SIBO

[verde]

And we know that it only takes about 2-3 weeks for someones microbiome to completely shift after following our dietary recommendations.

Speaking of which, there's recently been a thread of vegans abandoning veganism due to being diagnosed with something called SIBO and there's a guy on YouTube who's becoming very prominent called GojiMan who says that anything from bloating to gas, to belly pain, sense of fullness, indigestion, diarrhea, constipation, etc, are all signs of a condition called SIBO (which causes food intolerance, especially fiber).
He says the solution is to eat a Low Fodmap diet or an elemental diet (liquid made of nutrition without any fiber). And that fiber is the culprit of these issues!

Jeff, what the heck is SIBO, and is any of this true? If our gut microbiom adapts so fast, why do people experience these digestive issues, and what's the solution for it?

Thank you in advance!

[JeffN]

And we know that it only takes about 2-3 weeks for someones microbiome to completely shift after following our dietary recommendations.

Speaking of which, there's recently been a thread of vegans abandoning veganism due to being diagnosed with something called SIBO and there's a guy on YouTube who's becoming very prominent called GojiMan who says that anything from bloating to gas, to belly pain, sense of fullness, indigestion, diarrhea, constipation, etc, are all signs of a condition called SIBO (which causes food intolerance, especially fiber).
He says the solution is to eat a Low Fodmap diet or an elemental diet (liquid made of nutrition without any fiber). And that fiber is the culprit of these issues!

Jeff, what the heck is SIBO, and is any of this true? If our gut microbiom adapts so fast, why do people experience these digestive issues, and what's the solution for it?

Thank you in advance!

Dr McDougall on SIBO
https://www.drmcdougall.com/2016/04/30/ ... -troubles/

https://www.drmcdougall.com/health/educ ... -05-19-16/


On FODMAP
viewtopic.php?f=22&t=39080

In Health
Jeff

[verde]

And we know that it only takes about 2-3 weeks for someones microbiome to completely shift after following our dietary recommendations.

Speaking of which, there's recently been a thread of vegans abandoning veganism due to being diagnosed with something called SIBO and there's a guy on YouTube who's becoming very prominent called GojiMan who says that anything from bloating to gas, to belly pain, sense of fullness, indigestion, diarrhea, constipation, etc, are all signs of a condition called SIBO (which causes food intolerance, especially fiber).
He says the solution is to eat a Low Fodmap diet or an elemental diet (liquid made of nutrition without any fiber). And that fiber is the culprit of these issues!

Jeff, what the heck is SIBO, and is any of this true? If our gut microbiom adapts so fast, why do people experience these digestive issues, and what's the solution for it?

Thank you in advance!

Dr McDougall on SIBO
https://www.drmcdougall.com/2016/04/30/ ... -troubles/

https://www.drmcdougall.com/health/educ ... -05-19-16/


On FODMAP
viewtopic.php?f=22&t=39080

In Health
Jeff

Thank you Jeff. I had already watched and read Dr.McDougall on this issue. Actually more than once (I have probably read all the newsletters by now, and yes, watched the webinars regularly too).
However he dismisses the fact that there are many long term vegans on this WOE who develop these digestive problems After being on this WOE for a while, not before! To him, the only way these issues can occur is to eat animal products, so for us, looking to him for advice is quite frustrating because he rarely addresses anyone who experiences any issues on this woe.

Hence why I asked you.

From what read in the forum posts you linked , you believe the ED is more effective than the Fodmap one, right?
Honestly I tried the ED but many foods in there like brown rice and sweet potatoes are exactly what causes the bloating and gas. That and beans or garlic.

My question was more in the lines of: if our microbiome is adaptive and supposedly changes so fast as you mentioned, than why is it that it doesn't adapt to certain foods??
If it were to adapt wouldn't it be fair to say that theoretically you could eat anything and it would eventually become used to it and not cause digestive issues????

If that is theoretically the case, would it then be that the solution is to INSIST on those foods that cause trouble? Should that be done? Do you think that it could be an answer to the problem?

Or is the answer to keep restricting the diet? I am finding that it's getting to the point where my system is only able to digest a few foods, and I'm starting to feel frustrated by it. But that's just me.

I'm interested in the science of this. Science usually leads to solutions.


Thanks again!

[JeffN]

I think most of your questions and concerns will be answered in this thread on the Elimination Diet.

viewtopic.php?f=22&t=48950

A few important points...

- I think you are confusing two things. Establishing a healthy micro-biome doesn't mean that all food allergies, reactions, sensitivities will be healed. While there may be some relationship between the two, and some issues maybe resolved, these are different issues.

- There is no food that is 100% safe. People even react to brown rice, white rice, and sweet potatoes.

- It can be a long and frustrating process to figure this out but well worth the effort

- I posted the links to Dr McDougall to make sure you had read them.

- The most effective approach to treating any of these digestive issues, is a properly done ED. Doesn't matter what name they give the issue causing the problem (SIBO, etc) or the solution (FODMAP), we still have to find the foods that are causing the problem and there is not a standardized answer across the board or per disease name. So, in the end, you still have to do the food testing.

- I layout a several step process by which one can implement the ED and I give my professional experience with it over the years. I also provide the evidence to date in the above links showing that none of these new twists have proven more effective.

In Health
Jeff

[verde]

- I think you are confusing two things. Establishing a healthy micro-biome doesn't mean that all food allergies, reactions, sensitivities will be healed. While there may be some relationship between the two, and some issues maybe resolved, these are different issues.

Thank you Jeff!

Yes you're right! I did think that all food issues were due to the microbiome! They're not? I'm truly surprised! I was always under this misunderstanding for some reason!
Then what causes them? Why can some people eat some things and feel nothing while others can't?
This is truly puzzling to me!
If it's not what is it? Why are there treatments like fecal transplants that are being done to resolve some of these issues? Or am I also mistaken on that? I've heard a documentary podcast on the subject and was under that impression but I might be wrong!

I've done my own elimination diet (this is not to say I won't read the thread you linked because I will), and have over the years found what works for me. More recently I'm also finding that with some foods it's a matter of how much of them I can have.
Others I cannot eat at all.

What made me insistent on wanting to once in a while try the reactive foods was a few things:

1) most of those foods are deemed very healthy ones like the ones mentioned: sweet potatoes,legumes, garlic, onions, kale, etc. And I thought I'd be better off if I could have them.
2) in the past, I could mostly have them without any issues, I don't understand what changed and why!
3) I confess I looooove the taste of sweet potatoes, and beans! I'm so sad I cannot have it!
4) I truly thought it was a microbiome problem and that if I kept insisting on those foods like mothers do to babies (little by little every once in a while) I would be healed and back to normal.

I guess I won't do that anymore then?

I'm still confused as to what makes this happen. Maybe there's no scientific answer yet?

Thank you so very much again for your time and clarity!
Sincerely,
Joana

[JeffN]

It sounds like you are confusing information with actual credible science.

Breaking Health News
https://www.forksoverknives.com/contrib ... ff-novick/

The Information Myth: Is More Better?
viewtopic.php?f=22&t=44760&p=461663&#p461663

What causes disease? Many things. Many variables. Three brothers in a family smoke and drink and one dies early of cancer, one dies a little later of emphysema and the third eventually dies of heart disease.

However, the leading causes of most lifestyle related diseases are known and are smoking, alcohol, inactivity, excess weight and poor diet. For the details of what about diet is contributing to most lifestyle related diseases, see my post on the Real Dirty Dozen and Triage Your Health.

Triage Your Health
viewtopic.php?f=22&t=7875

The Real Dirty Dozen
viewtopic.php?f=22&t=42831

The only way to know which foods you will react to is to do the ED and go through the process.

In Health
Jeff

[verde]

It sounds like you are confusing information with actual credible science.

Breaking Health News
https://www.forksoverknives.com/contrib ... ff-novick/

The Information Myth: Is More Better?
viewtopic.php?f=22&t=44760&p=461663&#p461663

What causes disease? Many things. Many variables. Three brothers in a family smoke and drink and one dies early of cancer, one dies a little later of emphysema and the third eventually dies of heart disease.

However, the leading causes of most lifestyle related diseases are known and are smoking, alcohol, inactivity, excess weight and poor diet. For the details of what about diet is contributing to most lifestyle related diseases, see my post on the Real Dirty Dozen and Triage Your Health.

Triage Your Health
viewtopic.php?f=22&t=7875

The Real Dirty Dozen
viewtopic.php?f=22&t=42831

So to reiterate , what you're saying is that as long as I avoid the real dirty dozen and even if I eat the same three foods every day for months, I'm not less better off than if I was having a way more varied variety of foods (especially vegetables and legumes)?
Also just to make sure: are legumes essential for better health or not particularly? If one reacts to them badly it's fine to stay away from them?

Another question I'm curious about: does a more varied diet imply a more varied microbiome bacteria population? Or not necessarily, as long as you eat fibrous plant food?

The only way to know which foods you will react to is to do the ED and go through the process.

How can one promote a better immune system in order to have it go back to how it was and not react negatively to foods it didn't use to react before? Is this even under our control? Or it's something our bodies can eventually do on their own?


Side note:
I hope that's not too many questions, it's just that this is a subject I have personally struggled with for the past few years as I became more reactive to foods I used to eat without issues.
I also am aware that micromanaging this whole thing is fruitless and that the body is a whole system and there's many variables affecting it at one point so it's basically almost impossible to tell what exactly works for one person in particular.
However I'm interested in the possible scientific explanations for these issues in general. If there's any.


Thank you again for the clarity!

[JeffN]

Are you yourself currently on the ED, the MWL or the regular program?

In Health
Jeff

[verde]

Are you yourself currently on the ED, the MWL or the regular program?

In Health
Jeff

I am currently eating potatoes, broccoli, oranges and sometimes other cooked vegetables (like carrots, beets, celery, turnips), and other fruits (like bananas and apple).
My main meals tend to be potatoes with broccoli, a lot of both.

I want to be on the regular program but generally when I introduce more variety my body reacts as I've said (cramps, extreme bloating, gas). I did the ED for a period and slowly realized these were the foods that reacted better with me.

[JeffN]

As you know, I can’t address specific individual health issues in an open public anonymous forum.

There are general discussions on the topics.

In Health
Jeff

[verde]

What about the other questions? Are they irrelevant?

1) Also just to make sure: are legumes essential for better health or not particularly?

2) Another question I'm curious about: does a more varied diet imply a more varied microbiome bacteria population? Or not necessarily, as long as you eat fibrous plant food?

3) How can we one normalize the immune system, if possible to do so at all?

[JeffN]

I would recommend spending some time reading this forum.

All these are topics that have been covered many times over.

My answers will depend on the person, the situation, their health etc. In general, I recommend following my 5 Pillars of Health. For those needing to lose weight, I recommend following the MWL program and my principles of calorie destiny. For those struggling with auto-immune issues, allergies, food intolerances, I recommend the ED. If any of these is not working for them, then I recommend working with an experienced, licensed, credentialed, health care professional who is familiar with our approach.

In Health
Jeff