Today we'd like to introduce you to one of our partners: MIBIOTA. Benjamin Gullanger, CEO of MIBIOTA, shares his expertise on fibre intolerance in SIBO and IBS, and how you can support your gut effectively.
Fibre tolerance is a key – and often challenging – topic for many people with digestive issues, especially when the small intestine is affected. At the same time, there are few nutrients that influence gut health and longevity as profoundly as dietary fibre.
In cases of Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO), the fermentation of certain fibres – particularly FODMAPs – can trigger familiar symptoms: bloating, abdominal pain, gas, diarrhoea, constipation, reflux, nausea …and more.
If you suffer from SIBO, one or more underlying factors often increase your risk of bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine. Common risk factors include:
- Impaired intestinal motility
- A history of food poisoning
- Structural changes in the small intestine
- Reduced digestive secretions (stomach acid, bile, enzymes)
- Neuropathies of the enteric nervous system (e.g. due to diabetes)
- Autoimmune diseases such as coeliac disease or Crohn's disease
- Removal of the gallbladder
- Hypothyroidism
When bacteria encounter certain fermentable fibres, this quickly leads to excessive fermentation with the symptoms described above.
How can you provide your gut with the fibre it needs without triggering symptoms?
There is a persistent myth that a low-fibre diet ‘cures’ SIBO and that fibre and some carbohydrates only make the problem worse. However, permanently restricting fibre and carbohydrates is not a long-term solution.
The small intestine is significantly longer, where most digestion and nutrient absorption takes place, and it is sparsely colonised with bacteria compared to the large intestine. Fermentation is undesirable here.
In the large intestine, on the other hand, the rest of the food is concentrated – and this is where most of our intestinal bacteria live. One of their main tasks is to ferment fibre and form so-called postbiotics – e.g. short-chain fatty acids and peptides. These processes have a significant influence on the gut-brain axis, the gut-hormone axis and the gut-immune system axis.
Therefore, completely removing fibre from your diet is problematic in the long term.
Not All Fibre Is Created Equal!
Simple soluble fibres are generally well tolerated – especially when the dosage is increased gradually. This is where partially hydrolyzed guar gum (PHGG) comes in. PHGG and other gently fermentable fibres can:
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Support healthy bowel movements: PHGG offers gentle, effective support for stool regulation.
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Ensure adequate fibre intake: Especially helpful when other sources—like legumes—are difficult to tolerate. This is particularly important for women in perimenopause, when fibre plays a key role in hormonal balance.
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Enhance SIBO treatment outcomes: Research shows that PHGG can improve the effectiveness of Rifaximin. In my experience, this also applies to herbal protocols, although studies on this are still lacking.
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Support liver detoxification: PHGG binds bile acids, helping to eliminate fat-soluble toxins and hormones through the stool.
- Smooth the transition back to complex fibres: Moving from a strict low-FODMAP diet back to a fibre-rich diet is often easier with PHGG or acacia fibre as a gentle intermediate step.
EasyPHGG and easyACACIA from MIBIOTA are two well-tolerated soluble fibres that have been shown to be beneficial in SIBO therapies and during a low-FODMAP diet. The DuoFasern Starter Pack from MIBIOTA contains both of these fibres.