elemental SIBO diet food

SIBO Diet, Lifestyle Changes, and Supplements for MCAS and HIT

Could a SIBO diet or lifestyle changes help your gut issues?

In Part 1 of this 2-part series on SIBO and Histamine Intolerance and/or MCAS, you learned that SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) is an imbalance of bacteria in the small intestine. 

It can lead to symptoms and conditions like: 

  • abdominal pain 
  • bloating 
  • constipation 
  • diarrhea 
  • gas 
  • heartburn 
  • malnutrition 
  • weight loss 

These are just a few of the symptoms of SIBO. 

There are actually 3 types of SIBO:

  • hydrogen
  • methane
  • hydrogen sulfide

These are named after the different gases they produce.  

These 3 types of SIBO can have different symptoms.

And they need to be addressed differently in some cases. 

This can add a layer of complexity to how you approach SIBO. 

Further, SIBO is even more complex if you’re also dealing with any of the following: 

For example, you may not do well with an aggressive SIBO diet or killing protocol if you have Mast Cell Activation Syndrome.  

The fast die-off of microorganisms may trigger more mast cell activation. 

Another potential issue is that the gut inflammation you get from SIBO may be adding to your Histamine Intolerance issues. (You’ll read about this later.) 

Additionally, if you have Mold Toxicity, your immune system may be dysregulated. This makes it more challenging to fight off infections like SIBO. 

So, in addition to SIBO, you may need to look at the bigger picture of MCAS and Mold Toxicity to really address this. 

That’s why I want to share with you a gentle starter approach that is often tolerated by those in my practice. 

This approach to SIBO has helped many people who are very sensitive due to Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, Histamine Intolerance, and Mold Toxicity. 

You can talk about these ideas with your provider. 

It’s really important to work with your healthcare provider. I can’t say that enough. You always want to rule out medical conditions that may need to be addressed right away. 

And your healthcare provider knows your health history, risk factors, and all your medications. These are always important factors to consider before starting anything new. 

In this post, you’ll learn how to:  

  • support yourself through a SIBO diet
  • boost GI motility 
  • support your nervous system (because it plays a big role in gut health!)
  • ease Herx (or die-off) reactions 
  • use supplements to address the different types of SIBO 

First, let’s look at some ways foods may help with a SIBO diet. 

SIBO Diet 

It’s important you know that this blog post is for informational and educational purposes. It’s not meant to treat any health condition or to be prescriptive for anyone.  If you have any medical condition, it is critical you work under the care and guidance of a licensed medical provider. 

There really isn’t one SIBO diet. But there are several dietary considerations that may help with SIBO. 

Keep in mind that you may need to try several different SIBO diets to see what will work best for you.

This is why working with a practitioner like a dietician can be helpful.  

Whenever you do any kind of elimination diet, even temporarily, you need to be sure you are getting proper nutrition. 

When it comes to SIBO, here are a few different temporary SIBO diets to consider. These may help get your gut health back on track. 

You’ll read about each of these next. 

SIBO Diet and a Low Histamine Diet 

Before you change your diet on your own, please make sure you’re working with a healthcare practitioner who can help you with this. Never limit foods unnecessarily, and always have a licensed medical provider who is supervising your case.  

One of the problems SIBO causes is gut inflammation. 

Gut inflammation can reduce DAO. DAO (diamine oxidase) is an enzyme that helps break down histamine.

If your DAO production is low, you may not be making enough of it to keep up with your histamine load.

This buildup of histamine in the body is what leads to Histamine Intolerance.  

So, SIBO can lead to low DAO. And low DAO can lead to Histamine Intolerance.  

In fact, for some people, SIBO is a root cause of Histamine Intolerance.  

And if you already have Histamine Intolerance, you’ll want to pay particular attention to your histamine levels if you do get SIBO. 

In either case, you might consider taking a DAO supplement if you’re dealing with SIBO. 

Related Article: The Best DAO Supplement  

And you might want to consider a low histamine SIBO diet to help with your histamine load.  

Your body does produce histamine on its own. But histamine also comes from the foods you eat. 

Choosing lower histamine foods will help you keep histamine from building up in your body.  

Additionally, certain high histamine foods can trigger inflammation, too.

So, by choosing lower histamine foods, you are helping reduce gut inflammation as well. 

Check out the low histamine foods list to see which foods are low histamine or high histamine.  

You might already be on a low histamine diet if you do have Histamine Intolerance or Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. And you may find that this isn’t quite enough to help with SIBO. 

Another SIBO diet to consider is the elemental diet. Take a look at what that is next. 

SIBO Diet and the Elemental Diet 

It’s important to be under a healthcare practitioner’s guidance. DO NOT do this if pregnant, nursing, have malnutrition, eating disorders, or other medical conditions. It’s important to be under a healthcare practitioner’s guidance even if you aren’t in one of those categories. 

The elemental diet is a short-term liquid SIBO diet. 

Elemental formulas are a type of supplement made up of easy to digest nutrients. You mix the formula with water.  

This can be helpful when you have gut issues like SIBO. 

The essential nutrients in an elemental diet are easily absorbed. Your body doesn’t have to work as hard as it does to break down solid foods.  

That gives your digestive system a chance to rest and recover.  

And the liquid diet moves through you more easily than solid foods.

That means you’re less likely to have lingering food materials hanging out in your gut.  

That lingering waste can be a food source for bacteria. You don’t want to feed the bad bacteria! 

Again, this is a short-term diet. And it’s very restrictive. 

You really want to talk to your practitioner to see if an elemental diet might be right for you. And you’ll want to talk to him/her about how long you should stick with it. 

It varies person to person.  

There are different elemental formulas to choose from.  

If your practitioner recommends an elemental diet for you, you want to find one without a lot of fillers or preservatives. These additives can be high histamine. 

This is one of the cleanest ones: 

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One thing to note is that if you also have SIFO, the elemental diet can make SIFO worse.  

SIFO (small intestinal fungal overgrowth) is an imbalance of fungi in the small intestine

The elemental diet has to include dextrose or maltodextrin for carbohydrates. This feeds the fungal organisms. 

For a lot of people who are only dealing with SIBO, the elemental diet can be helpful. 

But like you read earlier, what works for one person may not work for another. 

If this doesn’t seem like the right choice for you, another SIBO diet option is doing a Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD). 

Take a look at that next.  

SIBO Diet and a Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD)  

Before you change your diet on your own, please make sure you’re working with a healthcare practitioner who can help you with this. Never limit foods unnecessarily, and always have a licensed medical provider who is supervising your case. 

This is similar to the low FODMAP diet in that it restricts some FODMAPS.

Specifically, it restricts the oligosaccharides, disaccharides, and polyols (the ODP in FODMAP). You’ll read more about FODMAPs next. 

These types of fermentable carbohydrates can trigger gut inflammation. 

And they are thought to play a big role in the microbiome of the gut.  

With the specific carbohydrate diet, you won’t be allowed grains like wheat, rice, oats, or quinoa, for example. 

You’ll also need to stay away from starchy vegetables like potatoes. 

And watch out for certain sweeteners as well as dairy (due to the lactose), too. 

Here are some examples of the oligosaccharides, disaccharides, and polyols. 

Some oligosaccharides include: 

  • lentils 
  • garlic 
  • onion 
  • agave 

Some disaccharides include: 

  • white sugar 
  • milk 
  • cheese 

Some polyols include: 

  • cherries 
  • peaches 
  • sorbitol  
  • high fructose corn syrup 

Eliminating these types of foods will starve the bacteria in your small intestine. 

Studies about the effectiveness of the specific carbohydrate diet (SCD) are ongoing.

Most studies that showed the SCD to be helpful were conducted in children. 

But I wanted to mention it because you’ll often see this come up in relation to SIBO.  

The last SIBO diet you’ll look at is the low FODMAP diet. 

Keep reading to learn more about FODMAP foods and how a low FODMAP diet may help with SIBO. 

SIBO Diet and Eating Low FODMAP 

Before you change your diet on your own, please make sure you’re working with a healthcare practitioner who can help you with this. Never limit foods unnecessarily, and always have a licensed medical provider who is supervising your case. 

Eating low FODMAP short term may help with SIBO symptoms.  

FODMAP is an acronym for:

  • Fermentable
  • Oligosaccharides,
  • Disaccharides,
  • Monosaccharides,
  • and
  • Polyols

You just read about a couple of these when you read about the specific carbohydrate diet. 

FODMAPS are carbohydrates. And they are difficult to digest

FODMAPs also produce gas in the small intestine when they get fermented by gut bacteria.  

So FODMAPS can cause two problems in relation to SIBO. 

  1. When food is difficult to digest, it hangs around in the gut. This feeds bacteria.  
  1. The gases produced from fermentation create painful gut symptoms. 

Temporarily following a low FODMAP diet can help with SIBO. 

That’s because it will take away a food source from the bacteria. 

And it will give you some relief from painful gut symptoms like bloating, gas, and diarrhea.  

Eating low FODMAP doesn’t always get rid of SIBO long term. But it can help calm your symptoms and give your gut a chance to repair. 

Here’s one more thing to know about FODMAPs.  

If you have SIBO and are doing a low FODMAP diet, you might be deficient in short chain fatty acids (SCFAs). 

Short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) help to normalize gut function. And they support mast cells.  

A lot of these short chain fatty acids come from FODMAP foods.  

So, while you are doing a low FODMAP diet, you might need to supplement. 

Butyrate is a short chain fatty acid.  

Tributyrin-X is a butyrate supplement. It’s the best I’ve worked with.  

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And one last reminder: a low FODMAP SIBO diet shouldn’t be long term.  

Once you have addressed SIBO, you can start adding higher FODMAP foods back in one at a time.  

This is where working with a practitioner will be very helpful! 

Now that you’ve looked at some of the SIBO diets, take a look at other ways to support your gut health

Then read about some natural supplements that may be helpful for addressing SIBO. 

Supporting Good Gut Health 

There are a lot of different ways you can support your gut health in addition to a SIBO diet.  

What you eat (or don’t eat) is important when you have SIBO. But how you eat is also important. 

Keep reading to learn more. 

Spacing Meals Out 

Spacing out meals can help with SIBO by aiding what’s called the Migrating Motor Complex (MMC)

This nerve complex makes a clean sweep of your gut after you eat.  

That’s important so that lingering food material isn’t sitting in your gut feeding bacteria. 

Your MMC needs time between meals to work properly. 

Here’s why. If the MMC is active, it stops being active as soon as you eat something. 

That means it doesn’t do the clean sweep of your gut. 

If the MMC isn’t allowed to do its job, SIBO will often not go away.

There will always be food material there for bacteria to feed on. 

This is why snacking (even on healthy foods) between meals isn’t always a great idea. 

If possible, you might consider keeping at least 4-5 hours between meals.  

And if possible, it can help to go 10-12 hours overnight without eating.  

Of course, don’t do this if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, diabetic, have adrenal fatigue, or any other health condition that is a contraindication. 

And always talk with your provider who can help you determine what might be right for you. 

A lot of what you’ve read so far about the SIBO diet is directly related to your digestive system. 

But your nervous system is important to consider, too. 

That might sound funny for addressing gut issues, but here’s how it can help. 

Supporting the Nervous System  

Nervous system work is critical in restoring balance in your body.  

Your nervous system, immune system, and digestive system (among others) are all connected.  

Working on your nervous system can help you get into the parasympathetic state of rest, heal, and digest. 

That’s right, your nervous system plays a role in digestion! In fact, a large portion of your nervous system is located in your gut. 

And good digestion is important because it means food is passing through your body effectively.  

It isn’t sitting around creating a food source for bacteria to thrive. 

So, if you work on the nervous system (getting to parasympathetic rest, heal, digest) you are automatically working on your gut. 

The vagus nerve is also involved here.  

The vagus nerve is a long nerve that goes from the top of your neck through your whole gut. 

It affects GI motility (gastrointestinal motility) – the movement of food through the gut.  

If the vagus nerve isn’t working well, you’ll be more likely to have SIBO.  

Accessing the Healing Power of the Vagus Nerve by Stanley Rosenberg is a good book to learn more about this. 

I’ve also put together a class where you can learn more about supporting your nervous system. 

You can learn more about that here: The Mast Cell Nervous System Reboot.

Another way to support good gut health is by addressing any GI motility issues. 

Up next are some other ideas to consider. 

Fix Gut Motility  

You’ve read several times that good digestion is important for moving food through your body.

This is important so food matter isn’t feeding bacteria.  

You may already realize that slow motility can be an issue with constipation.

But did you know that you can have slow GI motility in your small intestine even with diarrhea

Here are some ways you can promote good GI motility and good elimination

Drink Enough Water  

Water can help flush out your system. 

Here’s an easy way to calculate how much water you should be getting:

  • take your body weight in pounds
  • divide that in half
  • that number, in ounces, is how much water you should be drinking

Here’s an example. If you weigh 150 pounds, 150 divided by 2 is 75. That means you’d want to drink 75 ounces of water or herbal tea per day.

Caffeinated drinks and alcohol don’t count toward that total.  

And, since contaminated water can lead to or worsen SIBO, you want to make sure you have clean drinking water!

Magnesium Oxide  

Magnesium oxide works as a natural laxative. It can help with constipation. 

Magnesium oxide isn’t well absorbed.

For people who are really sensitive, magnesium oxide is sometimes the only magnesium that is tolerated. 

If you handle magnesium well, though, you can get extra benefits using a combo magnesium like Tri-Mag that is well absorbed. 

This form of magnesium can help relax spasms.

This benefit supports ease movement of food through the gut.  

Castor Oil Packs  

These can support good digestive flow. Many people find it helpful with constipation.

The Queen of Thrones Organic, Cold-Pressed Castor Oil is the best quality I’ve ever found. 

This is also a gentle detox support.

If you’re really sensitive, you may need to add binders first. 

Use coupon code MASTCELL360 for 10% off your order. 

Castor Oil Packs by Queen of Thrones

Related Article: Castor Oil Packs – How They Can Help with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome and Histamine Intolerance 

Daily, Gentle Movement  

Walking or light yoga can help promote good digestive health.

This happens through improving GI motility.

Many people need to move daily to keep their bowels moving properly. 

Finally, supplements may also be helpful. 

Keep reading to learn more about some supplements that may be helpful in addition to a SIBO diet.

And special considerations if you have Mast Cell Activation Syndrome or Histamine Intolerance. 

Considerations for SIBO with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome & Histamine Intolerance

It’s important you know that this blog post is for informational and educational purposes. It’s not meant to treat any health condition or to be prescriptive for anyone.  If you have any medical condition, it is critical you work under the care and guidance of a licensed medical provider. 

If you have Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) or Histamine Intolerance, working through dysbiosis like SIBO can be challenging. 

This may be because you can’t tolerate some supplements because they are high histamine

Or it may be that your mast cells are overly reactive resulting in supplement sensitivities

For example, cinnamon is a great antimicrobial often used in SIBO protocols. But it is high histamine. So is clove. 

And combo products aren’t always great if you have Mast Cell Activation Syndrome.

If you are prone to reactions, you won’t know which of the ingredients you are reacting to. 

Those are just a few examples of how dealing with SIBO if you have Histamine Intolerance or Mast Cell Activation Syndrome can be concerning. 

Another thing you need to consider with killing protocols when you have Mast Cell Activation Syndrome is something called Herx reactions or die-off reactions. 

Before we go further, read why Herx reactions can set you back. 

Herx Reactions with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome 

Antimicrobials are medications or supplements that kill microorganisms like bacteria. They are often used to kill the bacteria that’s causing SIBO. 

But as these bacteria are dying, they can release toxins called biotoxins into your body. 

Herx reactions (or die-off reactions) are where toxins build up faster than the body can excrete them. 

And if this happens too fast, you can feel terrible.  

You can get Herx reactions even if you don’t have Histamine Intolerance or Mast Cell Activation Syndrome alongside SIBO. 

So, if you DO have Histamine Intolerance or Mast Cell Activation alongside SIBO, you have to be gentle to not overwhelm your body’s detox systems.  

If you have Mast Cell Activation or Histamine Intolerance DON’T PUSH THROUGH die-off.  

That can set off a mast cell cascade of inflammation and other symptoms.  

If you do get die-off reactions, pause whatever you are doing that caused the die-off and talk to your provider.  

You may have to add more mast cell supports and targeted binders. Here are two other options to consider that can help with Herx reactions: 

You can also consider the following options. 

It’s important you know that this blog post is for informational and educational purposes. It’s not meant to treat any health condition or to be prescriptive for anyone.  If you have any medical condition, it is critical you work under the care and guidance of a licensed medical provider. 

Bicarb formula  

Bicarbs can help calm down mast cells because bicarbonates reduce a mechanism that pushes inflammation.  

And sometimes it makes people feel better after a Herx reaction because it can rebalance alkalinity in the body. 

This is like taking baking soda. But it also includes potassium bicarbonate.  

But don’t exceed the number of capsules on the bottle because these also act as electrolytes.  

Binders 

Binders are supplements that help collect toxins as they are dying off.  

They can help keep toxins from getting reabsorbed into the body.  

When these toxins attach to the binders, you’ll eliminate the toxins through urine and bowel movements. 

But my big rule is: No Poop, No Binders. 

This is because if you’re constipated, the toxins caught by the binders can “fall off” the binders and reabsorb through your intestinal wall.

This can make you feel bad. 

Activated charcoal is one of the binders that can help catch bacterial toxins as you are killing them off. 

It’s taken at least 1 hour before or 2 hours after medications or supplements.

Most sensitive people need to start with a tiny sprinkle. 

Now that you’ve seen why you need to go slowly when addressing SIBO with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome or Histamine Intolerance, here are some supplement options that may be better suited for you. 

Before I share this with you, I want you to know that it’s very important to onboard new things slowly.  

Especially if you’re sensitive.  

And always talk with your provider with any questions or concerns. 

The first supplements you may want to consider are ones that support and calm the mast cells in the gut.

Calming your mast cells first can help you tolerate SIBO protocols better. 

It’s important you know that this blog post is for informational and educational purposes. It’s not meant to treat any health condition or to be prescriptive for anyone.  If you have any medical condition, it is critical you work under the care and guidance of a licensed medical provider. 

SIBO and Mast Cell Support 

Below you’ll find a couple supplement options to consider for supporting your mast cells. 

Perilla Seed Extract 

Perilla seed extract has been shown to have mast cell calming effects, when tolerated.

I like to take it 30 minutes before a meal.  

Related Article: All About Perilla Seed Extract 

Quercetin  

When tolerated, quercetin has also been shown to be very mast cell supporting. 

The form Alpha-Glycosyl-Isoquercitrin is the most well-absorbed form of quercetin. This means less is needed.

I like to take this 30 minutes before meals, too.  

To learn more about other supplements that can help mast cells, check out my Top 8 Mast Cell Supporting Supplements Master Class here: 

After supporting your mast cells, you may consider supporting your overall gut health. 

But I know you want to get to the antimicrobials supplements. Those are the supplements that will get rid of the bad bacteria that’s causing SIBO. 

Related Article: Enzymes, Short-Chain Fatty Acids (SCFA’s) and Gut Health in SIBO, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome and Histamine Intolerance 

You’ve supported your nervous system, your mast cells, and your overall gut health. 

All this is groundwork to set yourself up for success in getting over SIBO. 

But you may also need antimicrobials. Keep reading to learn more. 

Antibiotics, Antimicrobials, and SIBO 

Both antibiotics and herbal antimicrobials kill off bad bacteria.  

Antibiotics are prescription medications. Some can kill off both bad bacteria and good bacteria.  

Because antibiotics may kill off good bacteria, too, you may consider supporting your gut microbiome with probiotics. 

Herbal antimicrobials fortunately don’t usually kill of the good bacteria.

However, probiotics may still be helpful in supporting microbiome balance.  

After all, SIBO is an imbalance of bacteria in the small intestine. Boosting the good bacteria can help restore balance. 

Here are a few probiotics to consider. 

Probiotics  

To keep those good bacteria thriving, you may want to consider a probiotic.

Here are a few options to consider. 

Biospora 

Biospora is a spore-based probiotic (B. coagulans and B. subtilis).

This is often well tolerated in SIBO.  

Saccharomyces boulardii  

Saccharomyces boulardii (S. boulardii) is a type of yeast.

It helps outcompete candida in the gut.

And it has been shown to help in GI issues as well as keep the gut flora in check. 

If you can tolerate this supplement, it can be quite helpful.  

Read more about the other probiotics I recommend here.

You may also need to consider additional supplements or even medications. 

Let’s look at that next. 

Supplements to Consider for Each Type of SIBO 

These options are low histamine. However, SIBO supplements can be very strong. 

I encourage you to talk with your practitioner before starting.  

To help you tolerate stronger supplements, you may need to work on first: 

Here’s a summary of some of the more common lower histamine SIBO supplements. I’ll explain more on each one below.  

Hydrogen SIBO  

Methane SIBO 

Note: With Methane SIBO allicin is usually used with 2 or 3 other herbs.  

Hydrogen Sulfide SIBO 

If you have Hydrogen Sulfide SIBO, you may find you do better if you avoid sulfur containing supplements. 

Avoid things like: 

  • glutathione 
  • NAC 
  • milk thistle  
  • garlic (and allicin extract) 
  • ALA 
  • sulfate forms of oral supplements like MSM and Glucosamine sulfate 

These supplements are often used for hydrogen sulfide SIBO:

 I’ve got more information for you about Hydrogen Sulfide SIBO and what you can consider to help with symptoms coming up.  

But first, let’s look at each of the supplements you just read about one-by-one now. 

Allicin 

For Methane SIBO 

This is a sulfur compound that comes from garlic.

Even though it comes from garlic, it is free of FODMAPs. 

It is shown to have antibacterial and antifungal properties as well as potential antiviral properties. 

Here are 2 forms of allicin to consider:

1. Allimax – gentler

2. Allimed – stronger

Argentyn 23 Silver 

For all 3 types of SIBO 

These silver nanoparticles have been shown to have antimicrobial properties.  

Berberine 

For Hydrogen and Methane SIBO 

Berberine has been found in vivo and in vitro studies to help with diarrhea

It has also been shown to have antimicrobial properties comparable to ciprofloxacin, a prescription antibiotic. 

Bismuth 

For Hydrogen Sulfide SIBO 

Bismuth has also been shown to have:

  • antibacterial
  • antacid
  • anti-inflammatory effects

This combo product, Biofilm Phase-2 Advanced, is an exception to my rule. It is very powerful.

CandiBactin AR & CandiBactin BR  

For Hydrogen SIBO 

CandiBactin AR is a blend of essential oils including thyme and oregano. 

Thyme contains a compound called thymol. Studies have shown it to exhibit:

  • antimicrobial
  • antioxidant
  • anti-inflammatory activity

I’ll share more about oregano below.  

CandiBactin BR has been used to help with SIBO symptoms like:

  • bloating
  • upset stomach
  • cramps
  • gas

Some of the ingredients that may support gut health include:

  • berberine
  • ginger
  • licorice

Neem Powder 

For Hydrogen and Methane SIBO 

Neem is a type of tree native to India. Many parts of this plant have been used for their health benefits. 

Studies have shown neem leaf to exhibit:

  • anti-inflammatory
  • antifungal
  • antibacterial properties (among many others)

Neem is quite strong. 

Olive Leaf  

For Methane SIBO 

Olive leaf has something called a phenolic compound.

This compound has been shown to be a powerful antimicrobial.  

Oregano 

For all 3 types of SIBO 

Oregano has been shown to be VERY powerful for SIBO. It’s also great for histamine.  

It has also been recognized for its:

  • antimicrobial
  • antifungal
  • antioxidant
  • anti-inflammatory properties

Those are supplements that can help with SIBO. But some healthcare providers recommend medications as well.  

There are numerous options. You may be able to use some of the natural supports alongside medications. 

However, always talk with your provider to make sure these choices will be right for you. 

One last thing I want to touch on goes back to Hydrogen Sulfide SIBO and some special considerations particular to this kind of SIBO. More on that next. 

Hydrogen Sulfide SIBO 

If you reduce sulfur foods because you are struggling with Hydrogen Sulfide SIBO, it’s very important to still get some sulfur.  

I’ve seen people get a lot of relief initially by cutting out sulfur foods. But then 6 months down the road they usually get into trouble.  

This is because sulfur is essential for detox and to support mast cells.  

This is where Epsom Salt baths can come in. Epsom salt is also known as magnesium sulfate. 

It contains sulfur. 

You can consider starting with just a few sprinkles of Epsom salt in a bath. I had to start with 1 teaspoon.

Another thing to note about Hydrogen Sulfide SIBO is that it can be very stubborn. 

Dr. Greg Nigh has a very compelling theory that explains why Hydrogen Sulfide SIBO is so hard to get rid of. 

He believes that the body is trying to produce sulfur compounds for detox.

And remember the different kinds of SIBO are named after the different gases produced in the small intestine. 

So, for example, if you have mold toxicity, your body may be making extra sulfur since it is essential for detox. 

This is likely one reason why people have to get rid of the mold toxins and mold colonized in their bodies to get rid of stubborn SIBO. 

After reading his theory, I did some digging and found that mast cells have hydrogen sulfide receptors that help stabilize mast cells.  

Dr. Nigh has found these supplements may help with reducing symptoms in Hydrogen Sulfide SIBO:  

  • molybdenum – helps with conversion of toxic sulfites to beneficial sulfates 
  • Epsom salt baths – provides sulfates through the skin to reduce the need for the GI tract to produce sulfur compounds 
  • hydroxocobalamin – reduces toxicity of hydrogen sulfide (more below)

Hydroxocobalamin is also called Hydroxy 12 or Hydroxo B12.

These are 2 I recommend:

The first is Adenosyl/Hydroxy B12.

The second is a sublingual Hydroxo B12 which may make it easier to absorb.

Final Word on SIBO Diet, Lifestyle, and Supplements

I know this is a lot to take in. Just remember, regaining your health takes time.

But it’s worth it. YOU ARE WORTH IT. 

The road to wellness can take time. Here’s a quotation I like to think about when I get overwhelmed. I hope it will help you, too. 

“A journey of a thousand miles starts with just one step.”  

Lao Tzu

Has it helped you to do a SIBO diet, lifestyle changes, or supplements? What helped you the most? 

Read More on SIBO Diet and Related Conditions

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References 

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Comments

  1. Lilit

    Hallo mein Name ist Lilit Nöding,

    I’m thinking of doing the Elemental diet for 21 days in order to hopefully cure my intestinal methanogenic overgrowth. The only issue is that I developed histamine intolerance after I got diagnosed with Sibo . The Histamin all the intolerance is quite severe so I’m scared that I might have a big allergic reaction when buying and taking the elemental diet by physicians.
    Because of the histidine Or other ingredients that might be a problem.

    Do you have some knowledge about L Histadine and Intolerances and the Elemental diet? Kind regards Lilit Nöding

    1. Jamie, Mast Cell 360 Team

      Hi Lilit,

      The l-histidine isn’t usually an issue – it’s an amino acid in all complete proteins. Many people in our population need to get to the antifungal stage of the MC360 method and have some antifungals on board if there is any SIFO. If you are going to try the elemental diet, we highly recommend working with your licensed medical provider. Here is the link to the elemental diet we share on fullscript: https://us.fullscript.com/product_cards/86590/redirect?store_slug=mastcell360

      You can also get 15% off anything at Fullscript anytime when you register with this link. If you don’t have an account already, it’s free and you just enter your email address to sign up. It never costs you any more, but your Fullscript purchase helps support Mast Cell 360 free online resources.

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