Probiotics can be tricky when you have SIBO. It can make many people with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth feel worse.
For those that want to support their biome, despite having SIBO, there are SIBO-safe probiotic options that don’t flare symptoms, while healing the gut lining and taming inflammation.
With SIBO, there’s too much bacteria in the wrong place. Most of the beneficial bacteria should be in the large intestine, with very little in the small intestine.
What causes SIBO?
A combination of low stomach and disrupted motility (the cleansing wave that pushes bacteria out of the small intestine between meals) can lead to SIBO.
Other causes of SIBO are low thyroid, trauma or chronic stress, high sugar diet, antibiotics, or intestinal adhesions from surgeries or accidents.
The protocol for SIBO is a diet low in FODMAPs, or fermentable carbs to control symptoms (bloating, gas, gut pain, diarrhea or constipation) and antimicrobial herbs to reduce bacterial overgrowth.
After finishing the herbs, a prokinetic is taken to promote motility.
Challenges of SIBO protocols
A SIBO will not only lower the population of bacteria in the small intestine, but it will also do the same in the large intestine.
Supporting the biome with SIBO safe probiotics and consuming as much SIBO safe fiber as possible, can balance the damage.
This is done in a few ways.
Eat as many veggies as can be tolerated. Plant fibers contain prebiotics to feed beneficial bacteria.
Take probiotics and eat fermented foods, if tolerated.
Many people with SIBO react to prebiotics, probiotics and fermented foods. But there are safe ones to enjoy.
Also, the full elimination low FODMAP diet should not be forever.
After 8 weeks people should begin testing high FODMAP foods by adding them back into the diet. Anything that doesn’t cause symptoms or reactions should be kept in the diet.
Sun Fiber is a SIBO safe prebiotic powder that actually helps lower methane overgrowth. Start very low (1/4 teaspoon) and slowly work up to a full scoop. You can read more about prebiotic fiber here.
Because not all probiotics are the same, I have compiled a list of probiotics that should be safe for most SIBO sufferers.
Four SIBO safe probiotics
Saccharomyces Boullardii
Saccharomyces Boullardii, or Sac B, is a yeast-like organism that acts like a probiotic in the body by supporting the biome and immune system.
It will help reduce damage to the biome during a course of antibiotics. And if one of the best supports of gut immunity. It also helps support eradication of h. pylori, a bacterial infection of the stomach, that can also cause SIBO. Sac B also helps fight a parasite called blastocystis hominis and candida.
And it will flush extra clostridia bacteria from the body. And overgrowth of this bacteria can cause anxiety and OCD symptoms.
Megasporbiotic
Megasporbiotic is a soil based probiotic that also has antibacterial properties. Soil based means that most of the probiotics found in this capsule are from the ground. Typically we would consume these organisms through eating veggies that have not been well washed and still contain some soil from the garden.
It is really good for supporting the immune system, by killing pathogenic bacteria and repairing a permeable intestinal lining.
Because of its antimicrobial properties it can give some people die off effects, so I always recommend that people new to the probiotic, open up the capsule and take 1/4 of it on the tongue. It’s a completely tasteless powder and easy to take this way.
The makers of Megasporbiotic claim that it is one of the few probiotic products on the market that is still alive. Many other probiotic brands sell dead bugs, which can still benefit the immune system but don’t have the strength of live probiotics.
Megasporbiotic does not need to be refrigerated.
This probiotic is very unique in that it combines SIBO safe biome support with antimicrobial properties.
You can buy Megasporbiotic here. You need to create an account and search for the product in the search bar.
Biogaia protectis baby
This probiotic is designed for babies to help with colic, constipation and digestive support. But it is also really good for fighting methane SIBO. And is SIBO safe. It is a form of Lactobacillus reuteri.
This strain lives in the small intestine. It is available here.
Klaire labs Lactoprime plus
Many probiotics contain prebiotic fibers like inulin and FOS, which are often not tolerated by people with SIBO.
Lactoprime plus does not have either of these and is typically tolerated by most SIBO sufferers.
It contains 7 strains of lactobacillus and 5 strains of bifidobacterium and is a naturopath recommended brand for SIBO sufferers.
Now that you have the scoop on how to support your biome during a SIBO protocol, you will have less repair work to do on the gut when SIBO is gone.
I am accepting clients with SIBO or any other IBS-type gut issues currently. Get more info here.
Angela Privin is proof that IBS is NOT an incurable disease, but a cry for help from a gut out of balance. When the body AND mind are complaining, it’s an opportunity to examine what’s not working and change it. After solving her own IBS mystery almost two decades ago, Angela became as a health coach to help others. Angela uses root cause medicine protocols personalized to the individual to solve each IBS mystery. Her tools are lab testing, dietary changes, supplementation, subconscious mind work and nervous system rebalancing . Learn more here.