Get medical nutrition therapy from a SIBO dietitian nutritionist on Long Island. Manage and improve uncomfortable symptoms. Implement an individualized meal plan. Get nutrition support to enhance gut healing and reduce risk of reoccurrence. New York SIBO Certified Dietitian-Nutritionist provides affordable nutrition care.
A SIBO Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) uses Medical Nutrition Therapy to create a personalized nutrition plan aimed at first normalizing the gut’s bacterial population and then preventing its recurrence. This customized approach addresses both Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) and Intestinal Methanogen Overgrowth (IMO).
The human gut flora has 10 times more bacteria than the body has cells, but the majority of these bacteria should be located in the colon.
Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) occurs when an excessive number of bacteria—normally confined to the colon—populate the small intestine. Common signs of SIBO include bloating, abdominal pain, and altered bowel habits, primarily diarrhea. SIBO is closely linked to Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), which is now understood as stemming from an imbalance in gut microbes rather than a purely psychological condition.
Intestinal Methanogen Overgrowth (IMO) is characterized by an overgrowth of methane-producing bacteria in the small or large intestines. While both SIBO and IMO can lead to bloating, gas, and abdominal cramps, IMO is distinct in that it typically causes constipation while SIBO causes diarrhea.
Several factors can contribute to the development of SIBO, including:
Diagnosis primarily relies on breath testing, which measures gases produced by bacterial fermentation in the gut—specifically hydrogen, methane, and hydrogen sulfide. Since humans do not produce these gases, their presence in exhaled breath provides an indirect measure of bacterial overgrowth.
Identifying the specific type is crucial because each variant presents its own set of symptoms and treatment challenges. While most standard breath tests evaluate only hydrogen and methane, advanced testing—such as the Trio-Smart Breath Test https://www.triosmartbreath.com/—measures all three, including hydrogen sulfide, offering a more comprehensive assessment.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) affects more than 20% of Americans, yet conventional treatments often fall short of alleviating its digestive symptoms. Emerging research suggests that small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) may be responsible for approximately 60% of IBS cases, opening the door for more targeted and effective management strategies.
This evolving understanding of the SIBO-IBS connection is paving the way for innovative approaches to managing IBS by addressing its root causes rather than just alleviating symptoms.
Focusing on personalized care, you’ll receive tailored guidance and resources throughout your entire SIBO recovery journey.
It’s essential to address the underlying factors contributing to bacterial overgrowth—such as impaired motility, anatomical abnormalities, or other medical conditions—by adopting strategies that optimize overall gut health. With our improved understanding of SIBO, we can develop an evidence-based, individualized plan that tackles the root causes, manages current symptoms, restores a balanced microbiome, and helps prevent recurrence.
Although the low-FODMAP diet is a common dietary recommendation for SIBO—designed to restrict fermentable carbohydrates like oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols—it primarily offers short-term relief from symptoms like bloating, gas, and abdominal pain. Although following a low-FODMAP diet may initially ease symptoms such as bloating, gas, and abdominal pain, it does not treat the root cause, and if implemented long term can actually makes your gut worse.
Timing of Meals and Meal Spacing:
Structured meal timing—with gaps of approximately 4-5 hours between meals—encourages the migrating motor complex, a natural wave-like motion in the small intestine that helps clear bacteria.
Food Selections:
Dietary strategies for SIBO focus on reducing fermentable products. A low-fermentation diet provides clear guidance on which foods to select and which to avoid.
Managing Medical Issues:
Integrating dietary and behavioral recommendations helps address underlying medical conditions that contribute to SIBO, ensuring a more comprehensive treatment approach.
Reducing the Risk of Recurrence:
Long-term modifications in diet and eating behaviors are essential to prevent SIBO recurrence and maintain optimal gut health.
Digestive issues can be complex and frustrating to pinpoint, often leaving patients without relief for years. A Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) specializing in gut health can help identify the root causes of your symptoms and design a personalized treatment strategy using medical nutrition therapy and targeted behavior changes.
Expertise and Rigorous Training:
An RDN brings extensive expertise to your care. With a minimum of a master’s degree, hundreds of hours of supervised practice, successful completion of a national certification exam, and ongoing continuing education every five years, they are uniquely qualified to manage conditions like SIBO.
Precision in Medical Nutrition Therapy:
Dietitians, like Nancy, are the only professionals authorized to provide medical nutrition therapy (MNT). They possess the critical skills to analyze medical records, lab results, and dietary assessments, applying evidence-based practices to create effective nutrition strategies tailored to your needs.
Understanding the Difference:
While “dietitian” and “nutritionist” are sometimes used interchangeably, there is a key distinction. Dietitians must meet strict regulatory and certification standards, ensuring high-quality care. In contrast, the title “nutritionist” is not regulated—anyone can use it regardless of their education or training.
Working with a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist means receiving expert, evidence-based guidance designed to address the underlying causes of your digestive issues, paving the way for lasting relief.
SIBO should be treated with a combination of antibiotics and diet changes.
A SIBO diagnosis indicates an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine that must be eradicated. Treatment often involves antibiotics, with rifaximin being the preferred option. Because 99.6% of rifaximin remains in the gut rather than entering the bloodstream, it minimizes side effects while maximizing its effectiveness within the digestive tract.
However, if underlying issues—such as impaired motility—are not addressed or if dietary habits and behaviors remain unchanged, recurrence rates can reach up to 43.7% within nine months of treatment.
In addition to the management of symptoms, the goals of Medical Nutrition Therapy include repairing the intestinal lining, optimizing nutritional status, and preventing a recurrence.
Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) is an important component of the treatment plan for SIBO and IMO. Nancy initially focuses on the root causes of an individual’s symptoms. Once understood, she recommends strategies for resolution and prevention of a recurrence by implementing a personalized nutrition program.
Nancy is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) and NYS Certified Dietitian-Nutritionist (CDN) on Long Island. She specializes in gastrointestinal problems such as SIBO, IMO, and IBS. With over 30 years of experience as a dietitian, Nancy works with patients to help them reduce symptoms, promote a healthy gut, and reduce the risk of recurrence.
Nancy offers online medical nutrition therapy to patients across New York. Take control of your digestive health —schedule your consultation today!
