Though you may not be familiar with it, the SIBO diet was created for people who have a special medical condition. Called SIBO, which is short for Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth, this condition can lead to a number of issues.
So, what is SIBO? It occurs when there are too many bacteria growing in the small intestine, interrupting the ways in which food is digested. Symptoms of SIBO include malnutrition (since the body doesn't digest foods properly), diarrhea, and pain. One of the ways in which SIBO is treated is by following a specific diet that requires you to slowly eliminate foods from your diet until only certain ones remain.
Want to learn more? Let's dive into the specifics.
What Is the SIBO Diet?
Essentially, the SIBO diet is designed for people who have the medical condition, although anyone who wants to can follow it. Since the diet isn't harmful, as it still includes a healthy mix of foods, all of which provide you with an ample amount of nutrients, such as protein, carbohydrates, and fats, as well as plenty of vitamins and minerals.
Low FODMAPS and SCD
The diet was created by Dr. Allison Siebecker, who combined two medically sound diets, low FODMAPS (short for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols) and the SCD (or Specific Carbohydrate Diet), in order to create one that helps relieve SIBO symptoms and in some cases, prevents sufferers from needing additional medical intervention for the condition altogether.
Following the SIBO Diet
In order to follow the SIBO diet, you must do a few things. One, there are certain foods to avoid, as well as those that you should incorporate into your diet. With that said, you start by eliminating entire and very specific food groups from your diet one at a time until you find relief from your SIBO symptoms. Often, the first food group to be eliminated consists of sugars, such as fructose, a simple sugar, followed by others that make up the low FODMAP diet.
These include lactose, which appears in many dairy products, like cheese and milk; fructans, which are a type of carbohydrate that's found in prebiotics, certain fruits and vegetables, and even foods that contain specific glutens; and galactans, which are found in specific legumes. Next on the list are polyols, which is a sugar alcohol that many companies use to sweeten their products. The hallmarks of low FODMAPS and SCD diets are evident when you look at the foods that are to be eliminated as you work through each category.
Why the SIBO Diet Can Be Helpful
The best thing about the SIBO diet is that once you eliminate a food group and experience some relief from your symptoms, you can stop taking foods from your diet and leave the others in. However, some people don't want to risk it, so they take the foods to be avoided and those to be included very seriously. Here are some examples of both categories.
Foods to Avoid on the SIBO Diet
The SIBO diet encourages people to begin eliminating foods that are high in FODMAPS from their daily meals. Some of these foods include:
- High-fructose corn syrup – Found in many different things, from beverages like Pepsi and Coke to processed snack foods, high-fructose corn syrup can be tricky to avoid. You'll need to read the back of every food label before ingesting it.
- Honey and agave nectar – Used as a substitute for standard white sugar, as well as high-fructose corn syrup, this option contains compounds that can irritate the digestive system of someone with SIBO.
- Carbohydrate-Filled Vegetables – Certain vegetables contain a number of carbohydrates. Therefore they should be on the elimination list for those following the SIBO diet. Examples include things like garlic, asparagus, onions, cauliflower, butternut squash, and artichokes. Broccoli is sometimes on this list as well, although it's a complicated addition.
- Peas and Beans – Ordinarily, peas and beans are good for you. However, they are not low in FODMAPS, so they should be included in the list of foods to eliminate and eventually avoid.
- Apples – Did you know that apples contain plenty of carbohydrates? On top of that, they have a high sugar content. Since both of those are to be avoided while on this diet, apples in all forms need to be on this list.
- Dried fruits – As with apples and some of the other sweet treats on this list, dried fruits should be avoided on the SIBO diet.
- Sausage – Standard meats are on the "foods to eat list" below. Sausage, on the other hand, is filled with nitrates and other compounds that can cause a person's SIBO to flare up instead of going away.
- Ice cream and flavored yogurt – The sugar content of both ice cream and flavored yogurt ensures that they are placed on the "do not eat" list.
- Sweetened candy and cereal – Although some types of cereal can be okay for those on the diet, options that come pre-sweetened (the ones that are usually marketed to kids) can contain high-fructose corn syrup. Mass-manufactured candy can contain it as well.
- Grains – Certain grains, like barley and rye, contain compounds that can harm people with SIBO. The gluten content of these grains makes them a member of the "foods to avoid" category for those following a low FODMAPS diet as well. You'll need to find substitutes for these grains, such as quinoa.
Foods to Eat
Just as there are plenty of foods to avoid while on the SIBO diet, there are just as many that you can eat. The focus here is on lean meats, as well as foods that are low in sugars, gluten, and carbohydrates. If they are on the low FODMAPS list, then you can eat them. Here are some suggestions:
- Lean Meats – As with other diets, lean meats are okay to eat. Opt for turkey and chicken, as well as grass-fed beef. Fish can be included on this list as well.
- Eggs – Filled with protein, eggs are good for you and low in FODMAPs, meaning that you can have them for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a snack whenever you like.
- Grains – When it comes to grains, these are a complicated addition to your diet. Things like gluten-free crackers and cereals (especially unsweetened ones) are okay to include. Oatmeal and quinoa are on that list as well.
- Squashes – Although butternut squash is on the "do not eat" list, some of its counterparts are not. You can include summer squashes, like zucchini and yellow squash, as well as spaghetti squash in your meals.
- Broccoli – Yes, broccoli is on the other list as well. It does have a high FODMAP rating, but you can include it sparingly in your diet. Just make sure that you're only eating the heads (no stems) and that you have less than ¾ of a cup a day.
- Noodles – It can be tough to go without noodles when you're used to enjoying them several times a week. Thankfully, you can have gluten-free noodles, as well as rice noodles.
- Vegetables – There are plenty of vegetables that you can eat while on the SIBO diet. They'll help round things out and bring in the fiber, vitamins, and minerals that you need every day. Items on this list include potatoes (a source of starch), pumpkins (although technically a fruit), leafy greens, olives, and carrots.
- Seeds and peanuts – For added protein, reach for seeds (pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and so on), as well as peanuts.
- Fruits – As with the vegetables, there are some specific fruits that you can eat as well. They include berries, like strawberries and blueberries, as well as oranges and grapes.
Medical Proof That It Works
In most cases, once you've been diagnosed with SIBO, the first thing that your doctor will do is prescribe an antibiotic to kill the bacteria. This can be effective, but what happens when those small intestinal bacteria come back? As a result, many people with the disorder end up following a SIBO diet in order to keep those bacteria by the wayside. Medical studies have shown that it does work.
And, of course, there's no reason why you need to be diagnosed with SIBO in order to follow this elimination diet. It can work for those who want to lose weight as well.
In Conclusion
Not only will the SIBO diet provide some relief for people with the condition, but it can also help those struggling to lose weight. Since the diet involves removing specific foods from meals, such as sugar-filled or gluten-included options, once you remove the harmful foods (those with the medical condition can stop the food group elimination process once they have symptom relief), you're left with a number of healthy foods that are low in FODMAPS and SCD. These remaining foods are good for everyone and can help dieters lose weight, even if they don't have SIBO.
Sources:
SIBO Diet: What to Eat for Better Management | Very Well Health
About Author: Mario Mendias
