What is SIBO?

Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) is a common condition that is closely related to Irritated Bowel Syndrome (IBS) diagnosis, but often overlooked by health care practitioners. SIBO is an overgrowth of bacteria in your small intestine when those bacteria usually should be found in the large intestine instead.  Small intestine usually breaks into three parts: Duodenum, jejunum and ileum. Duodenum is closer to the stomach where there are nearly no bacteria residing in the passageway due to stomach acid mixing with pancreatic bicarbonate involvement. Jejunum has a few bacteria; ileum will have a little more than jejunum. When you hit your large intestine, you can have up to 3 trillion different bacteria and species that helps you break down food. Recently, the health-conscious community shined a spotlight on microbiome in our gut and it spearheaded many researchers to explore a previously less-known territory in the human body. It was discovered that by taking good care of our gut microflora as we would our pets, including proper nutrition, we will reap many health benefits.

 

More is not always better…     

As a society, the idea that more is better is ingrained in our subconscious. For gut bacteria, more bacteria are not always better. SIBO occurs when there is an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine, which causes inflammation, discomfort, bloating and gas through fermentation. Fermentation produces hydrogen, methane, and hydrogen sulfide gas which cause SIBO symptoms such as bloating, damage microvilli to prevent proper nutrient absorption such as ferritin, B12, magnesium, and zinc, and deconstruction of bile acids which means you cannot absorb your healthy fatty acids as well as before causing deficiency in vitamin A, D, E, K. SIBO is becoming more and more relevant as more people have discovered that their previous diagnosis of IBS, was in fact, SIBO. The World Journal of Gastroenterology has claimed definitive association between IBS and SIBO and has advocated for SIBO to be excluded as a diagnosis from patients with IBS. So if you were diagnosed with IBS, it’s time to find a health practitioner that can help you confirm whether you are also diagnosed with SIBO.

 

Why should I differentiate SIBO from my IBS diagnosis?

“Frequency of SIBO varied from 4%-78% among patients with IBS and from 1%-40% among controls.”   — An article published on The World Journal of Gastroenterology

What that means is that if you have IBS, you have between a 4-78% chance of having SIBO. If you do not have an IBS diagnosis but are experiencing digestive symptoms, you have between 1-40% chance of discovering SIBO. Anyone who has experience with getting their IBS under control understands that it is a very difficult disease to treat. However, treatment of SIBO is much more straightforward. A couple months of eradication of bacteria in your gut (where it is not supposed to be) and some diet changes may have long lasting effects on your digestive health.

 

Most common symptoms/conditions associated with SIBO:

• Bloating After Meals
• Flatulence
• Diarrhea
• Constipation Malnutrition
• Abdominal Pain
• Nausea
• Skin rashes

 

Most common conditions associated with SIBO:

• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
• Leaky Gut Syndrome
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Hypothyroidism
• Obesity
• Restless Leg Syndrome
• Acid Reflux
• Rosacea
• Fibromyalgia
• GERD
• Diabetes
• Autoimmune Diseases

 

Why do I have SIBO?

We mainly attribute SIBO development to damage of the migrating motor complex (MMC). MMC usually sweep and cleanse our gut every 90 min in between meals. This means that bad bacteria (bacteria where there is not supposed to be bacteria OR bacteria that takes away your nutrition) is not swept out of your small intestine while you are not using it to prevent blocking of absorption of nutrients. Other less common causes may be structural issues – especially near the ileocecal valve (junction between your small intestine and large intestine); some people have narrow valves which block the clearance. Lastly, but not insignificantly, there are some types of altered physiology in your body that can cause an overgrowth. For example, low stomach acid due to medication use or other factors may cause some of the bacteria to not be eradicated properly when entering your system. All potential causes should be explored by your healthcare practitioner. As long as we treat the root cause of your digestion issues, you will be able to make this change last a long time post-treatment.

What are my option to treat it?