Gas, bloating, constipation and/or diarrhea, heartburn, abdominal pain – does any of this sound familiar? If you answered ‘yes’ then healing your gut might be the secret to clearing your skin for good.
But what if you are doing everything right – eliminating food sensitivities, taking probiotics, eating more fruits and vegetables – and your gut is still not improving? Maybe even a little worse? If so, you may be experiencing Small Intestine Intestinal Dysbiosis (SIBO), and perhaps even Histamine Intolerance.
SIBO occurs when bacteria normally found in the large intestine colonizes the small intestine. It is a type of dysbiosis where pathogenic microbes start to outnumber the beneficial microbes. This leads to gut lining damage, reduced nutrient absorption, decreased intestinal motility (due to the gases produced by carbohydrate fermentation), and often a co-infection of fungal organisms.
Treating SIBO is not always that easy. The first phase of standard treatment is adherence to a FODMAPS diet for a minimum of two weeks and anti-microbial therapy. But when this approach does not cut it, a Histamine Intolerance should be considered. Especially if your SIBO symptoms are accompanied by headaches, cramping, insomnia, itching and allergies.
A histamine intolerance can develop when the mucosal lining of the gut has been severely disrupted, resulting in the depletion of an enzyme that breaks down histamine called DAO. Often there is also an increase in certain bacteria that increase histamine production. This results in elevated levels of histamine in the body, which can lead to an intolerance.
The first phase of treating histamine intolerance is the strictly adhere to a diet that eliminates all histamine and fermentable carbohydrates (FODMAPS) for at least two weeks. Once the gut lining has sufficiently healed and foods are able to be re-introduced, anti-microbial therapy and probiotics can start to be used.
Going through this process is individual, as each person responds differently to the diet and the anti-microbials. It is definitely beneficial to have a licenced healthcare professional guide you as your heal your gut and, consequently, your acne.
Watch my vlog below for even more details on how to heal your gut for good!
