There’s a new weapon in the battle against SIBO. SIBO, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, causes gas and bloating immediately after meals. It is often associated with painful conditions such as Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Interstitial Cystitis, Chronic Lyme Disease, Rheumatoid Arthritis, IBS, IBD and more.
The small intestine is usually relatively free of microorganisms compared to the colon. When we take probiotics, we are helping to boost the beneficial bacteria in the colon. Typically, the small intestine has too high acidity to allow microorganisms to reside there. When there is low stomach acid or dysbiosis in the large intestine, it can progress to SIBO. Over time, SIBO can contributes to a myriad of conditions as mentioned above.
Dysbiosis, the imbalance of the microflora, can result from a poor diet, antibiotic use, stress, illness and aging.
Conventional medicine’s approach to SIBO, if it is recognized at all, is to give antibiotics. The initial response to the antibiotics is good, but soon after they are stopped, the infection returns quickly. Functional health professionals know that to get rid of SIBO, a multi pronged approach is needed.
First, it is important to remove nutrient depleters such as sugar and high fructose corn syrup from the diet.
Second, it is important to increase nutrient density in the diet so that you are supporting the beneficial bacteria.
Third, it is important to disrupt the biofilm created by the pathogenic bacteria in the small intestine. This is the exciting part! Biofilms, and knowing what to do with them, is new in clinical nutrition. Klaire Labs, under the guidance of Stephen Olmstead, MD, has formulated an effective way to breakdown nearly impermeable biofilms. Biofilms can be 100 to 1000 times more resistant to antibiotics! The formula uses well researched enzymes and chelating agents to break down the biofilm so that the herbs used to kill the pathogenic microbes can reach their target.
Fourth, it is important to kill the pathogenic bacteria. This can be done with antibiotics as mentioned above or with herbs such as oregano oil or berberine.
Fifth, it is important to take targeted probiotics and prebiotics. There is one strain of probiotics that is better than all the others in battling SIBO.
Finally, it is also important to ensure proper digestion of foods by taking enzymes possibly with HCl if low stomach acid is an issue.
I don’t recommend you try to do this on your own. If fact, not all products are available to the public. Working with a qualified practitioner ensures you approach SIBO with caution and ensures complete eradication.
The really great news is, if you have one of the pain conditions mentioned above and you eradicate SIBO, you will significantly reduce your pain. And, you can get back to living! Living Well Nutrition can help you in your battle with SIBO and we work with clients coast to coast. Give us a call to talk about how we might help you, 970-685-8531.
