Join me as a guest on The SIBO Survivor Show, as I discuss with Josh Sabourin the various ways to use an elemental or semi-elemental diet with Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) or Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)!
What is an elemental diet? An elemental diet is made of the essential nutrients – protein (predigested; di-peptide bond or free form aminos), carbohydrates (monosaccharide or maltodextrin only), and fat (ie. cold-pressed flax oil). If you have Crohn’s or Colitis, most people using an elemental diet are generally doing so to give their bowels a rest. Usually this is due to active ulceration, bleeding, hemorrhaging, etc., because if the bowel is given rest it will heal faster. Those with SIBO & IBS, however, use an elemental diet for different reasons
Elemental diets are more useful for SIBO & IBS as a food clearance mechanism. Many things can irritate the gut, some of which we are completely unaware of, and the process of dealing with food elimination and food allergen testing is both labor intensive and time consuming. People can use an elemental diet for a short period of time (example 2-3 weeks) to clear out whatever is irritating the gut, while still providing the body with top-quality nutrients. This builds muscle, helps to maintain weight, and can assist in weight-loss during that period (adjust calorie intake accordingly). It also assists with the bacterial clear-out, because if you are not eating carbs, grains, beans, etc. there are no undigested carbs going into the colon or different parts of the small intestine for the bacteria to eat – thus shifting the gut flora. Of course, if you can add a natural antimicrobial and high dose probiotic supplementation at the same time, you can get the best results from your time on the diet!
Watch the video below to learn more, as I talk about which supplements to take, which foods are allowed, and how to HELP the diet get rid of bacterial overgrowth, Candida, etc. and balance your gut flora. I also recommend reading my blog post regarding Dr. Alison Siebecker and her findings, further exploring how elemental diets are highly successful with SIBO patients.
Any questions or experiences to share? Just post them below in the Comments section…
Jini Patel Thompson is an internationally recognized expert on natural healing for digestive diseases. She healed herself from widespread Crohn’s Disease and has remained drug and surgery-free for over 25 years. Jini has appeared on numerous podcast, TV, and radio shows throughout the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia, giving people hope and vision for how they can heal their Colitis, Crohn’s, Diverticulitis and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), using entirely natural methods. Her books on natural healing for digestive diseases have sold worldwide in over 80 countries.
