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FitnHealthy Gut Reset™ - Lesson 6a - SIBO Bacteria & Archaea
What are archaea and why the heck should I care? 🤣
Archaea are microorganisms, like bacteria, but they are a completely different life group.
Life is broadly divided into-
- Bacteria
- Archaea
- Eukaryotes (plants, animals, humans)
So archaea are not bacteria, even though-
- They look similar under a microscope
- They live in the gut
- They interact with bacteria
The simplest way to think about it
- Bacteria - make hydrogen
- Archaea - consume hydrogen and make methane
They work as a team.
Why does archaea matter in SIBO?
Methane is not made by bacteria
Methane is produced almost entirely by methanogenic archaea, mainly-
- Methanobrevibacter smithii (the big one in most humans)
These archaea-
- Eat hydrogen produced by bacteria
- Convert it into methane gas
So methane SIBO is really-
Bacterial overgrowth PLUS archaeal overgrowth
That’s why the terminology is shifting toward-
- IMO (Intestinal Methanogen Overgrowth)instead of methane SIBO
But clinically, the symptoms are the same.
Why methane slows everything down (think constipation)
Methane-
- Directly slows intestinal muscle contractions
- Reduces peristalsis
- Acts like a brake pedal on the gut
This is why methane is strongly associated with-
- Constipation
- Incomplete evacuation
- Gas trapping
- Lower abdominal distention
This is a mechanical effect, not just inflammation.
Why fiber and resistant starch often backfire. We think "I'll just add more fiber and I'll go more often"
Here’s the chain reaction no one tells You -
- You eat fermentable carbs or resistant starch
- Bacteria make hydrogen
- Archaea consume hydrogen
- Archaea produce methane
- Methane slows motility
- Slower motility leads to even more overgrowth
It becomes a self-feeding loop.
Why this changes your SIBO treatment strategy if this is You.
Archaea-
- Do not respond well to many standard antibiotics
- Are harder to reduce
- Thrive when hydrogen is abundant
That’s why methane cases-
- Are more stubborn
- Relapse more often
- Need a different sequencing approach
It’s also why-
“I fixed my diet, I eat clean, I exercise but I’m still constipated and bloated” is incredibly common.
Here's one more key distinction
Archaea-
- Are not inherently “bad”
- Normally live in the colon
So it's about location & balance, not just presence.
When someone says “methane SIBO,” what they really mean is-
- Bacteria are making hydrogen
- Archaea are converting it to methane
- Methane is slowing the gut
- Gas gets trapped
- The lower belly distends
Understanding archaea explains why constipation-based SIBO behaves so differently and why fiber, and resistant starches advice often fails these people.
Next up?
What Foods are going to be a BIG Problem for SIBO?
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FitnHealthy Gut Reset™ - Lesson 6a - SIBO Bacteria & Archaea
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