Neem eliminates bacterial growth and eliminates symptoms but if there’s a deeper reason why you have SIBO the bacteria will likely grow back. You can use neem when that happens but you might want to address the root cause of why the bacteria exists and grows back.
Some potential root causes to investigate:
- Eating foods that are difficult for your body to completely digest
- For example, nuts and beans that haven’t been prepared in a certain manner have digestive inhibitors that may prevent your pancreas from secreting enough enzymes to digest your meal
- Some alternative diets that exclude foods with digestion inhibitors are the autoimmune, paleo, carnivore, keto diets.
- Past food poisoning event
- Your small intestine is receiving food that isn’t properly broken down by your digestive system
- Example: Your pancreas may not be secreting enough enzymes to break down your food into molecules your small intestine can absorb
- For example, amylase is needed to break down starch-containing carbs (think complex carbs)
- Resources that speak to this potential root cause
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1424390318300346#:~:text=5%2C6%2C8%2C9,patients%20with%20refractory%20celiac%20disease
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1424390318300346#:~:text=5%2C6%2C8%2C9,patients%20with%20refractory%20celiac%20disease
- https://www.reddit.com/r/SIBO/s/RjEKRH8Vc5
- Example: Your pancreas may not be secreting enough enzymes to break down your food into molecules your small intestine can absorb
- Your small intestine is unable to produce enzymes to break down certain molecules like fructose
- The inability to digest fructose is called fructose malabsorption in the medical industry
- Your body has a limit to how much Fodmap foods it can tolerate
- For example, some people can tolerate 1 apple but 2 apples lead to symptoms they want to avoid. How much you tolerate probably depends on your body’s digestion capabilities
- Your body’s bacteria defense system is not “killing” bacteria in your food.
- Stomach acid is one of your body’s defenses against ingested bacteria. If someone has low stomach acid they may be more susceptible to bacteria overgrowth and food poisoning
- https://www.reddit.com/r/SIBO/s/RjEKRH8Vc5
- Dysbiosis
- A helpful resource that discusses 7 underlying causes of SIBO. Some of which I’ve already mentioned:
