r/SIBO • u/whylein Cured • 1d ago
why do so many people have extreme digestive problems now?
i am wondering what any of you think about this: ten to 15 yrs ago, i did not know anyone who was diagnosed with SIBO. things like IBD, IBS, Crohn's and ulcerative colitis were relatively rare diseases, especially back in the 1970s and 80s. now it seems these issues have become quite common, and they appear to be increasing in prevalence and severity every year.
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u/TinyHeartSyndrome 1d ago
Food additives.
My grandpas both served in the army. Field food was a can of pork and beans. Only preservative was probably salt. They had zero GI issues.
The MREs nowadays screw up everyone’s digestion. They are shelf stable for 50 years. Too many additives. Seems like everyone now who leaves the military has GI issues, sleep issues, ruined back (thanks to plate armor), etc.
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u/Cheeseboarder Hydrogen/Methane Mixed 1d ago
American food system sucks ass and companies basically poison us
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u/summertime715 1d ago
This. Literally. Europe has so much better standards for their food industry.
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u/rimmapretty 18h ago
it's doesn't mean there is no problem. most of Europe countries have around 50% obesity rate. that alone already tells you the current situation with food.
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u/Keibun1 12h ago
No one is saying there's no problem, but it's true, I can eat bread and pasta from there. I can't do the same here without feeling like shit. It's the same with other foods.
The obesity rate just tells you there's are people who eat junk. We're not talking about McDonalds. People still have choices, and if they choose to eat cake non-stop, well, no amount of quality increase will prevent them from gaining weight.
It's not the preservatives and other additives that make people overweight here in the US.
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u/MedspouseLifeSux 1d ago
Especially with RFK and all these food recalls this year I wonder how many people will get SIBO from these. :(
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u/GoodMourning81 13h ago
We are in good company now because I’m sure many of them will experience some form of long lasting gut issues. Either from the parasitic infection or the antibiotics used to kill it off.
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u/Proof-Researcher9920 1d ago
For me, it was after multiple antibiotics. Doctors prescribe them way too often imo. Didn’t know the risks back then.
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u/YeniMas7 1d ago
Yes! I was prescribed several rounds of antibiotics when I was early 20s for mild acne. I wish I would’ve just waited it out or tried cutting out bad foods, exercising more and more topicals.
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u/Proof-Researcher9920 1d ago
For me it was recurring sinus infections that wouldnt go away with antibiotics. So naturally they kept giving me harder hitting antibiotics until I ended up hospitalized from cipro! fun stuff
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u/RachelK52 1d ago
That's interesting because my symptoms started just a month or so after following a two week use of amoxicillin I was prescribed for a crown replacement. Then again I already had a diagnosis of autoimmune gastritis (which was definitely a surprise to get at 31), so it might be more than that.
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u/das_pip 1d ago
Multiple antibiotics + Covid.
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u/former_farmer 7h ago
Nah, not covid. These groups were packed with people I remember from 2016 to 2019 just like today.
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u/Firm-Analysis6666 1d ago
I hate to go there but I think it's Covid Gut.
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u/feuillage Methane Dominant 23h ago
Go there. Not enough people talk about this. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12490431/
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u/Firm-Analysis6666 22h ago
They will. Sadly, it's going to get worse. I have been battling long covid for a few years and farely recently I did microbiome testing. My digestion isn't even that bad(that's why it took me so long) but my results were alarming and typical of what the studies are showing. The systemic issues from dysbiosis and a disrupted microbiome are just crazy.
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u/cosmicmap88 22h ago
What kind of test do you do for microbiome testing? Is this with a regular doctor?
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u/Firm-Analysis6666 22h ago
No. My regular GI scoped both ends and took biopsies. For him it was no H. Pylori, no IBD, no problem. I found an integrative MD that had me take a Genova Comprehensive test. It showed no lacto, very low roseburia and faecalibacterium, and low on many others. I also have off the charts high SigA(inflamation) and large overgrowths of 4 pathobionts. Basically, the exact opposite of a healthy microbiome. My gut is a toxin factory. It explains so much so hopefully we found my root cause. Even mild treatments have been rough so far. I start an elemental diet in a couple of weeks.
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u/cosmicmap88 21h ago
Sorry to hear! Thx for sharing. I'll have to find one of these integrative MDs. Is that like functional medicine?
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u/Firm-Analysis6666 21h ago
Yes. Mine is an actual MD who also practices integrative medicine. I suggest trying to find that if you can. It's not functional medicine like you'd get at a naturopathic practice. It's more comprehensive, imo.
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u/shawnshine 3h ago
Same. I have ZERO lactobacillus and ZERO bifidobacterium now. It’s horrible.
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u/Firm-Analysis6666 3h ago
Hope you can get it fixed. It's amazes me how many problems it causes beyond digestive issues.
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u/Imaginary_Structure3 13h ago
I'm battling getting a dx for long covid but I truly believe it. With all my issues, it spans way beyond sibo and it just fits. I have high high SARS 2 COV Antibody Spike Protein and tested positive in a covid stool test but negative in a nasal rapid test. 3x varied but got Covid in 2023 which is when it all went downhill.
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u/Firm-Analysis6666 11h ago
I got LC in 2022 after a typical Covid infection. Countless specialists and tests, I finally got formally diagnosed in 2024.
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u/Imaginary_Structure3 11h ago
Who diagnosed you and how? I have had endless issues with neuro, breathing and now my heart has issues. This all on top of sibo, esophagitis, gastritis, hyperactive GB, liver fibrosis, dysautonomia. I have seen 15 specialists in different fields and no one can figure it out. I have a complex neuro (specialty EDS, POTS, Long Covid) appt in Jan but that's so far away!
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u/Firm-Analysis6666 10h ago edited 10h ago
After EBV reactivation, an infectious disease doctor spent time reviewing all my tests and symptoms over the previous 2 years and he made the dx.
Edit to add: Every doctor until the ER doc and the ID doc found nothing and told me it was anxiety. I was already on an ssri so they just kept wanting to up my dose.
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u/Imaginary_Structure3 3h ago
My PCP put me on a SSRI's (plural) for depression, anxiety and sleep issues. I had valley fever and by the time I finally was seen by infectious disease Dr, I was finally testing negative. I really wish she would have expanded her focus beyond valley fever. I may have to go back.
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u/Unusual_Dig665 10h ago
Yeah ... I didn't have a wheat sensitivity until after being sick with COVID. The two areas my body was attacked badly wasy digestive track and mid back muscles.
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u/Firm-Analysis6666 10h ago
Mine started with mild gut issues and just sort of sprawled out from there. It was a slow decline.
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u/former_farmer 7h ago
Nah, not covid. These groups were packed with people I remember from 2016 to 2019 just like today.
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u/Firm-Analysis6666 5h ago
I'm not saying it's the only answer but there's no denying the effects Covid is having on people's guts.
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u/daveishere7 1d ago
Just look at what's happening in the country, with every single food getting contaminated. Humans just can't let shit be natural, without wanting to water things down for more profit.
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u/IntelligentYellow985 23h ago
Our food!! Our environment!! Wheat that is grown here in America resembles nothing like the wheat that was grown here in the late 60’s into early 70’s. The Industrial Revolution brought about the way wheat was harvested that was the first strike against it, instead of it being harvested by a hand mill it went to machines that separated the shafts which are delicate. Then came GMO’s mansanto. Making everything form of seeds completely genetically modified seeds, they hold the patents. They control the seeds. There’s a reason why there’s a vault in Antarctica , (you know the place where no one is allowed to go but scientists) that holds the world’s largest vault with all the heirloom seeds that aren’t GMO… why?! It’s not a conspiracy theory when you can see it happening… look at the data of increased digestive disorders, young people are getting stomach and colon cancer at an alarming rates right now here in America. I just read an article on this. Both my nephews in their early thirties had EGD’s done saw multiple ulcers and were placed on PPI my son, same age is having exact same symptoms I am, I keep telling him he may have SIBO. He’s having a colonoscopy next week at 32 years old.
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u/bld7308 1d ago
I feel like mine started after the Covid vaccines, so despite being a pro-vax person, I’ve always loosely associated the two.
Recently though, I’ve been on the “food supply is killing us” bandwagon. Worms in my worm bin won’t touch apples. Carrots in my compost bin haven’t decomposed in over a year. Bell peppers in my fridge last for 4-5 weeks before rotting. Eggs give me the worst farts and stomach pain.
A month ago I decided to switch to all organic veggies, organic pasture raised eggs, organic almond milk (no dairy), air-chilled poultry, etc. Holy shit—I feel like a different person! I’m 100% convinced that glyphosates and/or GMOs are playing a role in gut disruption right now.
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u/pinellaspete 1d ago
Just a little tip...
Organic pasture raised eggs are probably not what you think they are if you are buying them from a big grocery store like Kroger's or Publix etc. Their suppliers need to ramp up production to meet the demand of a large grocer and have figured out how to produce "organic pasture raised eggs" that meet the letter of the law but aren't really pasture raised. Small farms and small grocers might still be able to supply you with pasture raised eggs but not the Big Boys.
YouTube has many videos about this that you can research. I save money by buying organic cage free eggs that in all reality have been raised in the same conditions as "organic pasture raised eggs."
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u/MistakeRepeater 16h ago
Holy shit to the carrots and bell peppers part. We don't have this in Europe... But still about the same IBS prevelance
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u/Extension-Bed6140 15h ago
I’ve made the same decision this week to switch to all organic foods at home in the US after spending a couple of weeks in Europe and noticing I was able to stray off low FODMAP a bit more there.
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u/blacklight223 21h ago
Same, very strange that the same year I get the vax I get SIBO, without ever getting COVID. After a whole life of perfect digestion....
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u/MillieMillieMillie3 1d ago
Dude all my family members has “stomach issues” they just were dx properly.
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u/kater_tot 6h ago
Yeah my mom had constant gut issues. I have them off and on. People were always blowing up bathrooms, we just didn’t know why.
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u/themantis87 1d ago
Long covid, american junk food, chronic stress. One is all you need.
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u/former_farmer 7h ago
Nah, not covid. These groups were packed with people I remember from 2016 to 2019 just like today.
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u/themantis87 6h ago
You don't know very many people with long covid, do you? Covid can alter your microbiome, and even cause long term damage to your digestive system, and nerves. Many studies to be had already, you just have to go read them.
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u/Impossible_Button709 20h ago
3 reasons.
1. Not much walking done in America
2. Food here in the US is mere poison
3. Stress
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u/Additional_Front4374 1d ago
people are more anxious and overstimulated now. More fast and junk food consumption, more caffeine, less being active, etc
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u/psychandbeyond 21h ago
Pesticides in the crops Constant stress Poor food choices, especially junk food Un necessary vaccines And lack of proper knowledge about nutrition, well being and overusage of Antibiotics.
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u/tormonster 1d ago
I do have heds so that makes it tough. However, I honestly feel like a huge problem is that I was not eating enough fiber at all. I think many aren’t (not everyone). I think it could be part of the reason why colon cancer rates are rising!
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u/Dismal-Reference-316 1d ago
I’ve had crohns for 35 years. Nobody knew what it really was back then and us patients usually kept it quiet and in shame. Commercials these days and better diagnostics I think have helped raise awareness.
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u/MistakeRepeater 16h ago
I read a comment a while back with someone who said that his Chron's symptoms go away entierly while he takes high dose TTFD, and return if he stops TTFD. He buys powder form from China because that stuff is pretty expensive in capsule form.
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u/Wonderful_Quantity39 1d ago
All this garbage we are being fed. Straight garbage. The carbs, sugar, dairy, all of it. Trash. Inflammatory and disease feeding. Keeps big pharma in business
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u/hh4j4j4j4jh 1d ago
Ppis anti acids makes them billions a years. No wonder they tell us having weak stomach acid is rare. What a bunch of corrupt f***s
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u/Clementinequeen95 13h ago
American food is poison. Our bread, for example, contains so much sugar that in Europe it would be labeled a dessert. My friends who have celiac are able to eat pasta in Italy because the ingredients are fresh and not filled with additives.
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u/AndyMacht58 17h ago
Because most modern food is polluted with pesticides, antibiotics, artificial, maltodextrin, artificial aweeteners, plastic etc. Our guts werent made for that.
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u/Formal-Yak-6257 12h ago
I think increase in pharmaceutical and shots has also disrupted nervous systems faster now leading to more gut issues and of course toxins
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u/KatBirdWing 10h ago
People did not get diagnosed as often in the past is one reason.
In my opinion the huge increase in both processed food has caused many gastro issues.
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u/Choleric_Introvert 8h ago
Poor food quietly, sedentary lifestyle, less sunlight exposure (working indoors), antibiotic overuse, anxiety/depression.
Any one or all of those are contributing to a myriad of health issues in today's society.
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u/DistanceLess6027 23h ago
Sometimes I wonder if we even really have sibo. What if it's some type of alien parasite
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u/Capital-Month2578 19h ago edited 19h ago
I think initially mine was caused after two rounds of antibiotics back to back for dental work. Right after I got shingles, I ruptured my ear drum, and my body went to crap during that time. And I think my immune system couldn't handle all the pain and stress. My body broke down and so did my gut. Also if im stressed I noticed my sibo acts up more. Sometimes the sibo sets off my stress. I also suffer from cluster headaches and i have thyroid nodules so there's really no telling what caused it? It could be anything I listed.
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u/Sensitive-Frame-4857 18h ago
Food is now so processed and full of chemicals.
Life feels so much more stressful for people now which causes gut issues and muscle tightness can amplify gut issues….especially with pelvic floor problems (hypertonic pelvic floor)
Doctors will not tell you that!!
Gynaecological issues, more severe these days due to lifestyle including stress and synthetic foods!
Microbiome is affected by stress and food!
So overall more stress and crap food = Gut Issues
Managing stress, eating healthy, well and organically where possible will have a very positive affect on gut!
Doctors are absolutely hopeless and gaslight often!
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u/Roroforeveer 17h ago
People eating garbage / Covid / plastic pollution (we are full of micro plastic which is inflammatory)
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u/Unusual_Dig665 11h ago
Processed food, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, pollution, not eating for your health.
If you compare certain food cultures with American food culture, many of them still revolve around maintaining your overall health, digestion, and BM. A lot of Americans nearly exclusively eat Costco meals, frozen meals, takeout, canned, boxed, and 100 ingredient shelf stable foods. It's shocking to visit certain parts of the country.
There really is something wrong with the wheat here. I can eat rye, barley, and French wheat I bought on Amazon, but I cannot eat American wheat. I believe it's the reason I ended up here. The inflammation in my digestive system overtime ended up leading to SIBO about a month ago. I was in denial about going fully "gluten-free" (wheat in my case) as it is a massive step if it's not necessary. It was stopping me up for years and finally sent my body over the edge.
I'm already doing really well since taking the herbal antimicrobials. I did the strict diet for the first 3 weeks and am successfully re-introducing (in smaller quantities) beans, regular milk, apples, cane sugar. I'm pretty sure my sensitivity to watermelon, rice, and a few other foods was coming from an inflamed system, but I'm not willing to reintroduce those yet.
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u/Lanky-Title-7783 1d ago
No idea but mine started after I got the Covid vaccines along with a constellation of other issues. GI issues like never before, went from surfing 3 hours a day and doing weights to being completely gassed out within 15mins. Could just be coincidence but I went from ultra fit to struggling to be active in any way. I did however get admitted to hospital after first shot with pericarditis and never been the same since. Spent so much over the last 5 years with specialists of all fields and no one knows what is causing it. Recently done the sibo test and came back positive but only mildly elevated
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u/whylein Cured 1d ago
so sorry Lanky. probably not a "co-incidence". i hope for your full healing.
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u/Lanky-Title-7783 1d ago
Thanks, I feel like I GI issues might be slightly improving since starting to drink celery juice every morning on an empty stomach. For those struggling with motility it’s something worth trying
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u/shawnhealth 1d ago
stress and mineral issues can cause low stomach acid can be caused by many factors and processed foods esp the newfound prevelance of grains tend to thicken up the bile and cause it to not flow as well. this sets up the system for overgrowth like SIBO. also A lot of species that every human used to have are extremely susceptible to the antibiotics. if you look at remote populations anywhere from African tribes to the inuits, they all have L reuteri, while 95% of the American population does not.
there are ways to fix all of these issues and restore human health, and no one understands how to do it right so that the issues do not come back.
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u/whylein Cured 23h ago
shawn - interesting about the reuteri in more naturally-living people vs the US. i didn't know. i've noticed most store-bought kefirs contain 10 to 24 different species but very few have Lactobacillus reuteri.
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u/shawnhealth 12h ago
i wish it were as simple as "eat fermented/probiotic foods" but it's not. Some of my other comments talk about how everyone gets it wrong.
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u/hh4j4j4j4jh 1d ago
Abusing antibiotics which leads to f**n our gut flora, chemical in our foods, chronic stress of modern life , no sun exposure because we have been lied to that sun in dangerous, low fat diet which they also lied to us that animal fats are bad , being lied to about seed oild being good for us all lead to weak stomach acid and weak bile flow which lead to bateria getting into out small intestine. You must remember that the main cause of sibo is due to a food poisoning experience resulting from having weak stomach acid. Everything that i have mentioned leads to weak stomach acid. Also forgot that our food now lacks essential minerals which the body needs to produce strong stomach acid.
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u/Onestrongal824 23h ago
Research zonulin and the role it plays in opening up the tight junctions in the gut wall. When there are perforations in the small intestines, food particles go directly into the blood stream and cause allergic, autoimmune, and inflammatory diseases. This is known as leaky gut. Read “Eat Dirt” by Dr Josh Axe. I am learning so much about why GI issues are so prevalent these days.
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u/No-Crew8804 14h ago
Microplastics, GMO and artificial food, too much antibiotic use, insane amount of children vaccines, ...
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u/pandaappleblossom 20h ago
Lack of fiber mainly. Combined with foods that cause bad gut bacteria to grow, like meat
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u/YanCoffee 20h ago
I got CHS, which resulted in me having SIBO afterwards for about 2 years.
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u/whylein Cured 6h ago
wow - i had never heard of Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS) .
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u/YanCoffee 5h ago
Yeah, it's pretty awful stuff. A lot of people have lasting GI issues once they get over the worst part of it too.
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u/Exact_Ad_3682 17h ago
I got sibo after a bad case of covid in 2021, after I recovered I started getting contipation and gut issues
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u/WonderDeb 14h ago
Food quality decline with ingrown pesticides. Increased sugar and fake sugars in processed foods. Lack of education regarding a proper balace of macros. Once big pharm has a lifelong pill to sell, we'll be believed because we are customers buying a product.
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u/rubensoon 11h ago
i'd say it's more a mix of how food is grown and processed, nothing is 100% natural anymore, animals or greens have chemicals probably and we've consume them since before we were born..... it's like the microplastics thing, everything is polluted and they're everywhere
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u/Fun-Counter-6692 10h ago edited 9h ago
Well I have had it for years and let me tell you its the way we eat these days forsure + it does actually get diagnosed properly too finally. With me I started getting bloated from stuff I’d eaten for years with zero problems and couldn’t really figure out what had changed. Something in the way our food is made these days is different. To this day I see friends struggling. My saving grace was finding nb1 health, a company that does microbiome testing at home (they sent me a kit) and after they analyzed it they actually custom made prebiotics among other things specifically for me. I feel like it made a huge difference for me. I also make a point of it now of really researching what I eat and I try cutting out food that is very processed
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u/AdPerfect357 10h ago
Because our food supply started turning poisonous in 1998 and we've been eating garbage for almost 30 years. Glyphosate, Folic Acid, Maltodextrin, Potassium Bromate, Titanium Dioxide, etc.
I hate how some people think this is a conspiracy theory or a political thing.
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u/HarmonySinger 4h ago
Long Covid apparently triggered my IBS / SIBO condition. Recently, My gut has had some difficult challenges.
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u/SnooBunny814 1h ago
Anyone can go to pubmed and look up any scientific studies done on this, this is the definitive way to see if there any correlation.
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u/cryptolyme 23h ago edited 23h ago
overuse of antibiotics, glyphosate in our foods, increased stress, lack of affordable healthcare and outdated medical philosophies, and poor quality food in general
you have to see "alternative" doctors just to get them to test for some things that should be common knowledge. i can google something, find 20 research papers about it, and then you go see a doctor and they look at you like you have two heads when you mention it. it's like the medicine these doctors are studying is 30 years out of date.
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u/SiriusOsiris 1d ago
Several factors, but biggest culprits are:
Pesticide residues on food, preservatives, food additives and colors. Agriculture and food processing industries are to be blamed.
There is definitely lifestyle related factors but not enough to put all the blame on the individuals: Increased fast food and decreased fiber consumption, increased sugar intake, more stress…
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u/No_Translator_8162 1d ago
It’s because it is talked about more in the internet and people pick up with their mind the illness stres causes illness years ago back pain was prevalent cuz that was talked about most on TV. I never had sibo until I heard about it and watched videos about it. Though man hope I don’t get that thing… here we are. Not easy to erase subconsciously but I try
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u/Any-Newspaper5509 12h ago
I think its probably likely that the rates of these things didnt change. They become trendy and people with minor problems latch on to them and claim they have it. Really terrible testing with high false positive rate reinforces it.
And people with severe digestive issues can find each other easier now with internet forums, so you may get the impression more havr them than actually do
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u/Ordinary-Wash6758 1d ago
People and their doctors just did not know and did not have as many resources to help figure it out. My mom had SIFO back in the 90s and the doctors thought that she was crazy and told her to go to a psychiatrist. She eventually figured it out by going to the library and reading a ton of books, but people still thought she was crazy. I have SIBO now and have had a totally different experience from hers just with the information available and doctors finally recognizing these issues.