Had a gutful of your gut

Have you tried several restrictive diets to help your gut symptoms?

Have you got to the point that you feel ‘every food’ affects your gut?

Thinking of getting a ‘food allergy test’ to find what foods you are reacting to?

Maybe you have SIBO. And instead of blaming food you should point a finger at your gut and its inhabitants!

WHAT IS SIBO?

Functional gut disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are some of the most common complaints we see in clinic. It is thought that IBS affects over 20% of Australians.

Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) is the leading cause of irritable bowel syndrome. It is a condition in which bacteria which are normally found in the large intestine have overgrown into the small intestine and become problematic.

Studies suggest that over half of people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) have SIBO (up to 84% in a 2003 study by Mark Pimentel, MD). And the prevalence of SIBO in coeliac patients was found to be up to 50%. SIBO is also commonly found to be a contributing factor in a host of unrelated conditions such as acne rosacea, restless leg syndrome, fibromyalgia, and many more.

Rapidly fermented carbohydrates such as lactose, fructose, sorbitol and sucrose (known as FODMAPs – fermentable oligo-, di- and mono-saccharides and polyols) are common trigger foods. FODMAPs are found in milk and dairy products, fruit and vegetables, cereals and processed foods. These dietary sugars are poorly absorbed in the gut, and may result in gut symptoms in patients with IBS, as well as in some patients with inflammatory bowel disease and coeliac disease.

COMMON SYMPTOMS OF SIBO include:

Abdominal bloating, worse after meals
Burping after meals
Gas/wind
Abdominal pain and cramping
Diarrhoea or constipation or alternating constipation & diarrhoea
Acid reflux / heartburn / indigestion
Nausea
Leaky gut symptoms (food sensitivities, joint pain, brain fog, etc.)
Gluten-free diet doesn’t improve symptoms
Adding more fibre to your diet makes your symptoms worse

HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE SIBO? IS THERE A TEST?

SIBO can be diagnosed via a simple, non-invasive breath test that can be done at home or at work.

Breath testing measures the hydrogen and methane gas produced by bacteria in the small intestine that has diffused into the blood, then lungs for exhalation. Hydrogen and methane are gases produced by the bacteria in your gut and these gases can be assessed and measured to determine the presence of suspected SIBO.

So make your appointment now for a consultation with our naturopath ‘Gut Guru’ Beth Bundy to see how she can help you say good-bye to grizzly guts.

Call our Cannonvale clinic on 07 4946 7910 or click here to book online at Appointments (kissunclinics.com).