Navigating the SIBO Diet
Recognizing the link between SIBO symptoms and foods plays a significant role in treating the condition. In most cases, people follow a short term elimination diet then gradually reincorporate the eliminated foods back into their diet. Contact your healthcare provider or dietician for proper guidance when reintroducing foods into your diet. An elimination diet will help you know if certain foods are responsible for digestive symptoms of SIBO. Do not replace the diet with other treatments prescribed to you by your doctor or dietician.
The American College of Gastroenterology proposes that most diets recommended to manage symptoms of SIBO limit your consumption of foods that are fermented by gut bacteria. These foods include:
- High fiber foods
- Sucralose, an artificial sweetener with zero calorie
- Inulin and other prebiotics
- Sugar alcohols, a type of sweetener with low calorie
Your dietician may recommend a diet low in FODMAPs because they are difficult to digest and can be fermented by bacteria in the gut. Make sure you contact a registered dietician to develop a plan that works for you and satisfies your nutritional requirements.
Elimination diets are temporary solutions to SIBO. Restrictive diets like elimination diets may have adverse side effects on your digestive symptoms when used for a long time. They may also destroy your digestive gut bacteria when used for a long time.