With Emma’s expertise on SIBO, it was a quick diagnosis confirmed with hydrogen breath testing – something that you may find rare within the NHS. This was affordable and easily completed and I received my results within 10 days.
With Emma’s expertise on SIBO, it was a quick diagnosis confirmed with hydrogen breath testing – something that you may find rare within the NHS. This was affordable and easily completed and I received my results within 10 days.
Research shows that small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is responsible for up to 78% of cases of IBS (ref.) SIBO is a condition in the small intestine where good or bad bacteria are found in far higher numbers than is normal.
SIBO affects people in many different ways. Digestive issues are most common with bloating, constipation and/or diarrhoea, gas, flatulence, belching, cramps and discomfort being typical, but SIBO is a complicated condition and it can cause a very broad range of symptoms. Often missed as a contributory factor, SIBO can play a part in chronic fatigue (CFS), rosacea, restless legs, cystitis, prostate issues and many more health concerns.
Learn all about the Smart SIBO test:
Most common SIBO symptoms:
Other related digestive SIBO symptoms:
Less well known SIBO symptoms:
Research shows the main cause of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is a reduction or slowing of motility (the movement of food) through the gut impacting on the levels of bacteria present in the small intestines. Think of a stagnant pond where bacteria flourish and grow in large unwanted amounts opposed to a clean, free-flowing stream which keeps bacteria levels as they should be.
There are two main causes of slowed motility in the gut:
1. The cleansing sweeping action ‘Migrating Motor Complex’ MMC in the gut stops working properly. The MMC makes cleansing, sweeping-like motions between meals that “clean” the small intestine. This should move undigested food and excess bacteria towards the large intestines. When the MMC is faulty, undigested food becomes food for the bacteria causing or exacerbating SIBO. The major cause of malfunctioning MMC is food poisioning.
2. Structural changes which affect the motility of the gut can also cause SIBO. Some diseases, medical conditions and procedures can cause these structural changes. For example, scarring after operations, inflammatory bowel disease, diverticulosis, blind loops, radiation damage, stricture, fistulas, intestinal pseudo obstruction and adhesions resulting from surgery are all known to impact on or cause SIBO.
Gas levels of hydrogen and methane measured in PPM (parts per million) are universally used to test for SIBO.
10 breath samples collected over 3 hours.
Your kit will come with full instructions.
1 month prior to testing:
2 weeks prior to testing:
One day prior to testing:
You also need to follow a preparation diet for 24 hours before the test. If you are constipated, please follow the prep diet for 48 days before the test.
The evening /night before doing your Smart SIBO test you will need to fast overnight – water is allowed.
Prep diet
Choose from:
Avoid all other types of food during the prep diet to ensure accurate results. Failure to stick to the prep diet will make your results invalid.
Example Meal Plan
| Breakfast | Snack | Lunch | Snack | Dinner |
| Scrambled eggs with parmesan cheese | Chicken broth | Chicken and white rice seasoned with salt and pepper | Chicken broth | Fish and white rice seasoned with salt and pepper |
| Drinks | ||||
| Water is allowed throughout the day as needed. | ||||
Please note we have recently changed labs for processing the SIBO test – the exact same equipment as the previous lab will be used.
Adults: suitable for all ages.
If your weight is less than 50lbs you will need to speak to us and consult your medical professional to discuss a suitable dosage of the solution prior to completing this test.
Children: the child needs to be competent in blowing into a balloon and we need to know the weight of your child. Please speak to us and consult your medical professional to discuss a suitable dosage of the solution prior to completing this test.
The cost of return postage is covered by your fee for the SIBO test and it will arrive with a fully paid and addressed envelope for you to easily return your samples.
Samples need to arrive back at the lab within 7 days of completing the samples.
The vials can be posted by airmail if you’re outside the UK.
3-4 working days.
We will email your results to you.
All sample reports are for representational and educational purposes only. Biomarkers, references ranges, results, and all other data may differ from actual reports. All data included in no way represents an actual patient. Any comparisons of results to actual patients is completely incidental.
Updated April 2020
