How I Used Ox Bile and Sunflower Lecithin to Beat My SIBO Symptoms

​After years of experiencing symptoms of SIBO such as acid reflux, loose stools, a noisy growling stomach and tenderness when palpating my upper abdomen I finally pinpointed SIBO as the cause of my digestive symptoms, with the root of the problem being linked to poor methylation and a sluggish gallbladder.

The 2 primary supplements that I used to overcome my SIBO symptoms was ox bile from seeking health and optimal PC (contains sunflower lecithin and phosphatidylcholine) from seeking health.

While I never got officially tested for SIBO I identified SIBO as the underlying problem due to fermentable carbohydrates such as potato, banana and corn chips triggering my symptom of acid reflux. I owe a huge thanks to Dr Ben Lynch for educating on the link between a sluggish gallbladder and a fatty liver causing low bile flow and thus symptoms of SIBO. But what is the connection between low bile flow, SIBO and acid reflux?

Bile is antimicrobial and it is the antimicrobial properties of bile that prevent bacteria from overgrowing in the small intestine which is what happens in the case of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. This information is priceless and one of the most valuable lessons I have learnt.

So many people with SIBO are using massive amounts of antimicrobials yet are not focusing on improving their own natural defences, and I was too until I learnt about using sunflower lecithin to improve bile flow. I had already used antimicrobials in the past and my symptoms still lingered so I knew something was missing from my protocol.

Sunflower lecithin contains phosphatidylcholine which helps to prevent fatty liver and keep bile thin and flowing easily from a sluggish gallbladder. When sufficient bile flows from the gallbladder the antimicrobial properties of bile can knock down small intestinal bacterial overgrowth while also preventing SIBO from developing in the first place.

Within days of taking sunflower lecithin (optimal PC), my fat digestion and loose stools improved so I knew I was on the right track. After about a month of taking the optimal PC, my acid reflux was almost gone along with tenderness in my upper abdomen.

How to use ox bile for SIBO

To further knockdown SIBO I used ox bile for its antimicrobial properties to knock down my lingering (mild) symptoms of SIBO which for me was when eating corn and bananas. I used 1 capsule of ox bile from seeking health in the evening on an empty stomach which is like dropping an antimicrobial bomb on the SIBO. After 1 month of taking ox bile, my acid reflux symptoms were completely gone and I could eat corn chips and banana in moderation with no problem.

Using sunflower lecithin and ox bile were the 2 primary supplements that I used to beat my SIBO and acid reflux symptoms. While I was able to tolerate ox bile on an empty stomach many people initially will only tolerate ox bile with food.

If someone does have SIBO and takes ox bile or sunflower lecithin they can experience a die-off or healing reaction where SIBO symptoms may initially get worse before they get better which just means to go slower. (sometimes when you hit the nail on the head you just know it but when it comes to your body you don’t want to hit too hard)

I used 125 mg capsules of ox bile for SIBO from the seeking health supplement line which is a lower dose than many supplement lines but it is nice as too much ox bile can cause symptoms such as diarrhea. You can always increase the dosage of ox bile if needed but 125 mg capsules of ox bile for knocking SIBO down worked great for me. I also used 800 mg of the optimal PC which is a phospholipid complex derived from non-GMO sunflower oil to improve bile flow from my gallbladder.

Both the Optimal PC and ox bile were the 2 supplements that I used to overcome my SIBO symptoms of abdominal tenderness, acid reflux, and loose stools by improving bile flow for the antimicrobial properties of bile to knock down SIBO while also bringing in ox bile externally as well.

For more information on the connection between poor methylation, genetics, gallbladder issues and SIBO I recommend reading the following articles.

How Poor Bile Production and Flow Can Cause SIBO

MTHFR and SIBO

How SIBO Can Cause Acid Reflux

Genetic Testing: Why I Chose to do Genetic Testing