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GERD and ACID REFLUX Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Next to constipation and diarrhea, one of the most common concerns that people have is stomach acid. This includes GERD or gastroesophageal re-flux disease. Other common concerns that relate to stomach acid include Peptic ulcers, gastritis, and …
IBS and IBD Written by Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND A question I am often asked is, “what is the difference between Irritable Bowel Disease and Irritable Bowel Syndrome?” Aren’t they the same? Well not really. While both are digestive conditions involving irritation in our digestive …
SIBO and Diverticulitis
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
In this blog I wanted to talk about 2 conditions that may not seem related at 1st glance but are more closely related than you may think! These conditions are diverticulitis and SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth). In both conditions there is an overgrowth of bad bacteria. (1, 2) But just what is diverticulitis? What is SIBO? And what can you do if you are affected by these conditions? It is a lot to cover so let us get into it, shall we?
Let us start with diverticulitis. In diverticulitis there are small bulging pouches in the intestine. These pouches called diverticula are usually found in the lower parts of the intestines and normally the large intestine. In the case of diverticulitis these pockets have become infected or have an overgrowth of bad bacteria. (3) In contrast diverticulosis is where you have the pouches but there is not an overgrowth of bacteria. In this blog I will be concentrating on diverticulosis which is where you get the infection in the pouches. (1)
SIBO is also an overgrowth of bacteria. One of the differences between diverticulitis and SIBO is location. As I stated diverticulitis usually occurs in the large intestine and as the name implies SIBO occurs in the small intestine. (2) Another difference between the 2 disorders is the type of bacteria that are typically the cause of the infection. While in diverticulitis the bacteria found is typically the type thought of as “bad bacteria’ in the case of SIBO we can find the growth of what is typically considered normal or even “good bacteria.” (1, 2)
I know what you are thinking, this is great, but I am still confused! Well to make a long story short both SIBO and diverticulitis involve an overgrowth of bacteria. SIBO occurs in the small intestine and diverticulitis occurs in pouches typically in the large intestine or lower intestine.
Now what are some of the most common symptoms of diverticulitis? The most common symptoms include cramps, gas, bloating, and changes in bowel movements and blood in the stool. (4) You may also experience abdominal pain, nausea/vomiting, fever, and chills. Long term there may be a decrease in appetite which can result in weight loss. (5) The symptoms of SIBO are like diverticulitis! To start there typically are changes in bowel movements. With SIBO this change tends to run towards diarrhea more often than constipation. However, constipation does occur more often than you would expect. Therefore, in my professional opinion the presence of constipation should not automatically rule out SIBO. Other symptoms that are also like diverticulitis include gas, bloating, nausea/vomiting, abdominal pain and even loss of appetite and thus weight loss. Those symptoms more strongly associated with SIBO include fatigue, joint pain, insomnia, brain fog and even nutrient deficiencies such as low B12. (6)
When it comes to risk factors for diverticulitis and SIBO once again some of them are the same. For both diverticulitis and SIBO constipation or slow transit time can increase your risk. (7, 8) Anything that can increase the risk of constipation can increase the risk of both digestive concerns. For example, a low fiber diet and even a high meat diet. Other risk factors more linked to diverticulitis include extreme weight loss, advanced age, a genetic predisposition, and a condition called Ehlers Danlos syndrome. (7) There are also some factors that cause food to move more slowly through the small intestine thus they increase the risk of SIBO. These factors include low stomach acid, structural malformations of the small intestine, IBD, immunodeficiency and even certain medications. (8) Lastly as we all know stress and anxiety can lead to constipation thus increasing the risk of diverticulitis and SIBO. (7, 8)
What can you do to help with the symptoms of diverticulitis and SIBO?
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Constipation and Diarrhea Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Every week I get calls asking about how to deal with digestive issues such as constipation or diarrhea. In fact, constipation and diarrhea are the 2 most common concerns that people have when it comes to health. But what …
Bromelain- The Power of Pineapple Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Bromelain is an enzyme that has been written about many times in the past. In fact, there are even a few blogs on the Invite website itself! Yet, despite this, people still have a few unanswered …
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Phytochemical compounds are a very intriguing area of research when it comes to nutritional medicine, as well as mainstream medicine. One particular food-based nutrient that is highly regarded as having so many different medicinal purposes in the human body is bromelain. Bromelain is one of my favorites to keep up to date with the research because it has been around for so long and it is so well-regarded in the scientific community with all of its different properties. I want to talk about that in some detail today and give you some background on what bromelain actually is.
Bromelain is this complex mixture of different proteases. Proteases, or proteolytic enzymes, aid in the breakdown of proteins in the body. This is beneficial. This is why we come naturally-equipped with protease. When we’re digesting food, for example, they aid in that initial breakdown.
Clinically Studied Strains Of Bacteria to Support Overall Health – InVite Health Podcast, Episode 288. Listen Now >>
Bromelain is extracted from the stem of the pineapple which is why, for many people, when they eat pineapple, they may feel like their digestive system is more responsive. Keep in mind, you are getting bromelain from the actual fruit itself, but the majority of that very powerful constituent of those mixed-blend proteases are coming from the stem itself.
Learn about the historical background of bromelain by tuning into the full podcast episode.
It’s really quite interesting when we think about proteolytic enzymes and how incredibly important they are when it comes to so many different functions in the human body. When we think about bromelain belonging to this group of digestive enzymes, for example, then we can say that it is good for the GI tract.
But we also recognize that bromelain has many other different compounds that actually help to potentiate these powerful health benefits. It has things like phosphatase, glucosidase, peroxidase, cellulase and all of these different proteases. What we know is that the body can absorb a significant amount of bromelain, which is very important because when we’re taking bromelain as a supplement, there are different reasons as to why you would be taking it and how you would take it. This makes a big difference.
Researchers did a study back in 1997 published in the American Journal of Physiology where they were looking at the intestinal absorption of undegraded protein, as well as the presence of bromelain and what that would actually do. They found that when they gave people bromelain, this actually helped in terms of a significant intestinal transport of those undegraded proteins, which is really key. It was showing that proteolytic property.
We also know that when we are utilizing bromelain, because it’s targeting all these different pathways, that it’s actually very beneficial for targeting inflammation. We know one thing about inflammation is that chronic low-grade inflammation is that driving force to each and every single chronic disease out there. When we are thinking about something from nature that can aid in digestion but can also target inflammation, this is why bromelain is touted as being, in a sense, a kind of superfood in its own right.
Listen to the full podcast episode for more details on the research behind the benefits of bromelain.
I am a fan of using bromelain as a supplement a couple of different ways. One is for digestion. If someone has a heavy protein meal, like a steak, then they would want to take that bromelain along with that food because it will help with that processing down of that protein. If we are talking about inflammation, I always recommend taking the bromelain on an empty stomach so we can really get those powerful proteases, as well as all those other compounds, into the bloodstream more effectively. In doing that, you will be able to better target those avenues for inflammation, as well as giving a heightened ability for the immune system to respond more properly.
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