks.
Reintroduce foods gently, one at a time.
The best meal to begin reintroducing is the one you missed the most.
Pay special attention to your symptoms for at least two days following the reintroduction.
If the initial reintroduction goes well, you can attempt another a few days later.
Elimination diets frequently aim to identify trigger foods and reduce symptoms.
While avoiding meals, you are conscious of being hazardous; you must be able to boost your dietary diversity progressively.
The SIBO diet is supported by research.
Antibiotics are the primary treatment for SIBO symptoms.
However, studies suggest that dietary changes, such as limiting sugar and lactose intake, may also help to lessen bacterial overgrowth.
The SIBO diet is compatible with the use of probiotics and antibiotics. Probiotic-rich foods and supplements can help decrease SIBO symptoms, according to a study from 2010.
While on the SIBO diet, drinking more water might help with digestion and reduce pain.
Before making dietary changes or beginning any new treatments, talk with your doctor or nutritionist about the hazards.
What Causes SIBO?
SIBO can be caused by any bacterium crossing from the large to the small intestine, whether beneficial or harmful.
However, some individuals believe that a specific type of bacteria is the cause of SIBO.
We are frequently advised to take probiotics and feed our healthy gut flora because the big intestine typically contains vast bacteria.
But there shouldn’t be many microbes in the small intestine.
Complications of the SIBO diet
Since our small intestine is where most nutrient absorption occurs, bacteria shouldn’t be there.
Microorganisms in our small intestine can impair nutrient absorption and digestion.
In other words, humans are unable to because microbes eat our food.
Additionally, bacteria emit gases like methane and hydrogen as they eat.
In SIBO, the intestinal barrier permeability is typically caused by the destruction of the small intestine’s cell lining.
This condition, also known as leaky guts, causes protein molecules to escape the intestine and enter the bloodstream.
A leaky gut can cause food sensitivities, autoimmune disorders, inflammation, food allergies, decreased immunity, and worsening SIBO symptoms.
What Affects Us With SIBO?
The body typically has countermeasures in place to prevent SIBO.
In our small intestine, for instance, a little valve periodically permits food to enter our big intestine.
If this value becomes stuck open, bacteria from our big intestine could return to the small intestine.
Several fluids, including stomach acid, liver bile with antibacterial properties, and even immunoglobulin in intestinal secretions, protect the small intestine against pathogens.
However, if any of these systems are harmed, the risk for SIBO rises.
Various environmental conditions, nutritional considerations, and personal lifestyle decisions may influence these systems.
The Treatment for SIBO
A diet cannot effectively treat SIBO.
Because the bacteria that cause SIBO exist in such a wide variety, not all therapies will work on all illnesses.
Most medical professionals recommend administering the gut-specific antibiotics Xifaxan or Rifaximin for hydrogen-dominating variants of SIBO.
Doctors frequently suggest taking one of these in addition to Neomycin for methane-dominant SIBO, which is more challenging to cure.
However, these therapies only help about 50% of SIBO patients.
Herbs and a SIBO diet combined to treat SIBO
One of the following SIBO diets can be treated much more successfully when combined with anti-microbial herbs.
Taking two capsules of Candibactin-AR and Candibactin-BR twice daily for four weeks straight was proven to be at least as effective as taking antibiotics, if not more so, according to one study.
The same study suggested combining FC-Cidal with Dysbiocide (these are a bit cheaper).
46% of the patients were still receiving treatment with these natural antibiotics after just one round.
People typically need further rounds of either natural or pharmaceutical antibiotics.
General SIBO Diet Advice
Always leave 4-5 hours between meals, and wherever possible, choose large meals over overeating snacks.
It would be best if you ate larger meals than average to do this.
Remember that getting used to something takes time.
A tiny snack now and again is OK, but it’s better than staying without food because the stress of starving to death doesn’t help with healing.
You may need to pack meals if you’re traveling. Here are a few ideas for snacks.
Eating four smaller meals instead of three larger ones may make some individuals feel better.
Before meals, you can enhance digestion by using a fast breathing method called diaphragmatic breathing.
From 4 to 8 breaths
It stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, sometimes known as the “rest and digest” system, since it helps with both activities.
Many people with ongoing digestive issues find that the sympathetic “fight or flight” state impairs digestion because it diverts blood flow from the muscles and toward the digestive system.
People shouldn’t follow the diet for an extended period, just as the low-FODMAP diet.
If you can properly follow the diet during therapy, we can begin progressively reintroducing food categories to make your diet less restrictive.
You will experience a lot of pressure and internalized stress if you try to follow the diet perfectly. Instead, concentrate on advancing.
You won’t hinder your development if you sometimes eat something that isn’t on the list of permitted meals.
Ensure your well-being.
PERSPECTIVE AND ACTIONABLE GUIDANCE for SIBO Diet
Remember that the diet is temporary; it’s easy to lose perspective and forget the big picture.
Remember that you are giving your body a gift by taking care of it in a way that will assist with your current health challenges.
Make confident you have access to the ingredients (such as the books by Rebecca Coombe and Phoebe Lapine).
To prevent getting hungry all week, plan your meals on the weekend.
Set aside time every two to three days to prepare meals so that you have food on hand.
Your friend is bulk cooking and freezing. Prepare more of a meal and store the leftovers in the freezer.
Multicookers, pressure cookers, and slow cookers are useful for hands-off cooking.
Keep most meals simple, but you can season them with herbs and spices to give them a taste.
The finest SIBO meal delivery services frequently include keto and dairy-free options.
Eat enough of the potassium-rich foods allowed on a diet, such as bananas, kiwis, Japanese pumpkin, and kabocha squash (in the amounts allowed on a diet)
It could be challenging to eat out; you might want to eat or bring snacks.
Otherwise, dairy-free meals and ketogenic or low-carb are usually the best option.
Conclusion
The SIBO diet may alleviate the gas, bloating, and diarrhea caused by an abundance of tiny intestinal bacteria.
Avoid whole grains, beans, soft cheeses, and fiber-rich veggies.
There is presently little evidence that low-fermentation diets will have the same effect on SIBO, even though they have demonstrated promise in treating gastrointestinal conditions like IBS.
No matter what diet you choose, you should always be supervised by a doctor.
Best of luck!
Resources –
SIBO – what the general practitioner should know
A subset of healthy individuals consuming high-fiber diet have SIBO
Reduced Food Diversity in SIBO Patients
Diet and intestinal bacterial overgrowth: Is there evidence?
Diet and intestinal bacterial overgrowth: Is there evidence?
What is the best treatment for SIBO?
Have you ever treated your SIBO naturally? If so, how?
How do you treat SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth)?
I’m Indrani, and writing is my driving force. I believe in pursuing my passions to achieve the greatest heights of success. With four years of experience, I’m passionate about crafting content on beauty topics, including makeup, fashion, hairstyles, skincare, and hair care. Beyond writing, I enjoy painting, singing, swimming, cycling, and badminton. As a lover of freedom, I aspire to explore the world and connect with diverse people.
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