Why am I so bloated??

Bloating is one of the most aggravating symptoms because of how uncomfortable and embarrassing it can be! When attempts to avoid beans and broccoli fail, it’s time to get to the root cause. Here are some driving factors to consider.

1. Food Reactions: It’s not only beans that can cause the bloat! Some people are reactive to gluten, dairy, or other foods they eat every day without even thinking about it.
2. Gut Dysbiosis: That’s a fancy word to say the gut microbiome is out of balance. There could be an overgrowth of yeast or unwanted bacteria to blame.
3. Hormones: Hormonal changes can cause fluid retention and bloating – sometimes leading people to believe they have a digestive problem when it’s actually hormones!
4. SIBO or IBS: Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth and irritable bowel syndrome are two common diagnoses that cause bloating.

How can you know what the cause is for you? Functional medicine testing can eliminate the guesswork.

The difference between IBS & SIBO

What’s the difference between Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)??

On the surface, IBS and SIBO are hard to tell apart. Both can cause bloating, gas, pain, and either diarrhea or constipation. But they are NOT the same. IBS and SIBO have different causes and different solutions – making it critical to know which is to blame if you ever want to heal.

Here are some differences between IBS and SIBO that anyone struggling with gas and bloating needs to know:

• SIBO affects the small intestine, whereas IBS affects the large intestine
• SIBO is caused by overgrowth of good bacteria, whereas IBS often involves yeast, parasites, or pathogenic bacteria
• Antibiotics may give temporary relief from SIBO but not IBS
• Probiotics and prebiotics are more likely to make SIBO worse and IBS better

The bottom line?

If you are at all confused about the cause of digestive distress, it’s time to stop guessing and actually test.

Stop starving yourself

Don’t Make This Mistake

Most people believe that if they have SIBO or IBS or other digestive problem that they need to follow a highly restrictive diet forever.

It’s not true!!!!

Here’s the reality:

• Bacteria in the gut feed on carbohydrates to produce gas
• Diets like the Low-FODMAP Diet and the Specific Carbohydrate Diet limit the fuel source for gas-producing bacteria
• These diets can be extremely helpful at temporarily reducing symptoms like gas and bloating
• In the long run, the gut microbiome needs variety AND carbohydrate fuel sources to stay healthy
• So a better approach is to work on healing the gut and gradually reintroduce foods over time

Don’t go it alone!!!! Functional medicine practitioners help patients make sense of their digestive symptoms and find personalized long-term solutions.

Why some people feel worse taking probiotics

The microbiome and probiotics are all the rage. These healthy bacteria support gut health, immunity, brain function, and more. But probiotics are not for everyone! In some people, probiotics make gut problems even worse. The most common explanation for this is that there is already an overgrowth of bacteria – called SIBO.

SIBO stands for Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth. Excessive numbers of bacteria convert carbohydrates into gas, causing bloating and digestive problems. Adding more bacteria to the mix? It’s like adding fuel to a fire.

Prebiotics can be equally problematic, so look closely at supplement labels for things like inulin, chicory, arabinogalactan, FOS, or GOS.