SIBO Explained: Symptoms, Root Causes and Natural Healing for a Balanced Gut

Welcome! This is my very first blog, and I'm so excited to share it with you. Each month, I'll be bringing you a new article on a topic I regularly work with in my nutrition practice, Nutriwellbeing.ch. As a nutritionist specializing in menopause, digestive health, and hormonal imbalances, my mission is to simplify the science, share personal insight, and give you practical steps you can start using right away.

This first blog dives into a topic that I have personally faced with: SIBO. Let’s explore what it is, why it happens, and what you can do to feel better.

1. Your Digestive System 101

The digestive system is a complex but beautifully coordinated network of organs that turn food into fuel. Here's a quick overview of what happens:

• Mouth & teeth: Chewing and salivary enzymes start digestion.

• Stomach: Acid and enzymes break down food; stays here for 1–5 hours.

• Pancreas, liver, and gallbladder: Secrete digestive juices.

• Small intestine: Where most nutrient absorption occurs.

• Large intestine (colon): Where bacteria ferment leftover fibers.

  
  

The small intestine is not designed to host many bacteria. That role belongs to the colon. When bacteria overgrow in the small intestine, problems start to arise.

2. What Is SIBO?

SIBO occurs when bacteria—whether "good" or bad—multiply in the small intestine. This leads to premature fermentation of carbohydrates, producing gas, bloating, cramping, and altered bowel movements amongst others.

3. SIBO vs. IBS and Other Conditions

Many conditions mimic or overlap with SIBO, including:

• IBS

• SIFO (Small Intestinal Fungal Overgrowth)

• IBD (Crohn's, Ulcerative Colitis)

• Post-Infectious IBS

• Motility disorders

SIBO is not a disease on its own—it's a symptom of an underlying problem, like slowed motility or immune dysfunction.

4. Symptoms of SIBO

SIBO affects everyone differently. Common symptoms include:

• Abdominal bloating and distension

• Gas (belching, flatulence)

• Heartburn or reflux

• Diarrhea, constipation, or both

• Nausea or feeling full quickly

• Brain fog

• Fatigue

• Food sensitivities

• Histamine intolerance

• Nutrient deficiencies

5. Root Causes: Why SIBO Happens

SIBO develops when your body's built-in defenses fail:

• Low stomach acid (can't kill bacteria)

• Slow motility (due to stress, medications, trauma)

• Weak ileocecal valve (allows bacteria to backflow)

• Immune dysfunction

• Surgeries or adhesions that cause physical blockages

Lastly your body has an internal “dishwasher” called the Migrating Motor Complex (MMC) that flushes out bacteria between meals. If you snack too often or have vagus nerve damage, the MMC can’t do its job.

6. The Role of the Vagus Nerve

The vagus nerve tells your gut when to activate the MMC. If it's disrupted by stress, head injuries, or trauma, it may cause a breakdown in motility and open the door for SIBO.

7. Structural Risks

Surgeries (C-sections, hysterectomy), adhesions, endometriosis, or conditions like volvulus or blind loop syndrome can all create pockets where bacteria hide and thrive.

8. Disease and Lifestyle Risk Factors

Conditions that slow gut movement or damage immunity include:

• Diabetes, hypothyroidism, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)

• Parkinson’s, Lyme disease, Mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS)

• Autoimmune diseases (Hashimoto’s, Celiac)

• Chronic stress

• Long-term antibiotic or the use of  Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAID)

9. Food Poisoning: The Root of the Root?

A major root cause is post-infectious IBS, triggered by a bad case of food poisoning. The immune system creates antibodies (anti-CdtB and anti-vinculin) that mistakenly attack your nerve cells. This disrupts motility and leads to chronic SIBO.

You can test for this using the IBS Smart Test, a blood test for those antibodies.

10. SIBO and Leaky Gut

Once SIBO damages your intestinal wall, leaky gut develops. This allows undigested food and bacteria to enter the bloodstream, triggering systemic inflammation and even autoimmunity.

A zonulin test can be carried to assess intestinal permeability.

11. How to Test for SIBO

The gold standard is a hydrogen and methane breath test, using glucose or lactulose. You drink a sugar solution and breathe into tubes every 15 minutes. Labs test for gas levels to detect bacterial overgrowth.

Lactulose is preferred for full intestinal coverage. A positive test usually means:

• Hydrogen rise of 20+ ppm within 120 mins

• Methane rise of 12+ ppm

• Combined gas rise of 15+ ppm

A third gas, hydrogen sulfide, is now being researched in newer tests.

Some labs allow you to order breath tests online.  

12. Treatment Must Address the Root

Successful treatment may require a combination of tools (antibiotics may be one). A lasting SIBO recovery requires amongst others:

• Antimicrobials (Rifaximin is often the first-line antibiotic choice)

• Combination of essential oils taken orally (Thym, tea tree and  oregano)

• Combination of herbal teas ( Peppermint (Mentha x piperita), Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis, Blackcurrant leaves (Ribes nigrum)

• Gut lining repair

• Diet modifications (low FODMAP, SIBO-specific)

• Nervous system regulation

• Supporting the MMC and vagus nerve

• Probiotics after treatment

You must always keep in mind what works for you and above all what your body can handle. Some may not wish to take antibiotics whilst for others the use of essential oils taken orally can be too abrasive. I have personally used the low FODMAP diet ( If you want to try to identify your triggers or see if you have some relief you can pick up your 7 day low FODMAP diet plan on my website.

 

13. Final Thoughts: SIBO Is a Clue, Not a Curse

SIBO is a sign that something deeper is going wrong in your gut, immune system, or lifestyle. By viewing it as a clue—not just a condition—you can start healing from the inside out.

Start with testing. Dig into your root causes. Heal your gut step by step.

Your body knows how to restore balance. You just have to give it the right tools.

Before You Go: What Can You Take Away?

In each blog, I want to leave you with 3 things you can remember, use, or put in place right away:

1. Start spacing your meals to allow your MMC to clean your gut between meals.

2. Track your symptoms and meals to help identify patterns and potential food triggers.

3. Don’t just treat the bacteria—look for the why. Your root cause matters!

   
   

My next blog will be on Menopause—how to balance your hormones naturally and feel yourself again.

If you found this helpful, don’t forget to share it, subscribe to my newsletter, and follow along at Nutriwellbeing.ch for practical, holistic guidance.

Let’s heal from the inside out—together.

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