Herbalism and Alternative Medicine | Byron Bay & Australia
Methane dominant SIBO, also known as methane SIBO or constipation SIBO, is a form of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. The predominant microbe, called Methanobrevibacter smithii, is an archaeon which can convert hydrogen into methane, resulting in slowed intestinal transit. The most common symptoms of methane SIBO are constipation and bloating. Read on to learn what […]
Gut infections are more common than I originally thought. They can be the root cause of many different gut issues including irritable bowel, chronic constipation and diarrhoea. Herbal medicine can play a big part in shifting your gut health back into balance. Today we will be exploring a natural treatment for gut infections. Gut Infections – […]
Herbal medicine can soothe and nourish the digestive tract. It can help to heal and seal the gut wall to prevent leaky gut and it can improve digestion. Herbal medicine can be an effective treatment for parasite infections and bacterial overgrowths, both of which can cause serious gut symptoms. They are also helpful combating viruses […]
Blastocystis hominis is a common parasite here in the Byron Bay region and Australia in general. As a protozoan parasite infection it is often transmitted through contaminated water (think unfilter rainwater for anyone living out of towns and cities). This article will cover one particular case of Blastocystis infection coupled with low B12 status and […]
The more I learn about our microbiome the more I appreciate it. That’s why I’m not such a big fan of the overuse of antibiotics. That said I do recognise that antibiotics play an important role when it comes to saving life and limb. After the second round of herbal antimicrobials failed to treat my […]
Are probiotics for Helicobacter pylori infections useful? A common question with a range of answers depending on who you ask. As I was finishing up a previous article discussing different approaches to treating gut infections I came across a review discussing the use of a particular, well studied probiotic, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, in the alleviation […]
There seems to be two major approaches to working with gut infections. The first is to bomb the gut with strong antimicrobial herbs and supplements. The other is to gently nurture your gut microbiome in attempts to outcompete the infection. Read on to learn about the two approaches and how a combination may be more effective […]
UPDATE: The following article outlines my successful treatment of Blastocystis and Dientamoeba fragilis using herbal medicine. Since writing this article, and thanks to mentoring from Dr Jason Hawrelak, I have come to see Blastocystis as less of an issue in most people. Please be sure to read my updated thinking on Blastocystis before assuming it […]
The use of prebiotics and probiotics in small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, or SIBO for short, has been generally considered a bad idea. The thinking does make sense. If you have an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine then why would you want to add more with probiotics or feed them with prebiotics. There is […]
There has been a debate in the literature as to whether Blastocystis is pathogenic or not. Some consider it pathogenic and others list the huge amount of infected individuals that show no symptoms. The truth of the matter may be somewhere in the middle with the subtype or strain of bug and the host immunity.