Wheat and rye. Natural and artificial sweeteners, including agave syrup, xylitol, sorbitol, and high fructose corn syrup. Dairy products like cottage cheese or ice cream. Certain vegetables, including onions, garlic, artichokes, cabbage, and cauliflower.
SIBO commonly results when a circumstance — such as surgery or disease — slows the passage of food and waste products in the digestive tract, creating a breeding ground for bacteria. The excess bacteria often cause diarrhea and may cause weight loss and malnutrition.
Prebiotics are fibers found in foods (i.e., inulin, resistant starches) and help promote the growth of bacteria. Prebiotics are perfect if the goal is to rebuild healthy bacteria, but they can make the symptoms of SIBO significantly worse by further increasing the overgrowth numbers.
Additionally, stress can weaken the immune system, allowing for overgrowth of bad bacteria or an infection that may require antibiotics, further increasing the risk of developing SIBO. Stress also interferes with gut motility, slowing the movement of food, and bacteria, through the gut.
Dietary changes: Restrictive diets (like a low FODMAP diet) should be temporary fixes during a SIBO flare up and may help reduce symptoms. For long-term gut health, Dr. Barish recommends a diet rich in plant-based foods and healthy, whole-grain carbohydrates.
While coffee does contain antioxidants, its acidity may cause irritation that causes SIBO flare-ups. These can include abdominal discomfort and indigestion.
For most people, the initial way to treat bacterial overgrowth is with antibiotics. Doctors may start this treatment if your symptoms and medical history strongly suggest this is the cause, even when test results are inconclusive or without any testing at all.
Lifestyle Changes for SIBO
Drink plenty of fresh water throughout the day to stay properly hydrated. It's also important to manage stress during healing. Yoga, barre, tai chi, regular exercise and acupuncture can help reduce stress levels and keep you motivated to stay on track with the SIBO diet.
AVOID: Lactose dairy, milk) fructose concentrate, lactulose, Splenda (sucralose), mannitol sorbitol (sugar free gum/mints), oligosaccharides (soy milk), corn syrup (regular sodas many others sweetened foods).
When you have SIBO, the bile acids responsible for the breakdown and absorption of fat are deficient, resulting in a pale-colored stool that is also bulky and malodorous.
Vitamin B12 deficiency occurs in SIBO as a result of utilization of the vitamin by bacteria. When bacteria take up the vitamin, it is partially metabolized to inactive ana- logues, which compete with normal vitamin B12 binding and absorption (31,32).
Bloating – a feeling of fullness and discomfort, especially 1-2 hours after eating meals rich in carbohydrates (sugars are a type of carbohydrate). Abdominal pain – linked to the bloating, as the gases build up in the small intestine, they stretch the intestinal walls, and this can be very painful.
Experimental studies indicate that psychological stress can negatively affect the transit time of the small intestine, promote SIBO syndrome, and significantly disrupt the balance of the intestinal barrier [10,11].
An anti-inflammatory diet, regular exercise, good quality sleep, and probiotics are all strategies to put in place before trying antimicrobials or antibiotics to get rid of bad bacteria.
In this version of a SIBO diet, the patient moves through two phases: a more restrictive phase that eliminates all fermentable starches to starve the bacteria in the small intestine. This phase lasts for up to six weeks or until symptoms improve.
It would take six weeks of antimicrobial medicines and another six months of a restricted diet for her digestion to feel normal again, and for the bloat to finally go away. Lapine, a food and health writer and chef, chronicled her SIBO journey and shared SIBO-appropriate recipes on her blog and podcast in early 2018.
SIBO treatment works to kill off organisms in your small intestine. As these bacteria die, they release toxins that may trigger an inflammatory response, called the Herxheimer reaction. That inflammatory response may be behind your SIBO die off symptoms. Most importantly, it should only last a few days.
Dairy products like cottage cheese or ice cream. Certain vegetables, including onions, garlic, artichokes, cabbage, and cauliflower. Certain fruits, especially apples, pears, and stone fruits (peaches, plums, apricots) Dried fruit and fruit juices.
Yes, you can eat bananas with SIBO. However, the low FODMAP diet, the SCD, and the GAPS diet all differ in banana consumption recommendations. If you are following the low FODMAP diet, an unripe, green banana may be eaten while a ripe banana may not.
Once present, bacterial overgrowth may induce an inflammatory response in the intestinal mucosa, further exacerbating the typical symptoms of SIBO. Although not universally seen,10 overgrowth of small bowel intestinal flora may result in microscopic mucosal inflammation.
Also, another study showed that probiotic use in SIBO can enhance symptoms of brain fog, wind and bloating (9). Despite this, some studies have shown that probiotics are effective at treating the symptoms of SIBO and decreasing hydrogen production (10).