Healing SIBO Naturally: A Food and Holistic Health Approach
Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) is a condition that occurs when bacteria that normally live in the large intestine start growing in the small intestine, leading to symptoms like bloating, constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and food intolerances.
While conventional treatments often rely on antibiotics or strict elimination diets, there’s growing evidence that a holistic, food-first approach can offer more sustainable healing — not just for the gut, but for the whole body.
Treat the Terrain, Not Just the Symptoms
SIBO often coexists (or is even a down stream effect) with other imbalances like candida overgrowth, poor gut motility, low stomach acid and digestive enzymes, high cortisol or low thyroid function. Instead of chasing symptoms, focus on restoring the environment in which those symptoms developed.
That means:
Checking thyroid health
Balancing hormones
Implementing strategies to manage your body’s real and perceived stress
Avoiding environmental toxins and xenoestrogens
Improving thyroid function
Providing the right food for your microbiome
True healing comes from rebuilding your metabolic foundation, not restricting your diet into oblivion. When your inner terrain is strong, harmful microbes can’t take hold.
How to Heal SIBO with Food
One of the biggest misconceptions is that following a FODMAP diet for the foreseeable future helps to “starve out” bacteria. In reality, long-term restriction can harm your metabolism, shrink food tolerance, and increase stress, all of which hinder healing. Instead, focus on feeding your gut cells without feeding the overgrowth.
Our practitioners can help you work out the best foods (including FODMAP foods) to help rebuild your microbiome, improve your metabolism and correct any nutritional deficiencies that are hindering your ability to have a strong and robust digestive system. For this reason, our practitioners rarely use blanket protocol, but will personalise a food plan for you that adapts and changes as your body heals.
Natural Ways to Reduce Bacteria in the Small Intestine
Treating SIBO naturally isn’t about quick fixes!!! It’s about restoring balance. A multi-pronged strategy works best, including:
Personalised food recommendations based on your overall health and symptoms (to address your body as a whole, not just your SIBO!)
Mindset and lifestyle support. People with higher self-rated health at the start of treatment often do better, showing how powerful perception and emotional balance are in recovery.
Supplements, nutrients and herbs to improve digestion, metabolism, thyroid health, detoxification pathways and gut health as clinically appropriate.
Probiotics and prebiotics to restore microbial balance.
At Healing Hands, working with one of our Naturopaths or considering our Metabolic Balance® Program takes a holistic, personalized approach to treating SIBO. Both options start with a full health assessment and strategies that support digestive repair, hormonal balance, and immune strength. Many clients report improvements in bloating, stool quality, energy, sleep, and mood within weeks.
