What is the right diet for SIBO?
If you have small intestinal bowel overgrowth or SIBO you are probably searching the internet right now looking for the Dr Google answer to this million-dollar question. How do I eat to cure SIBO? I know the severe bloating, gas, and digestive pain from SIBO are ridiculously, uncomfortable and I also know from experience that they will not go away using medication alone. You must change your diet. There is no one diet that cures SIBO. You have to work with an experienced Nutritionist who understands all the nuances and can personalize your food and supplements to minimize your symptoms while you and your hopefully experienced and knowledgable gastrointestinal specialist doctor, figure out how to eradicate all of the bacteria and pathogens as well as fix the dysbiosis in your gut. One of the worst things you can do is keep taking the antibiotics like Rifaxamin and Neomyacin hoping that alone will cure the issue for good. It does not. I’ve worked with hundreds of people with SIBO and many have done three or more rounds of medications with temporary improvement and then an inevitable relapse back into the terrible symptoms and usually they get worse.
How do you know if you have SIBO?
COMMON SIGNS & SYMPTOMS OF S.I.B.O.
- Bloating
- Gas
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal cramping
- Abdominal pain
- Constipation
- Going from a normal to looking very pregnant after eating
- Malabsorption of fats, or fatty stool
- Burping/belching
- Nausea
- Heartburn
If you regularly experience 3 or more of the above signs then you do have a problem with your gastrointestinal system, and should be checked out by a SIBO expert. I help people choose the correct testing, which is a key to correct treatment and diet, and based on test results I recommend a specific and customized food and supplement program. I also understand that often medication is needed for certain bacteria and gut pathogens and I refer to many of the best SIBO Doctors when medications are needed. Many doctors refer to Juli Keene for SIBO diet and supplement plans for their patients during and after SIBO treatment as they see I get results.
What is SIBO?
SIBO or Small Intestinal Bowel Overgrowth is too much bacteria growing in your small intestine. It could be “good” or “bad” bacteria but it’s too much in the wrong places. Some of these bacteria cause fat malabsorption, as they break down bile salts that we use for digestion of fats. Some of the bacteria cause severe gas and bloating as they feed off the refined carbohydrates and sugars that many people overeat. Some bacteria produce toxic chemicals that damage your gut lining. This causes leaky gut syndrome (also called intestinal permeability) which can lead to malabsorption of nutrients and food sensitivities. Autoimmune issues that affect muscle, nerve and digestive function as well as diverticulitis, Crohn’s, and a sugar and acid heavy diet can contribute to developing SIBO.
The Los Angeles Nutritionist’s Opinion on SIBO diets. We are seeing much more SIBO in clinical practice then we did 5 or 10 years ago. We are also now seeing more products marketed to treat SIBO. These products range in quality and some can do more damage than good. For example meal replacement products like synthetic elemental diets, or probiotic supplements that contain the wrong types of sugar or prebiotic fiber that can actually increase the bad bacteria you are trying to get rid of! Unfortunately, there is no magic formula for SIBO or any chronic or acute GI issues. No one product will be effective for everyone with SIBO. If any of these products worked as well as they say, we would not have so many people with long-standing cases of SIBO. We are seeing patients now who have done 3 or more rounds of serious antibiotic and anti-parasitic medications like Xifaxin, Neomycin, and Alinia. And yet they still have symptoms. We are also seeing way too many over-restrictive diets like low FODMAPS, low histamine, and the SCD (specific carbohydrate diet) diagnosed specifically for SIBO, and often the diagnosis is not even correct.
Since more traditionally trained doctors are now testing for SIBO using breath tests, we are seeing more S.I.B.O. diagnosis, misdiagnoses and mistakes in SIBO diets. For example what if you have Candida, Klebsiella, Citrobacter, and other commonly seen but rarely considered pathogens but have only been diagnosed with SIBO by your gastroenterologist? What if you have a diagnosis of SIBO and also gallstones? We often see that added fat from the low carb or keto diet people are given causes nausea and or they wind up in the emergency room with gallbladder attacks. The diet you are given for any gut or GI Issue can easily exacerbate other health issues.
I am a long term, functional nutrition expert and I understand the gut biochemistry and the effect that all of these factors and the foods you eat have on how you feel. The doctors I work with know that the key is to customize the treatments and food plans specifically to each patient and type of SIBO, or particular gastrointestinal issues, as well as your overall health, lifestyle, and genetic factors. Sometimes this means trial and error but that is better than having nowhere to turn if your SIBO comes back 3 weeks after you finish your Xifaxin or herbal supplement treatment.
Testing for SIBO
Each case is different often Juli suspects SIBO based on the extensive health history and assessment she does with each of her new patients. She will order testing if needed. There are several types of specialty testing for SIBO. Juli picks the one that is best for your specific case. Juli may refer you to a functional or integrative medicine physician so that insurance billing is more likely for your labs if that is indicated. You can also use her custom lab testing page for (DIY) do it yourself labs that you can take to your doctor or you can work to a limited extent with Juli and her team helping you to pick the correct specialty lab tests and to do a review. This is not as in-depth as working with Juli individually and availability for this program depends on her schedule. Juli often starts with one of the best tests out there the GI Map with zonulin from Diagnostic Solutions. Go here for more information or to buy labs email us at JuliKeeneCN@gmail.com or check out the test here https://www.diagnosticsolutionslab.com/tests/gi-map
Treatment for SIBO
The conventional treatment for SIBO is to use a specific antibiotic for the lower intestine called Xifaxan. It works for some cases of SIBO but it is expensive and not always covered by insurance for a long enough period of time. It does work for some but oftentimes patients wind up having symptoms of SIBO again soon after and must do the treatment over again. There is a chance the bacteria will eventually become resistant to this medicine. Many people will need to clean up their DIETS BEFORE they can be rid of SIBO and its symptoms for good. This therapeutic healing diet is usually lower in certain types of carbohydrates, yet not so low as to cause anxiety or depression as often seen with extremely low carb diets. We cut out a lot of sugar and processed foods and increase protein, healthy fats, and vegetables. Each diet will be further customized for each patient’s needs based on other testing and an in-depth assessment. Juli will work with you and your doctor to figure out which herbs, supplements, and/or medications are right for you as well. Another common problem with SIBO treatment these days is it is being misdiagnosed. Simply having gas, or testing high in certain gasses in your gut does not mean that you for sure have SIBO. If you have been diagnosed with SIBO and are not sure what to eat or how to take care of it contact Juli Keene Nutritionist.
For more information on how Juli Keene, Nutritionist can help you with SIBO. Juli only accepts people who she knows she can help. You must be willing to do your part in working on making food changes. Please email us for an application to work with Juli as well as prices and availability. JuliKeeneCN@gmail.com let us know who you are and what you want help with. Juli has helped hundreds of people solve complicated gut health issues over the past 2 + decades.