Understanding What Drives SIBO &
Why Your Nervous System Matters
SIBO is a common digestive condition, yet one of the most easily misunderstood. It is not a single problem. It is a pattern where bacteria build up in the small intestine and disrupt motility, digestion, sensitivity, hormones and the gut–brain connection.
Many people are told SIBO is simply bacterial overgrowth or something that requires one protocol. But SIBO always has a root, and that root is different for everyone.
What SIBO Really Is
SIBO is not a disease on its own. It develops when the small intestine loses its normal rhythm and protective barriers. Most people experience a mix of:
• low stomach acid
• slow motility or MMC dysfunction
• post-infectious changes
• antibiotic or medication effects
• stress-related digestive shutdown
• structural tension in the diaphragm or abdomen
• dysbiosis in the large intestine
• hormonal influences, especially in women
This is why no two people with SIBO look the same, and why personalised support matters.
Common SIBO Symptoms
SIBO shows up differently for each person, but typical signs include:
• excessive or daily bloating
• pain or cramping after meals
• constipation, diarrhoea or mixed-type IBS symptoms
• nausea or reflux
• food reactions that shift and change
• feeling full too quickly
• brain fog or fatigue linked to digestion
The pattern of symptoms is often more important than the label.
The Gut–Brain Axis: The Missing Link
The small intestine is highly sensitive to the nervous system.
When the body shifts into fight, flight, freeze or shutdown, digestion slows dramatically and symptoms can flare.
SIBO often intensifies during:
• stress or overwhelm
• emotional triggers
• conflict or pressure
• rushing or eating on the go
• chronic tension patterns
This slowing can mimic or worsen SIBO. For many people, nervous system support becomes just as important as nutrition.
What Traditional SIBO Advice Misses
Antimicrobials can help, but they do not address deeper drivers such as:
• low stomach acid
• enzyme or bile insufficiency
• sluggish motility
• diaphragm tension
• underlying dysbiosis
• inflammation
• hormonal influences
• chronic stress physiology
Your SIBO is rarely only about bacteria. It is usually a reflection of how the digestive system, microbiome and nervous system are functioning together.
What Actually Helps Long Term
True SIBO recovery works across all layers:
Digestive support: stomach acid, enzymes, bile flow, overall digestive strength
Microbiome support: balancing overgrowth and rebuilding beneficial species
Nervous system support: reducing reactivity, restoring safety, releasing chronic tension
Motility support: restoring MMC function and healthy intestinal movement
Food confidence: understanding triggers, rebuilding trust, expanding your diet
Once we understand your personal SIBO pattern, the pathway forward becomes much clearer.
TLDR
Learn what drives SIBO: SIBO develops when digestion, motility, hormones, stress physiology and the microbiome fall out of rhythm. There is always a root, and that root is unique to you.
Understand the role of the nervous system: The small intestine relies on calm, regulated nervous system signalling for proper motility. Fight, flight, freeze or shutdown states slow digestion and make SIBO symptoms far more likely to appear.
In short: SIBO is not only bacterial. It is a digestive and nervous system pattern. When you support motility, digestion, the microbiome and the nervous system together, symptoms begin to settle and recovery becomes possible.
Meaningful improvement comes from addressing the full picture: digestion, the microbiome and the nervous system. This is the Mind–Body–Biome approach.