If you have Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO), chances are that antibiotics alone aren’t going to fix it. To make sure that SIBO goes away and stays away, you’ve got to address the underlying problems which caused it in the first place. This often means making serious changes to your diet, even if you are already eating healthy.
There are 5 main dietary approaches to treating SIBO. The diets vary significantly, but are all based on one common principle: starve the bacteria and/or don’t re-feed it.
In this article, we’ll go over the SIBO diets, discuss which is the best diet for SIBO, and how to incorporate diet into your SIBO treatment.
This is part of a series about treating SIBO. If you missed the last parts of the series, catch up here:
- Part 1: What is SIBO?
- Part 2: Symptoms of SIBO
- Part 3: Causes of SIBO
- Part 4: Diagnosing SIBO
- Part 5: Breath Tests for SIBO
- Part 6: Hydrogen vs. Methane SIBO
- Part 7: Antibiotics for SIBO
- Part 8: Herbal Antibiotics for SIBO
- Part 9: Elemental Diet for SIBO
Why Is Diet Important for Treating SIBO?
Bacteria is part of the natural structure of our guts, and it actually serves many important roles in our bodies which range from aiding in digestion to regulating mood. Just like all other living organisms, bacteria have to eat something. And what do bacteria primarily eat? Carbohydrates.
When you eat a diet which is full of carbs (especially simple carbs like the sugary and starchy foods found in the typical Standard American Diet), bacteria will have a field day. They eat up those excess carbs, proliferate, and then you’ve got an overgrowth problem on your hand.
It certainly doesn’t help that the SAD diet also is full of inflammatory foods like gluten which can damage the lining of the stomach and decrease stomach acid production (stomach acid helps kill and regulate bacteria).
As we talked about in the Causes of SIBO section, low stomach acid means you will have undigested particles of food in your small intestine, which the bacteria can then eat.
Option 1: The Low FODMAPs Diet for SIBO
FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols, which are the four classes of fermentable sugars/sugar alcohols. The Low FODMAP diet was originally derived as a dietary treatment for IBS but can be adapted for treating SIBO.
The idea behind the Low FODMAPs diet is that you get rid of foods which contribute to intestinal fermentation. FOMDMAPs diet is very effective in treating gastrointestinal conditions like IBD and IBS.
However, it is important to note that the Low FODMAPs diet does not restrict polysaccharide and disaccharide sources of carbs such as grains, starch, starchy vegetables, and sucrose.
These carbs are normally well-absorbed, but with SIBO they aren’t absorbed well and bacteria can feed off of them and worsen the problem. So, to treat SIBO, these carbs must also be removed.3, 4
Note: It’s LOW FODMAP, not NO FODMAP, so try not to drive yourself too insane 😉
Option 2: SCD Diet for SIBO
SCD stands for Specific Carbohydrate Diet. It was originally developed by a pediatrician for treating Celiac disease and was later popularized by Elaine Gottschall in her book Breaking the Vicious Cycle. SCD limits complex carbs (disaccharides and polysaccharides), lactose, sucrose and other man-made (read: crappy) ingredients.
These ingredients are harmful to the digestive system and lead to yeast overgrowth, bacteria overgrowth, and inflammation. According to data from surveys, SCD has a 75% to 84% success rate.
Here are some examples of SCD foods:
Allowed:
- Meat
- Kale, lettuce, peas, peppers, mushrooms
- Ghee
- Some legumes
- Most spices
Not Allowed:
- Cereal grains (wheat, corn, oats, rye, etc.)
- Processed meat
- Canned fruits and vegetables
- Soy, chickpeas, fava beans, bean sprouts
- Commercial milk and dairy products
- Potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes
Option 3: GAPS Diet for SIBO
GAPS stands for Gut and Psychology Syndrome. The diet was created by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride. It is based on the idea that all disease starts in the gut – which is supported by the fact that 90% of all cells and genetic material in the human body belongs to gut flora.
Campbell-McBride says that modern life damages the gut flora and leads to diseases including autism, ADD, epilepsy, depression, as well as many other diseases.
GAPS diet is similar to SCD diet, but allows/excludes a few different items and also has a very clear outline. There are seven phases to the GAPS diet. The introductory stage is basically a fast which allows very little food, room temperature water, and probiotics.
As you move through the phases, you are allowed to add more foods to the diet – such as egg yolks, avocado, and squash. There are some foods which are not allowed at any phase of the diet. GAPS diet also heavily focuses on detoxing.6
Not Allowed During Any Phase:
- Sugars (other than fruit)
- Potatoes, rice, flour
- Wheat
- Dairy
There isn’t any scientific evidence supporting GAPS diet for SIBO. Because the diet removes starches and certain sugars, as well as difficult-to-digest foods like beans, it can help reduce inflammation and intestinal fermentation. However, the diet does not remove high FODMAPs foods.
These foods act much like sugars and starches, meaning that you could still be feeding the bacteria in the gut. For this reason, even GAPS diet will have to be adapted if it is going to be used to effectively treat SIBO.7
Option 4: Elemental Diet for SIBO
I’m hesitant about even including Elemental under the “diet” category, because it is really a short-term protocol for treating SIBO and not something you can live off of long term (at least not without completely losing your marbles).
Like with the other SIBO diets, the goal is to starve the bacteria — but in a really hardcore way. You don’t eat anything!
To prevent the body from starving, you take a very specific liquid which contains the basic nutrients your body needs. It’s basically a tube feeding formula that you drink and has the nutrients to keep you alive. The nutrients are in a predigested form so they can be easily absorbed into the bloodstream, allowing the gut to heal while the bacteria die off. Elemental diet is most often used for treating Crohn’s disease, but some studies have shown that a short-term elemental diet can be very effective for treating SIBO.
I did an Elemental Diet while also taking herbal antibiotics for SIBO. The experience was not at all pleasant but, in my case, it definitely helped kill off the bacteria so I think it was worth it. I talked about it in this post.
Option 5: Cedars-Sinai Diet for Preventing SIBO
The other diets mentioned above are used for treating SIBO. By contrast, the Cedar-Sinai Diet is designed to prevent SIBO. It was devised Dr. Mark Pimentel, Director of the Gastrointestinal Motility Program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
The diet isn’t as strict as the ones listed above, but follows the same general principles: you’ve got to reduce foods which are hard to your body to digest so bacteria don’t end up using them as food. Pimentel’s diet also advises against frequent eating because this can affect the migrating motor complex which helps empty and clean the bowels.8 He outlines the details in his book A New IBS Solution.
Key Points of the Cedars-Sinai Diet:
- Avoid sweeteners like corn syrup, mannitol, sorbitol, lactose, and sucralose
- Avoid dairy
- Limit beans, lentils and peas
- Drink 8 cups of water per day
- Eat protein like beef, fish, poultry, and eggs in body-appropriate portion sizes
- Some carbohydrates are okay, but must experiment with how your body reacts to them
- Eat fruits in moderation
- Eat non-starchy vegetables
- Coffee and tea are okay in moderation; soda should be avoided
The protocol also involves taking a prokinetic drug to improve motility and supplementing with Hydrochloric Acid, if deficient.
Which Diet is Best for SIBO?
A combination of the Low FODMAPs diet and SCD Diet is considered best for treating SIBO. Dr. Siebecker refers to this combo as the “SIBO Specific Diet”. However, I like to restrict it a bit further since it allows for ingredients that aren’t ideal for anyone who wants to heal their gut — such as legumes and artificial sweeteners aspartame and saccharine.
What I would consider the best diet for SIBO is a combination of:
Low FODMAP + SCD + Paleo/Primal
The Low FODMAP and SCD diets take care of the fermentable and pro-inflammatory foods which will feed bacteria. The Paleo/Primal diet will take care of all those unnatural foods which wreak havoc on your gut health (not to mention the rest of your health).
In my eBook The SIBO Solution, I get into more detail about how to eat if you want to beat SIBO, plus have lots of great SIBO diet recipes. Stay tuned and make sure you’re on my newsletter if you want to be the first to know when the ebook releases.
Want a FREE list of SIBO Diet Yes/No Foods? Click the button below to download your copy!
Ready to eliminate SIBO once and for all? Get your copy of The SIBO Solution: Your Comprehensive Guide to Eliminating Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth by clicking HERE. You’ll also receive a BONUS SIBO Detox Support Guide mini ebook with your purchase.
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thank you so much for your wonderful resource. My big question is after I do a month long SIBO diet, to get rid of the SIBO (I also am killing a parasite) can I eat a paleo diet afterwards? I am already gluten, dairy, soy and egg free and can’t imagine eating so many of the foods on the no list ever again.
It’s very individual but you should be able to re-introduce quite a few things. I eat paleo ish now and I’m just fine.
Sylvie, thank you so much for your wonderful blog. It’s a light in the murky darkness for those of us starting on the SIBO journey. I have two questions about diet.
1) Have you heard of the Fsst Tract diet? It’s supposed to have been tested for SIBO. What is your opinion of it and why did you decide to create your own anti-SIBO diet and not just use Fast Tract.
2) Do you have any information or advice for a maintenance diet after SIBO tests negative? I know you advise people to stay on the anti-SIBO diet for 3 more months, but what about after that? I’m just starting out on this journey but I want to know what’s ahead, especially since the anti-SIBO diet is so restrictive.
Thanks again!
I got rid of SIBO and reflux with Fast tract diet. I was sick for 5 years and nothing else helped. I felt worse and worse.
I tired PPI, H2 blockers, GAPs / paleo diet, lots of antibiotics (just short relief), elementary diet, etc. etc.
I highly recommend FTD – with this diet you can eat all, but food with high fermentation score should be limited. One should not exceed 20 FT points per day.
I feel happy and I’m not hungry with this diet, since it allows really a lot.
Plus eating lots of ginger as prokinetic and chewing 20 times each portion of food before swallowing . There is a group on Facebook, published book and App application to count the score of food.
Sylvie, I highly recommend you this diet instead of taking low dose abx. I’m sure when you will stop erythromycin you will relapse . This abx keeps the overgross of bacteria at bay, that is the reason you felt better and better after you stopped the elemental diet.
In the past (before Xifaxan ) erythromycin and doxycycline were used against SIBO…
I don’t take any pills and I’m SIBO free- this is the best way to treat it!
Hi there!
Your site is full of great info! Thanks for all you do.
I’m wondering about the SIBO breath test. I’ve been scared to take it because the idea of being off antibacterials and then purposely eating sugars to have the test done sounds very unhelpful. How did you deal with this and how did it go for you?
Thanks!
ANgie
Hi Angie, I think the breath tests are incredibly useful insight and worth the possible short term setback. Without data it’s tough to make treatment decisions.
I wrote about my experience with breath tests in this post: https://hollywoodhomestead.com/breath-tests/
The good news is there are now some test you can order directly as opposed to needing a doc to call them in : hollywoodhomestead.com/sibo-breath-test/
Hope that helps!
Glad you’re loving the site 🙂
Sylvie
I have been on SCD for 8yrs. I have recently struggled with SIBO and diverticulitis. Many people have recommended the Fast Tract diet. It seems similar to SCD but is also really different in other ways like honey is NOT recommended but some rice is allowed as well as chia seeds. Have you looked at this diet. I would love thoughts from someone who understands SCD and SIBO. Thanks.
I was diagnosed with SIBO-C (methane) in November with a breath test. It’s methane dominant, so FODMAPS would probably do little for me (http://fixyourgut.com/sibo-methane-or-hydrogen-dominant-what-is-the-difference/) because it’s caused not by bacteria but by archaea overgrowth. I was already on the Perfect Health Diet since last August — that’s no grains, no sugar, no legumes, no additives — and it was fixing a lot of other symptoms that I had like brain fog, hair loss, tingling in my hands and feet and depression/anxiety, which it turned out were all being caused by vitamin D and B12 deficiencies. To address the SIBO, I started taking Atrantil last month (December 2016) — 6 caps a day. The bloating improved within a week. Now I’m trying to get at the root cause, which I think has to be some kind of disruption in my Migrating Motor Complex that cleans the gut, in my case, probably due to insomnia. I’m doing circadian rhythm entrainment, wearing blue light blocking glasses at night and taking melatonin. It’s helping. I now go to sleep easily. Wake once around 2:00, and it’s getting easier and easier to fall back asleep. I’m waking feeling refreshed for the first time in a long time. The other possible cause for me is possibly the vagus nerve needs stimulating and possibly the ileum valve isn’t closing all the way. I’m working one on one with a yoga instructor on breathing and postures. Also looking for a chiropractor who has experience with gastro issues and can help address the ileum valve issue. In addition to Atrantil, I take Iberogast, NAC and Natural Calm. I’m considering MotilPro also. I get tested again next month and I’m eager to see if the Atrantil is reducing methane levels. I think it is, just going by how I feel. Good luck everyone dealing with this. It’s a trial for sure.
I can’t seem to download the free list, the button isn’t working?
Please contact me . I have not been able to down low your e-book
Hi Suzie,
Please email our customer support and someone will get back to you as soon as possible! support@hollywoodhomestead.com
Thanks!
Hi,
I have been tested positive for SIBO through a breathing test a few months ago after months of suffering post food poisoning.
I have gone through 2 rounds of 2 weeks of Xifaxan and just finished my 2nd round 4 days ago. I started doing Sibo Specific Diet immediately, but my stomach hasn’t been feeling too comfortable. So I ordered Herbal Antibiotics (Metagenics Candibactin-AR with Metagenics Candibactin-BR) on my own, and started taking them today along with MotilPro for prokinetics. If anyone can help answer my questions below, I’d really appreciate!
1. Can I eat fruits raw during first 2 weeks of Sibo Specific Diet or do I have to cook everything?
2. Can I start herbal antibiotics 4 days after the end of Xifaxan treatment?
3. Can I stick to Sibo Specific Diet during herbal antibiotics treatment or should I eat food that feeds bacteria?
4. Can I take prokinetics while doing herbal antibiotics?
Any help would be appreciated!
Thank you!
Hello Sylvie!
22-year old female from Denmark who suffers from IBS(with both diahrrea and constipation) and Cystic Fibrosis. Have yet not been diagnosed with SIBO, but I believe to suffer from that too because of me disease Cystic Fibrosis(and those patients very often suffer from SIBO) and because the Low Fodmap diet didn’t prevent enough results for me. I keppt getting relapses during the diet.
I have read the SCD diet is also made to example people with my disease.
So that’s why I seek your advice now: do you think your combination of SCD/Low Fodmap/Paleo could finally provide me with some relief?
Looking forward to hear from you!
Best wishes
AJ
Hi AJ
Can you take a breath test for SIBO to find out for sure? More info here: https://hollywoodhomestead.com/breath-tests/
I think diet alone to cure will take a long time. Essential as a preventative after treatment but I wouldn’t recommend it as treatment in and of itself.
Hope that helps,
Sylvie
Hi Sylvie,
I’m new here, so not sure what the “protocol” is (lol), but was reading the whole thread with much interest and noticed you said at one point you were on erythromycin 50mg…was that a typo or was it maybe a low dose purposely to take maybe long term?? Hope to hear back and that all is well :-)!
Hi Sylvie! Sorry, another question! Your yes/no lists have some types of honey as allowed and some not allowed – and I wondered where you think Manuka honey would fit? I can’t find any info online about it’s Fodmap status (although it looks great in general). Thanks, Amanda x
Thanks Sylvie. I have yet another question! I’m interested in making some homemade yoghurt at some point and your recipe says to use milk – but your yes/no list has milk on the no side. Are there some types of milk which are allowed (almond, coconut, raw, goat?) but others that aren’t (like normal cow’s milk)? Thank you again! Amanda x
Hi Sylvie – I see you’ve addressed this in your BRILLIANT e-book so no need to reply here 🙂 Amanda x
Glad you like the ebook Amanda! <3 Sorry I didn't catch your Q sooner
Thanks Sylvie – that’s good to know. I have another question! I’ve already been doing the diet (based on your yes/no lists and meal plans from the SCD Lifestyle guys) and I’m waiting for my breath test results. I’ve actually just started on herbal antibiotics as I’m convinced the test will be positive (and it was in the past) so I was wondering if I should continue the diet while taking the herbals or not? I was planning on doing both, but I’ve read in a few places that starving the bacteria cause them to hide which limits the effectiveness of antibiotics (so you should keep feeding them while taking antibiotics) – any thoughts? I’m going to buy your ebook either way as I’ll use it once I’ve finished the herbals (and because I think you’re great and want to support the amazing work you’re doing!). Thanks, Amanda x
Hi Sylvie, thank you so much for sharing all this fantastic info! I have your SIBO diet yes/no food lists (which are amazing), and have a quick query – is kombucha allowed? Thank you x
Amanda, you’re welcome! Technically no, kombucha tends to be problematic. Hope that helps. -Sylvie
Hi Sylvie,
I LOVE your website. I can defenetely say that it is the best website linked to IBS and SIBO that I found so far. It reveals the real facts that cause SIBO. I’m a 18 years old girl from Kosovo, Europe that I’m suffering from SIBO since a very long time. Ever since i was a very young child I was suffering from flu/colds almost in every two weeks, and the immidiate drug that the docters would perscribe me without even looking if it was a flu or a cold was antibiotics. So I can’t even count how many antibiotics I have taken in my whole life. Since last year my main simptoms were severe acne in my back, oily forehead(with few acnes) and excessive smelly gas and smelly but normal stool. But last year I got a tooth infection and I had taken antibiotics therefore and ever since then diarrhea has occured. I’ve taken probiotics, kefir, cultured vegatables, but nothing has helped. When I read doctor Mark Hyman’s article about SIBO being the cause of IBS I got a clearer picture of what i might have (I forgot to mention that the Kosovo medicine is so bad that it doesn’t even recognize ibs/sibo). He mentioned that the main cause of sibo is the overusage of antibiotics in the past, something that is linked with my personal case. The problem is that in Balkan the hydrogen breath test cannot be done, the physians for following up the sibo treatment are defiecient, so i don’t know where to start. My question to you is: regarding to my symptoms: smelly excessive gas, no brain fog, a little fatigue, loose stool(once per day), no consipation, no stomach pain, no headache, do you think that I have a mild sibo and if so, will I be able to cure it easy (following your Ebook, getting medical support abroad the country).
I hope you’ll answer my question.
Gresa
Hi Sylvie,
I LOVE your website. I can defenetely say that it is the best website linked to IBS and SIBO that I found so far. It reveals the real facts that cause SIBO. I’m a 18 years old girl from Kosovo, Europe that I’m suffering from SIBO since a very long time. Ever since i was a very young child I was suffering from flu/colds almost in every two weeks, and the immidiate drug that the docters would perscribe me without even looking if it was a flu or a cold was antibiotics. So I can’t even count how many antibiotics I have taken in my whole life. Since last year my main simptoms were severe acne in my back, oily forehead(with few acnes) and excessive smelly gas and smelly but normal stool. But last year I got a tooth infection and I had taken antibiotics therefore and ever since then diarrhea has occured. I’ve taken probiotics, kefir, cultured vegatables, but nothing has helped. When I read doctor Mark Hyman’s article about SIBO being the cause of IBS I got a clearer picture of what i might have (I forgot to mention that the Kosovo medicine is so bad that it doesn’t even recognize ibs/sibo). He mentioned that the main cause of sibo is the overusage of antibiotics in the past, something that is linked with my personal case. The problem is that in Balkan the hydrogen breath test cannot be done, the physians for following up the sibo treatment are defiecient, so i don’t know where to start. My question to you is: regarding to my symptoms: smelly excessive gas, no brain fog, a little fatigue, loose stool(once per day), no consipation, no stomach pain, no headache, do you think that I have a mild sibo and if so, will I be able to cure it easy (following your Ebook, getting medical support abroad the country).
I hope you’ll answer my question.
Gresa
I just wrote the previous comment through Emily that accidentally got submitted. I am a vegan that is more raw food based and starch based. A combo of FullyrawKristinaKristina and Mcdougall. I am very religious in my veganism. I have so many symptoms of sibo. Bloating after meals, partial diarrhea chronically, and now recently I am having pain and gas, nausea. My question is, is there ANY, I mean ANY hope you can give me at remaining a vegan and still being able to rid of sibo??? It is stressing me out seeing all of the treatments completely meat based it makes me feel hopeless. I understand sugar and starch feed the bacteria but I’m vegan and need 3,000 cals a day as I’m trying to gain weight. What could I eat? I would appreciate your reply so much.
Thanks for your reply Sylvie and I hope sincerely that you arer ok when you come off the erthromycin. The fact that i blame that particular antibiotic, used many years ago to treat acne, for my gut dysbiosios means i could never go that route. But i am delighted its working for you. Fingers crossed.
Regards,
Brian.
Thanks Brian. I’ll definitely update once I come off. I guess I should have mentioned (in case anyone else comes across this and is wondering) that the reason I haven’t taken myself off of it is that my “underlying cause” is still a bit of a mystery and as far as I know, has not been resolved, so I know recurrence is something I’m vulnerable to. Living in a place where testing and treating is somewhat difficult, prevention is key for me. 🙂
Best to you,
Sylvie
Sylvie, congratulations, your series ties together so many threads that make up this complicated illness. I just have one simple question: are you SIBO free completely now, with or without prokinetics (and which ones)? If not completely SIBO free do you believe it is possible to achieve? Its so hard to find anyone who can say “yes, im completely cured, like my old self when i was in perfect health”.
Im following Dr. Pimentel closely, i feel there may be somethign brewing there re a cure, something to with “anti-vinculin antibody”. He is definitely a mandatory follow for anyone in this boat.
Kind regards,
Brian.
Hi Brian,
I am symptom free and the last SIBO test I took was a flatline (completely negative). I haven’t stopped the prokinetics so I guess we’ll see what happens when I do, which may be soon since they are becoming less and less easy to find here (I live in Abu Dhabi). Stay tuned 🙂 For now I’m on erithromycin, 50mg each night before bed.
I agree that Dr Pimentel and Dr Siebecker are ones to follow. I hope in the future this will be easier to treat and prevent. It’s been quite the journey 🙂
Best to you,
Sylvie
While doing the herbal protocol should you follow the sibo diet or eat food that brings out the bacteria to kill it and implement diet after? Also, I have slow gut motility and the prokinetics don’t do enough…what do you think of Dr.millers holy tea?
I’ve heard mixed opinions on whether gelatin is okay within a SIBO diet or not–I’d love to hear your opinion!
Thanks!!
Hi Kay,
I explained it a bit in The SIBO Solution but the bottom line is you’ll have to try it to see how it works for you. I haven’t found it to be a problem in my case and it can really help with gut healing. If you’re worried, keep it out till you’re SIBO clear and reintroduce then (in small amounts) and see how you do.
Hope that helps!
Sylvie
Hi Sylvie,
I’ve had IBS on and off (mostly on!) since my teenage years. At age 37, I discovered paleo, and the IBS symptoms went away for 2-and-a-half years. Then, I accidentally ate french fries that were coated in wheat flour. I have battled IBS constantly since then (9 months now) while still eating paleo and have only very recently found relief with a very low-carb, low-FODMAP version of paleo a la Allison Siebecker (thanks to the link in your series on SIBO). However, I’ve been sick with colds/stomach bugs constantly since the “French Fry incident”, so I’m wondering if the presence of SIBO (without feeding the bacteria to produce GI symptoms) will still lead to a depressed immune system. Is it still necessary for me to take antibiotics, or will adhering to this diet long-term eventually reverse the SIBO and/or restore my immune function?
Hi Cicely, I’m glad you found relief in a SIBO diet type approach but have you tested for SIBO? If you haven’t I would get tested before you decide on course of treatment. Yes, it’s possible that diet alone will help if your case isn’t severe and if you have a lot of patience (as it will take longer than something like herbals or elemental diet). Hope that helps, Sylvie
Hi Sylvie – thanks for your prompt reply! I haven’t been tested yet, mostly because I’m not prepared to do anything besides diet change at the moment (especially since it relieves my acute GI symptoms). I’m still breastfeeding my 20-month-old (with no apparent end in sight 😉 . However, it would be useful to have a baseline reading to compare to after adhering to a SIBO diet for a while. I just kind of dread drinking something that will feed the bacteria in order to get the analysis!
Forgot to mention that I LOVE your website and that you are a fellow Paleo unschooler. It seems to be an oxymoron in the radical unschooling community but it’s nice to know that I’m not the only one!
Thank you! I appreciate that. And I know! What’s up with all the vegan unschoolers, huh? 😉
Yeah, a baseline is good 🙂 I’m a big fan of testing because I feel like it can really guide you as to what direction you’re going in etc. But you’re getting great feedback from the diet so keeping that up until you’re ready to test is good too!
Hi Joann and Casey,
Yes, I do think so. And actually, my SIBO was hydrogen dominant the second time around, right before I started round 2 of elemental plus herbals. That combo took it from high hydrogen (38 if I remember correctly- you can check the post for screenshot of results) to zero. Methane was already close to zero before that last punch. 🙂 Hope that helps!
I’m following this question because I’m in a similar boat. My first test showed pretty equal methane and hydrogen – I took peppermint and oil of oregano and a few months later, my methane is 0 but my hydrogen numbers are bigger (peak at 48). Waiting on the doctor to call to discuss treatment options, but curious what you have to say!
Sylive…I was diagnosed with HYDROGEN sibo (hightest 30) and methane was only highest at 3-4…My question is if the herbal protocol you used is also effective for the Hydrogen type, since yours was methane??? I am following the herbal protocol now that you recommended and look forward to your book!
I’m following this question because I’m in a similar boat. My first test showed pretty equal methane and hydrogen – I took peppermint and oil of oregano and a few months later, my methane is 0 but my hydrogen numbers are bigger (peak at 48). Waiting on the doctor to call to discuss treatment options, but curious what you have to say!
Hi Joann and Casey,
Yes, I do think so. And actually, my SIBO was hydrogen dominant the second time around, right before I started round 2 of elemental plus herbals. That combo took it from high hydrogen (38 if I remember correctly- you can check the post for screenshot of results) to zero. Methane was already close to zero before that last punch. 🙂 Hope that helps!