Best Probiotic For Sibo Constipation

Sibo Lactulose Breath Test

If youre being tested for SIBO, make sure your practitioner orders both a hydrogen AND methane breath test. If you have archaea and they are consuming all the hydrogen , you will have a false negative on a hydrogen only test – it will say there is no excess hydrogen gas production when really there is. Bottom line: you could be told you dont have SIBO when really you do.

While SIBO test interpretations arent always black and white and are constantly evolving, here are the methane numbers we are generally looking for on a three-hour lactulose breath test:- A rise of > 10ppm over the lowest previous value within 90-120 minutes or- For high baseline methane measurements that stay high, this may be more indicative of archaea in the large intestine

I Want To Leave You With A Few Closing Points

Overview Of Best Probiotic Strains For Sibo

Some practitioners believe that using antibiotics, a low FODMAPS diet, and avoiding probiotic foods and probiotics is the standard of treatment for SIBO.

And yet, research shows that several strains of probiotics help with SIBO digestive symptoms. What is more, certain kinds of probiotics can even help eradicate SIBO.

Because of this, some experts in the field of SIBO are now recommending using certain strains of probiotics for SIBO treatment.

These strains include:

• Lactobacillus rhamnosus
• Lactobacillus reuteri

Finding probiotic supplements that contain a broad spectrum of these strains is ideal in many cases. But as an individual, you may need to try single strains first to see if you are on the right track.

Here are some interesting research findings that have been done on some of these strains and SIBO patients.

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Probiotics Are Effective For Sibo

Be wary of internet advice that suggests probiotics will make SIBO worse. This is one area where, sadly, opinion has drifted away from science. Probiotics are an effective treatment for SIBO and can be used alone or in combination with a number of other research-backed treatments.

SIBO patients may benefit most from a long-term strategy to improve overall digestive health rather than short-term, SIBO-focused treatments. This approach has benefits beyond treating SIBO and can help resolve digestive symptoms, non-digestive symptoms, and chronic inflammatory conditions.

References

Links & Resources

Probiotics For Methane Sibo

There is both clinical and scientific evidence for probiotics improving constipation outcomes. The challenge is that while certain beneficial bacteria families are helpful, the literature suggests strain, quantity and other ingredients all matter. Bifidobacterium lactis strain has been shown to improve transit time while Bifidobacterium infantis using a product known as Align, actually increased methane levels. In another study, the probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri had a beneficial effect on chronic constipation via decreases in methane production , including the complete eradication of methane in 11 of the study patients.

As with prebiotics, probiotics for SIBO can be a delicate balance to find. The right strains for the right clients can help significantly but use the wrong product, strain or quantity and you might make symptoms worse. This is an area of research that is constantly evolving, which highlights the importance of working with an expert team who are up to date on the latest science and clinical perspectives on SIBO treatment.

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Your Doctor Could Be Wrong Why A Science

Below we will detail what the scientific research with probiotics has found. This will be a review of high quality scientific support.

Why the emphasis on high quality?

To protect you from inaccurate advice. The balance here is usually between two extremes:

• Your doctor might make a remark such as there is no evidence for probiotics.
• Online marketers who proclaim probiotics as a cure all.

Of course most doctors are only trying to help, but might not have the time to stay current with the research. Sadly, instead of saying I havent kept up with the probiotic research most doctors default to an understandable stance of circumspection.

Internet marketers routinely use junk science to tell you their product is scientifically proven. What they leave out is that its been proven to help a rat or a petri dish, not humans.

Here is an example I will never forget. I was attending a lecture by a health guru who razzle dazzled the audience with how promising this new fiber was for weight loss. There were mechanistic diagrams and colorful charts showing how this fiber would lead to weight loss on a cellular level. I sat there fuming knowing that we have already tested this in humans! Guess what the results showed? About 2-3 pounds of average weight loss in subjects who were already obese.

Sibo Treatment Step : Probiotics And Supplements

If you are still experiencing your symptoms after completely following the diet and lifestyle modification for a period of at least 1-2 months, the next step is to introduce a well researched and strain-specific probiotic into your daily routine, along with other supplements.

Throughout this second step, it is extremely important to maintain the diet and lifestyle changes you made during foundational step 1.

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Will Probiotics Treat Sibo

Remember that SIBO is a condition that results in an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestines.

It might be counter-intuitive when you consider that probiotics may actually treat SIBO, but this is indeed the case.

SIBO represents a condition of dysbiosis in the gut.

Dysbiosis refers to an imbalance in the types and proportions of microflora in your intestinal tract.

This represents a big problem for many individuals because the bacteria in your gut help you digest foods , modulate the immune system , balance neurotransmitter levels , boost thyroid function , and much more.

When the concentration of bacteria becomes dysregulated changes occur to ALL of these systems.

The overgrowth of bacteria in SIBO is usually accompanied by dysbiosis, increased intestinal permeability , and fungal overgrowth .

These conditions lead to the characteristic symptoms of SIBO :

• Gas and bloating
• Abdominal pain or abdominal cramps
• Digestive issues or trouble digesting your food
• Malabsorption of nutrients and minerals
• Gut inflammation and system inflammation
• Skin issues like acne, eczema, or rosacea
• Fatigue or low energy

The presence of any of these symptoms is considered ABNORMAL and should prompt further workup to figure out what is causing them.

All of these factors should be taken into account when treating SIBO with probiotics .

Because of the variability in the presentation of symptoms and dysregulation in hormone systems, each person may need slightly different probiotics.

Brain Fog And Cognitive Function

Data here are preliminary but encouraging. Research has found increased brain fog, aka lack of coherence, in those with IBS. We have discussed the impressive evidence substantiating probiotics can improve IBS. So, we can draw a tenable inference here that if IBS occurs with brain fog, reducing IBS could reduce brain fog.

Proof

A 2020 Meta-analysis looked at 7 human and 11 animal studies. Researchers concluded that probiotics enhanced cognitive function. Effects of probiotics on cognitively impaired individuals were greater than those on healthy ones.

Brain fog, or fuzzy thinking, isnt usually studied in isolation but we can look at other disease-model studies where probiotics have improved cognition. This includes probiotics improving cognitive function in:

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Saccharomyces Boulardii For Sibo

Saccharomyces boulardii is a live yeast type of probiotic. It has been used for decades safely for many purposes.

It does many things, including helping the immune system and keeping the gut in balance. Additionally, it helps to strengthen the gut lining according to clinical research .

S. Boulardii also helps the body absorb nutrients. This is an important feature because people with SIBO have a reduced ability to absorb nutrients .

Further, S. Boulardii reduces SIBO symptoms, including diarrhea, abdominal pain, bloating, and reduced breath hydrogen levels . Even more, Saccharomyces helped eradicate SIBO in this study. For all of these reasons, it is often considered the best probiotic strain for SIBO.

Saccharomyces boulardii is a very appealing strain for people with SIBO because it doesnt overgrow in the small bowel. It helps with so many intestinal symptoms, including diarrhea, bloating, and abdominal pain. What is more, it even improves nutrient absorption.

For SIBO treatment, probiotics like S. boulardii have minimal risks. Just make sure that you choose a reputable brand with a live and active culture of Saccharomyces boulardii.

Stonehenge Health Dynamic Biotics

These probiotics include 16 strains, substrains, prebiotics, and over 50 billion CFUs.

The product is vegan and does not contain genetically modified organisms , soy, gluten, or artificial ingredients. Also, it comes with a 90-day money back guarantee.

However, it is frequently out of stock.

This product costs $49.95 for a 1-month supply, $43.99 per bottle for a 3-month supply, and $37.99 per bottle for a 6-month supply.

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Natural Herbal Antimicrobials For Methane Sibo

Our preferred first-line approach involves using natural herbal antimicrobials . Not only do we find them less aggressive, they have also been shown to be at least as effective as antibiotics in clinical trials for SIBO and are less detrimental to your beneficial gut microbes.

Two important principles to keep in mind when using antimicrobials to eradicate methane SIBO are:

1) Combine to kill – there are varying types of bacteria and archaea that can cause SIBO and not all antimicrobials can kill off all types. The best way to overcome this is through the use of two different herbs for maximum effectiveness.

2) Rotate to avoid resistance – bacteria and archaea are smart and will adapt quite quickly. While not as common as antibiotic resistance, the effectiveness of a given herb tends to diminish with successive rounds.

Most protocols last around 30 days per cycle and vary by the type of SIBO you have. Depending on methane gas levels, more than one round of treatment may be required. In terms of specific herbs, a lot of the research comes from livestock where methane production is a significant environmental concern. So, while not perfect, it does give us some science to back up what we see clinically.

While specific brands and dosages are being updated all the time, our preference for methane SIBO is to use blends and combinations that include the following main herbal ingredients.> Neem – Animal feed study

Antibiotics For Methanogenic Archaea

A lot of methanogenic archaea are unfortunately resistant to the majority of antibiotics that are commonly used against bacteria. So the antibiotics that are typically used to clear out bacterial infections tend to be ineffective with these types of archaea.

Even the most commonly used antibiotic for SIBO, Rifaximin has reported success rates of around 30% in methane-producing subjects, when used on its own. However, the combination of Rifaximin and Neomycin together has produced success rates of up to 87%. Unfortunately, Neomycin is a broad-spectrum antibiotic known to cause damage to the microbiome. For the last fifty years, it has commonly been used in sterilizing the GI tract, permanently reducing the population of many beneficial bacteria strains. Medical research also demonstrates that neomycin can disturb the intestinal membrane, increasing the risk of other disease states. As such, it may be effective in wiping out SIBO but your gut may not easily or ever recover properly from the impact it has on the microbiome.

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Bifidobacterium Animalis Subsp Lactis Dn

B. lactis DN-173 010 is another Bifidobacterium lactis strain shown to be effective at helping to relieve constipation in several clinical studies. In a double-blind parallel study in 70 healthy adults, drinking a daily combination of 375g of milk fermented with the specific Bifidobacterium lactis strain DN-173 010 for 11 days reduced colon transit time by 20%. Interestingly, the effect was more pronounced in women 15. In another similar study, this time a gold standard trial, 12.5 billion CFU of B. lactis DN-173 010 was administered in yoghurt form to 34 individuals with IBS-constipation daily for 4 weeks. B. lactis DN-173 010 was demonstrated to significantly reduce colonic transit time from baseline which was statistically significant comparted with placebo 16.

Why Probiotic Triple Therapy Is So Effective

At the end of the day, you want results. You want a probiotic protocol to reduce or eliminate whatever symptoms you are suffering from. As a doctor, I want this for you also, but I understand that we need to fix the underlying cause of your symptoms. So, instead of using a probiotic that is marketed for your symptom, we go a level deeper and use Probiotic Triple Therapy to ensure we support a balanced healthy gut environment.

This thorough probiotic therapy fixes the underlying cause of your symptoms and thus your symptoms resolve. The symptoms that improve after balancing your gut could be anything from digestive symptoms all the way through mood or metabolism. This probiotic protocol is not a cure all, but gut health is clearly a foundational aspect of wellbeing.

Important reminder, probiotics are not a get out of jail free card for an unhealthy diet and lifestyle. These both must be in place to see optimal response to any probiotic regime.

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How To Improve Gut Health Naturally

Improving your gut health naturally requires considering a variety of lifestyle factors. These include diet and nutrition, the amount of sleep you are getting on a consistent basis, the status of relationships in your life , exercise, stress, mental health, and many other key elements.

Beyond diet and lifestyle factors, there are many natural treatments that can help to support a healthy gut. The key is knowing where to start, and how and when to use these treatments.

Dr. Ruscio and his team will listen to your concerns and create a customized plan that is proven and effective to help restore your gut health naturally.

Small Bowel Aspirate And Culture

This is the gold standard for SIBO testing, but it is a more invasive test. Small bowel aspirate tests involve a doctor performing an endoscopy, which means inserting a small, thin camera through the mouth and down into the stomach.

When the device reaches the duodenum, which is where the stomach joins up with the small intestine, doctors use the endoscope to take a tissue sample. They then send the sample to a laboratory, which analyzes the bacteria present.

It is worth noting that with small bowel aspirate testing, as well as breath testing, there is no universally accepted threshold for what constitutes a positive SIBO result. This makes diagnosis more difficult for those who have less conclusive test results.

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How Is Sibo Diagnosed

SIBO is typically diagnosed based on patient history, followed by a diagnostic test. Healthy individuals have less than 103 CFU of bacteria per millilitre of digestive fluid in the small intestine. There are currently two diagnostic tests used for SIBO:

• Jejunal aspiration – a direct measurement of the numbers of bacteria in the small intestine
• Breath test – an indirect measurement of the bacteria numbers, gleaned from the measurement of the by-products of their fermentation activity.

Sibo Treatment Process Instructions:

• To begin, follow the foundational step of Diet and Lifestyle. Once you go through this initial stage, carefully work through each step until you are executing it effectively. Remember, regaining your health will require time and commitment!
• Continue to steps 1-4, in chronological order. Be sure to provide yourself with enough time to evaluate your symptom improvement after completing each step.
• In order to evaluate how well a treatment step is working, it is recommended to follow the guidelines of a step for at least 1-2 months. Since symptomatic relief will vary between individuals, some may notice symptom improvement quicker than others. Regardless, continue with each step for the recommended time frame however, if you find that the step is not improving your symptoms at all, proceed to the next step.
• Once you feel that your symptoms have been significantly reduced with a given treatment plan, continue with this step for at least 3 months. At this point, you can proceed to step 5 and begin reintroducing a wider variety of foods and fiber into your diet. Once you begin this recovery process, it is also recommended that you begin to come off some of your support.
• If diet, lifestyle, probiotics and other supplements do not appear to improve your symptoms and you instead require antibiotic treatment, it is not as important to restrict your diet. In fact, it may prove beneficial to broaden the diet while on antimicrobial treatment.

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