What is SIBO?
Small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is an overgrowth of bad bacteria in the small intestine – and not enough good bacteria to maintain a healthy microbiome. It may also be complicated by an overgrowth of yeast (Candida albicans).
SIBO can also be misunderstood. Most of the time it is treated as a bacterial infection, which is not always the root cause. SIBO may be a nervous problem in the gut – not necessarily an infection. Sometimes SIBO can consist of normal microflora in your colon simply living in the “wrong real estate.” The reason is that the nervous system in the gut, which self-cleans and regulates, has been damaged & can no longer perform the function of removing this bacteria from the upper part of small intestine.
How to clear Gut Infection
Regardless of whether you have too much bad (pathogenic) bacteria, yeast or fungus in your small intestine, or large intestine, the treatment is the same. Remember the entire GI tract is completely open and connected, so all parts affect the whole.
The key is to alter the microbiota in your small intestine (and colon) to a healthy population of microorganisms. This requires a multi-pronged approach combining:
- A natural broad-spectrum anti-pathogen like wild oregano oil or olive leaf extract
- High dose supplementation with therapeutic-level probiotics
- Addressing the nervous system to help it relax (down-regulate)
In my book, Jini’s Natural Healing Guide: Gut Infection, I give you the step-by-step protocol for using wild oregano, combined with Natren probiotics, to eliminate the nasties in your small intestine and large intestine, and replace them with healthy bacteria.
If you can combine this gut infection protocol with an elemental diet, that just may be the quickest route to healing.
The fastest route – Elemental Diet
Elemental diets are useful for SIBO as a food clearance mechanism and microbiota reset. Many things can irritate the gut, some of which we are completely unaware of, and the process of dealing with food elimination and food allergen testing is both labor intensive and time consuming.
People can use an elemental diet for a short period of time (example 2-3 weeks) to clear out whatever is irritating the gut, while still providing the body with top-quality nutrients. This builds muscle, helps to maintain weight, and can even assist in weight-loss during that period (adjust calorie intake accordingly).
It also assists with the bacterial clear-out, because if you are not eating carbs, grains, beans, etc. there are no undigested carbs going into the colon or different parts of the small intestine for the bacteria to eat – thus shifting the gut flora. Of course, if you can add a natural antimicrobial and high dose probiotic supplementation at the same time, you can get the best results from your time on the diet!
Dr. Alison Siebecker has also found an elemental diet to be highly successful with SIBO patients.
You can get my very low cost eBook, What You Need to Know About Elemental Diets, and begin today. Or click here for more detailed information on elemental diets.
The nervous system – Migrating Motor Complex
Lastly, I have had many readers write in regarding their SIBO (small intestinal bacteria overgrowth) with the same issue – “I did the SIBO treatment, I was fine, but it keeps coming back!!”
You may have heard this before, as I’ve mentioned numerous times throughout my blog and books/protocols that healing needs to encompass the mind/body/spirit not just the physical! You can continue managing the cycles of your diseases with physical protocols, but until you delve into the mind/body/spirit piece of it, you may not be able to achieve long-term, 100% healing.
The nervous system is such a crucial part of gut disorders. So what is the cause of a malfunctioning migrating motor complex in SIBO that most people don’t understand? And what can you do about it? Dr. Juliet explains in this video…
SIBO Treatment Summary
- As with all holistic healing, you will have the best results if you address every aspect of SIBO simultaneously:
- Use a natural antibiotic protocol to clear pathogenic bacteria
- Repopulate the intestines with high dose probiotics
- Clearing pathogens and implanting with good bacteria will happen faster if you are simultaneously on an elemental diet
- Assist your nervous system to down-regulate; eating calmly, guided meditation, yoga, Tai Chi, Lazer Tapping, Somatic Experiencing, and Craniosacral are all good methods.