002: Getting To The Root Of SIBO w/ Dr. Mark Pimentel

SIBO, or Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth, is a condition where the good bacteria that grows in other parts of the gut migrate to the small intestine where it’s not supposed to be. You’ll have symptoms of bloating, stomach pain, cramps, and, of course, gas. The condition affects close to 60 million people across the United States, and guest, Dr. Mark Pimentel, and I have been chatting over the past year about what causes SIBO and how you can treat it.

Dr. Mark Pimentel is the head of the Pimentel Laboratory and the Executive Director of the Medically Associated Science and Technology (MAST) program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. A leading specialist in studying the causes of SIBO, IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), and other microbiome related diseases, Dr. Pimentel has been instrumental in delivering treatments, tests, and classifications of these gut diseases.

Dr. Pimentel believes that a SIBO diagnosis is often overused as it can be a catch-all for many different types of GI disorders and that it’s important to get to the root cause of the issue before starting treatment. We talk about why your tummy makes noise, even when you’re not hungry and why you should probably be avoiding lactose in your diet. We look at the correlation between SIBO and other gut issues with certain vitamins, minerals, and gasses in the body.

Do you suffer from bloating, especially after a meal? Is there a history of SIBO or other gut-related diseases in your family? Do you eat a daily probiotic?

 

In This Episode:

What some of the conditions that cause SIBO are

Why your tummy makes noise when you’re not hungry and what the migrating motor complex is

Why people with SIBO should steer clear of dairy products

What the relationship between SIBO, bacteria, and folate (iron) is

How methane contributes to weight gain and weight loss prevention

How you can incorporate probiotics in your diet when you have SIBO

Quotes:

“My job is to prove that you don’t have SIBO first but if you do, then we need to prove why you have SIBO.” (3:24)

“The association between IBS and SIBO is clear. I’d say that probably 70% of IBS is SIBO.” (5:26)

“No human on the planet can drink a gallon of milk without getting bloated, because we only have so much enzyme to break down the lactose.” (9:17)

“You have various layers of protection against the outside world. So your skin on the outside of your body is very non-permeable to ward off infections. However, the gut is very special because you want it to absorb things... but not everything, such as certain toxins or some patients have multiple chemical sensitivities.” (24:05)

 

Links

Find out more about Dr. Mark Pimentel's Research Online

Follow Dr. Mark Pimentel on Facebook | Twitter

 

Check out the full episode post here

Keep up with everything SIBO SOS™ here

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