What are natural remedies or treatments for SIBO? Before we explain these remedies, let’s know more about what Sibo is. Sibo is excessive bacterial growth in the small intestine. SIBO disease can be cured using antibiotics such as rifaximin, and in certain conditions, Sibo can also be cured using natural remedies such as using supplements, and herbs, and by undergoing diet changes.
What is Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)?
The Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) is marked by excessive bacterial annoyance in the small intestine. A healthy small intestine is which contains only a few bacteria because most of the bacteria are also in the large intestine. Then, Sibo is often the bacteria that are pathogenic or bacteria that are not in the digestive tract.
When bacteria experience significant growth, they will experience several problems such as bloating, gas, heartburn, diarrhea, and decreased intestinal movements. In addition, this pathological microbial not only settles in the small intestine but it also absorbs nutrients so that sufferers often experience malnutrition and weight loss.
Signs and Symptoms of Sibo
Knowing the symptoms of SIBO is rather difficult because the symptoms are different for everyone who experiences it. Generally what happens is a symptom related to digestion such as bloating, gas, diarrhea, and constipation.
While some other symptoms that occur because of Sibo are brain fog, fatigue, irritability, hair loss, and coconut pain due to low absorption of nutrients and minerals, the nutritional carnea is absorbed by the bacteria.
This pathogenic bacterium attacks its host by absorbing its host’s nutrition and using micronutrients in the intestine. This is important to know to make it easier to find Natural Remedies to Treat Sibo.
Common symptoms of SIBO related to digestive
- Nauseous
- Reduced appetite,
- Constipation or diarrhea
- Bloating
- Belching
- Premature satiety
- Abdominal distention/ abdominal pain
- Increased food sensitivities
Some patients who experience Sibo symptoms occur after eating some foods that can worsen symptoms such as wheat/ gluten, milk/ dairy products, beans/ legumes, and onions/ garlic.
This pathological microbial also sometimes attacks its host by absorbing the nutrients that exist in humans, and this can cause a person to experience a lack of nutrition and degrade the absorption of nutrients into the human body that experiences it.
Symptoms of SIBO due to absorption of nutrition by bacteria
- Anemia
- Brian Fog
- Chronic Fatigue
- Anxiety/ depression
- Headaches
- Skin Problems/ Acne
- Hair Loss
- Joint Pain
Under certain conditions, Sibo sometimes also appears with other symptoms such as gastrointestinal conditions such as GERD, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Celiac, Crohn’s Disease, or Low Stomach Acid.
So, it is very important to pay attention to the symptoms that occur and then get rid of this pathogenic microbial.
Causes of SIBO
Many factors can develop to cause Sibo, The main risk factor for Sibo is low intestinal movement which causes this pathogenic bacteria to form its colonies in the small intestine.
Other factors that are known to contribute to the development of Sibo are:
- A High-Sugar Diet: A high-sugar diet can cause Sibo by eating sugar to develop, and this will interfere with microbes in the intestine.
- Gastric Surgery: Gastric surgery such as gastric bypass can cause the stomach to become inactive and this can increase the risk of growth of Sibo and various other intestinal irritation diseases.
- Damage or the intestine: the problem of injury to the intestine can interfere with the intestinal peristalsis and this contributes to excessive bacterial increase in the intestine.
- Obesity: changes in intestinal motility, disruption of immune function, and changes in intestinal health, all of which have an impact on the formation of Sibo disease.
- Intestinal fistula: This problem can cause a connection between different parts of the intestine. This causes pathogenic bacteria to migrate to various parts of the intestine.
- Celiac Disease: Celiac disease can increase the risk of Sibo, this is caused by damage in the intestine so the cleaning of bacteria in the intestine.
- Food Poisoning: Intestinal infection or food poisoning can cause sibo, which can have an impact on the flora gut. The use of many drugs to treat infections can also worsen the risk of Sibo.
- Crohn’s disease, Scleroderma, Intestinal Lymphoma, Intestinal Lymphoma: These things cause motile of intestinal tract and can increase the potential for SIBO.
How SIBO is Diagnosed
Before deciding that the disease you are infected with is SIBO and before determining remedies to treat SIBO naturally, of course, you need to diagnose this disease to recognize it correctly so that the treatment can also be targeted and appropriate to the disease.
There are several different tests for diagnosing SIBO. In general, this method is made by using clinical assessments, evaluating existing symptoms, and special testing. A very common test to diagnose SIBO is the hydrogen/methane breath test. This breath test aims to measure the levels of hydrogen and methane in the breath, this is done after administering a solution called glucose and lactulose. Why use glucose or lactulose solution? It turns out that these pathological bacteria metabolize glucose or lactulose and then cause the body to produce hydrogen gas or methane.
Another method of diagnosing SIBO is by using stool, the stool will be tested for urine organic acids, endoscopy, or clinical assessment. However, SIBO disease can mimic many other gastrointestinal conditions.
Natural Remedies or Treatments for SIBO
SIBO can be treated with pharmaceutical approaches such as giving antibiotics. There are also natural treatments that can be done along with taking medication to help eradicate SIBO and prevent SIBO from recurring.
1. Diet Changes
One natural treatment for SIBO is to change your daily diet. These pathological bacteria develop by consuming certain carbohydrates. So it is important not to consume this type of carbohydrate or limit it so that these pathogenic bacteria can be destroyed and removed from the body.
Several diets are suitable for treating SIBO.
– Low FODMAP diet
A low FODMAP diet is a diet that limits certain carbohydrates or what is known as Oligosaccharides (carbohydrates that can be fermented), disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols. This is a type of alcoholic sugar that cannot be fermented properly and settles in the intestines. So, a low FODMAP diet can worsen SIBO conditions.
– Elemental Diet
This is a diet specifically created to give the intestines a rest. The way to do this is by consuming liquid food which contains nutrients that are easily digested and absorbed such as protein/amino acids, fats, and simple carbohydrates. The goal of this diet is to starve these pathological bacteria and die by themselves. The time required may be between 2 to 4 weeks, depending on therapeutic needs.
– Elimination Diet
An elimination diet has been proven to be effective in reducing SIBO bacteria. The method is to eliminate foods that are known to trigger the emergence of SIBO. Foods that may need to be eliminated during SIBO treatment include vegetables, grains, dairy products, and certain fruits. Gut-friendly foods should also be minimized, such as fermented foods, bone broth, and protein, and these are said to be proven to heal the gut.
Note: It is also important to consult with a professional such as a naturopathic doctor to change your diet. This is important so that you know what to eat so that your body’s micro and macro nutritional needs are still met.
Recommendation:
2. Herbal Antimicrobials
There are several natural remedies for SIBO, it is known that several plants can eradicate this pathological bacteria in the intestines. Among these herbal plants are:
– Berberine
Berberine is a compound from plants such as oregano grape, phellodendron, and goldenseal. This is a compound that has anti-microbial properties such as pathological microbes, it has been proven to inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria that cause SIBO. This is one of the natural remedies or treatments for SIBO that you can try easily.
– Oil of Oregano
Then, there is oregano oil which has been proven to eradicate microbes and this can help overcome SIBO.
– Garlic
It contains allicin and is one of the natural remedies or treatments for SIBO.
Garlic contains allicin which is a very strong anti-microbial. Anti-microbials in garlic are known to disrupt cell membranes in microbes, inhibit enzymes, and can disrupt microbial metabolism. Allicin generally interferes with all microbial mechanisms.
