Best Probiotics To Take When You Have SIBO and When To Introduce Them (2024)

Best Probiotics To Take When You Have SIBO and When To Introduce Them

• byDr Hagmeyer
• //December 29, 2023

• Category : Gut, SIBO

Wondering what are the best probiotics to take when you have SIBO? We are continuing our SIBO series digging deeper into the “Everything you wanted to know about SIBO series”

In my last video, I talked about probiotics why some people feel worse when they take probiotics, I talked about The Best way to take probiotic and I also talked about “5 Reasons why many people with SIBO and other GI problems feel worse when they take probiotics”

If you missed that video you can watch it here.I shared with all my YouTube friends. I touched on what to do, If you find that probiotics are increasing bloating, constipation, diarrhea and pain.

Treating SIBO Is A Multi-Pronged Multi Step Approach

Remember, treating SIBO successfully requires a methodical Multi-pronged-Multi step approach.

Step #1 Remove the foods that are feeding the fungal and bacterial overgrowth these are foods like sugar, alcohol, fructose, and carbohydrates, but this wont fix the problem long term.

Step #2 Implement biofilm disruptors, as well as variety of Anti-microbials and Anti-fungals based on the specifics of your breath test or Functional Stool Test

Step 3- Focus on improving Motor and Secretory function- ie Pancreatic function, Inflammation, Secretory IgA levels, PH, Short chain fatty acid levels, Gall bladder, Liver, Hormones, etc

Step 4, you want to restore the good bacteria with probiotics.

The problem with many pro-biotics that are available on the market is that while they may help someone with leaky gut, they simply don’t work for SIBO or a person with a dairy intolerance.

In today’s video- I want to share with you some of the “Best Strains of Probiotics for SIBO” but also, WHEN you want to introduce them and that can be a sticking point for many of you out there.

As we discussed in the last video, some people who start off taking probiotics have uncomfortable reactions- they have more pain, more bloating, more constipation, more diarrhea, etc Im going to share with you what you should try to overcome this.

You May Have Been Told To Eat Fermented Foods, Kombucha and Bone Broth- But These Are High in Histamines and May Make a Person with SIBO Worse

I find many people with SIBO also suffering with histamine intolerance–So if you are a person who was drinking lots of bone broth and eating lots offermented foods and unknowing taking histamine releasing pro-biotics and you feel worse- this may be why.

You want to start journaling the kinds of probiotics that you have taken and if you experienced a reaction.

Paying close attention to the kind of probiotic you are taking is very important here. Today’s video will review what strains of probiotics you should introduce and when to introduce them.

The ultimate goal with pro-biotics and pre-biotics is to increase the biodiversity of the gut- increase the richness of the gut- coaxing certain species to colonize and grow where they are needed.

Early Stage, Mid state and Late Stage Probiotics

When I work with patients who are struggling with finding the right pro-biotics I have found that certain species should be introduced before others. I will call these early stage, mid stage and late stage.

In the early stages of SIBO treatment I find that most patients do best with Soil based probiotics- in this early stages it might be also be best to avoid the probiotic supplements that also contain prebiotics- Prebiotics are things like inulin, chicory, FOS, GOS.

Soil Based Probiotics and SIBO?

Soil based pro-biotics are also called Spore-forming probiotics because they have been identified and found in the soil. Another reason why when you see babies playing in the grass and eating dirt- its nothing to worry about.

The spores found within soil based probiotics withstand stomach acid and germinate in the small intestine within about 6 hours of ingestion.

The Soil based probiotics that you want to take will contain certified strains of Bacillus. coagulans and Bacillus.subtilis species.

How Spore Forming/ Soil based Probiotics Help Heal Your Gut

In the research I have done, I’ve found these spore forming soil based probiotics impart numerous benefits.

Benefits of Bacillus Coagulans (B. Coagulans):

1. Helps the good bacteria successfully colonize in your gut
2. Potent immune stimulator
3. Reduces oxidative stress in the gut mucosa and has
4. Long history of studied use in IBS, Crohn’s, and ulcerative colitis
5. Reduces bloating and intestinal gas-
Remember prolonged bloating keeps the IC valve open and this allows for bacteria in large intestines to migrate into the small intestines. Bacillus coagulans along with lacto and bifido species produces lactic acid, which has been shown to help protect the gut and boost immune resistance to viruses.
It has also been shown to lower cholesterol and reduce pain and stiffness associated with arthritis.

The other spore forming probiotic strain that I like to see is

Bacillus Subtilis (B. Subtilis)

1. Supports gut repair by increasing secretory IgA and improves N-Butyrate levels
2. Produces over 12 different kinds of antibiotics
3. Ferments Vitamin K in your gut,
4. Has a positive impact on inflammatory and autoimmune markers

You can see based on the studies of these soil based probiotic- why I am so excited about them!

Another early stage probiotic that can be used in early stages of SIBO treatment is;

Saccharomyces boulardii. S. boulardii has been prescribed in the past 30 years for the prevention and treatment of diarrheal diseases caused by bacteria.

Evidence clearly demonstrates that Saccharomyces boulardii is beneficial for IBD (R) and IBS patients. Saccharomyces boulardii is actually not a bacteria but rather a type of yeast. It is the only yeast which is considered beneficial enough to be considered a pro-biotic. It helps fight off pathogenic strains of bacteria and reduces inflammation. It is also widely used in cases of diarrhea.

I believe one of the reasons why S. boulardii is so helpful to SIBO sufferers comes down to the fact that because this yeast is a good yeast- it crowds out the yeast that we often see in conjunction with SIBO.

One thing worth mentioning is that S. boulardii like the soil based probiotics I just talked about, do not colonize the gut so it will need to be taken on a regular basis to see benefit.

Benefits ofS. boulardii

1. S. boulardii Relieves GI Inflammation
2. S. boulardii is Beneficial in Chron’s Disease
3. S. boulardii May Alleviate Drug-induced GI Damage
4. S. boulardii is Beneficial in H. pylori Therapy
5. S. boulardii Combats Bacterial, Parasite and Fungal Infections
6. S. boulardii Boosts the Immune Response by increasing SIgA
7. S. boulardii Increases Feeding Tolerance in Infants
8. S. boulardii May be Beneficial in Diabetes and Obesity
9. S. boulardii Improves IBS
10. S. boulardii improved the quality of life in patients with diarrhea-predominant IBS or mixed-type IB

During Early Stage SIBO Treatment… Avoid

In the early stages of SIBO treatment, I suggest you Avoid probiotics that Contains maltodextrin, tapioca starch, dairy, soy, Unfortunately, many of the most highly recommended and prescribed probiotics on the market contain these.

I’ve mentioned this in a past video but is it also applicable here,- avoid fermented foods in the early stages due to the possibility of histamine exposure. That means no kombucha, no fermented foods, and being careful with the probiotics that you are taking as some may increase histamine levels.

In the early stages of treatment, it’s not a bad idea to consider takeing some of the histamine lowering probiotic strains.

Histamine Lowering Pro-biotics

These are going be strains like

1. Bifidobacterium infantis,
2. Lactobacillus rhamnosus,
3. Lactobacillus plantarum,
4. Bifidobacterium breve,
5. Lactobacillus salivarius

Mid and Late Phase Probiotic Strains

Now in the later stages of SIBO treatment and when I say later stages- this might be a person who has improved breath testing levels, a person who is no longer having regular “flare ups” or this might be the person who has already gone through a round of anti-microbials, anti-fungals and Biofilm disruptors.

During this phase- you can test the waters and start introducing prebiotics and the real big power hitters and colonizers. These are the ones that have the greatest degree and influence on the microbial diversity.

These are going be your Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species but specifically you want to look for Bifidobacterium infantis- this probiotic is well-tested and shown to reduce abdominal pain, bloating, and bowel movement difficulty. Results suggest that it works by having an immune-modulating role.

The next species Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) this is one of the most widely used probiotic strains. Various health effects including the prevention and treatment of gastro-intestinal infections and diarrhea, preventing certain allergic symptoms.

The next species to look for is Bifidus lactis– This probiotic is shown to enhance the immune system, reduce occurrence of antibiotic-associated diarrhea, and support proper bowel movements.

Lactobacillus plantarum– This probiotic is shown to reduce bloating, normalizes stool frequency, relieve abdominal pain, and improve IBS symptoms, prevent overproduction of yeast, and reduce bacterial translocation.

Lactobacillus casei- this is probiotics often found in milk products such as yogurt. Various strains of Lactobacillus casei have been found to be useful in treating gastrointestinal issues, on their own or in conjunction with other probiotics.

In a study published in 2003 in the “Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology,” patients with chronic constipation saw significant improvement when drinking a daily beverage containing the Lactobacillus casei strain. Researchers for a 2014 clinical trial found that L. casei supplements can help alleviate pain symptoms in women with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Bifidobacterium breve- A pilot study from researchers at the Center for Medical Education and Clinical Research in Buenos Aires, Argentina, found probiotics have a higher efficacy rate than metronidazole for individuals with SIBO.

In this study, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus plantarum, Streptococcus faecalis and Bifidobacterium brevis were prescribed for five days to half of the study group, while the other half of the study group received antibiotics for five days. All participants ate the same diet, which limited consumption of dairy products, legumes, leafy green vegetables and alcohol. The results?….. 82% of the group receiving probiotics reported clinical improvement, while only 52% of the group receiving antibiotics reported clinical improvement.

I Want To Leave You With A Few Closing Points

1. I know I talked about early stage and late stage probiotic introductions- these are only guideline these are not hard fast rules. These are things that I have noticed clinically in working with some very difficult and challenging cases of SIBO and IBS.
2. If you are struggling with getting to a point of being able to take probiotics without a problem- try the strains I have talked about today- try implementing these strategies we talked about early stage and later stage probiotics.
3. Be aware of histamine lowering probiotic strains and histamine raising probioitic strains. This could be a huge picture of your SIBO and IBS Health puzzle and it might beone of those finer points that gets you over the plateau you and your doctor are finding yourselves in.

Histamine Lowering Strains:

• Bifidobacterium infantis
• Lactobacillus gasseri
• Lactobacillus rhamnosus
• Bifidobacterium longum
• Lactobacillus plantarum
• Bifidobacterium breve
• Lactobacillus salivarius
• B. Bifidum – (source)
• Lactobacillus reuteri.

Our Personal SIBO Recovery Program is a great place to start

The Personal Program IBS/SIBO/SIFO Recovery Program is a Natural Treatment for IBS and other GI related problems.
Our office implements Advanced Functional lab Testing, Natural Medicine/supplements as well as nutritional counseling tailored specifically to you.

• To See If Our Program is Right for you start here
• Have questions about becoming a patient?contact us

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6. Part 2 Why SIBO Treatments Fail Most Of The Time-Part II
7. 4 Common Mistakes Made On Low FODMAP and SIBO Diet
8. Feeling Worse After Taking Probiotics ? Learn Why
9. Best Probiotics To take When You Have SIBO and When To Introduce Them
10. How Food Poisoning Triggers Autoimmune IBS-D
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13. Ileocecal Valve Release- Self Massage-How, When And Where To Massage Your Ileocecal Valve
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20. How To Prevent Another SIBO Recurrence

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