Latest news with #SmallIntestinalBacterialOvergrowth
Time of India
21-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
What is a low FODMAP diet and can it really fix your gut issues?
A quiet revolution seems to be happening at the dinner table, not marked by exotic fruits or vegetables or flashy labels, but by what's being taken off the plate. In recent years, the low-FODMAP diet has surged in popularity. Especially among people desperate to solve their ongoing digestive woes. But is this elimination-based diet any good? Can it actually help heal an inflamed, uncooperative gut? Science behind the diet isn't new, but it's becoming more mainstream. FODMAPs are short for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols. These are a group of carbohydrates that ferment in your digestive tract. In plain terms, these are types of sugars and fibers that don't always break down well in the small intestine, especially for people with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) or SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth). They pass through partially digested, drawing water with them, and eventually land in your colon where the resident microbes feast, producing gas, acids, and for some people, misery. The result is bloating, cramping, and frequent bathroom visits. According to researchers at Monash University, the team that developed the low-FODMAP framework, removing these fermentable carbs can reduce symptoms in roughly 3 out of 4 people with IBS. Their studies have shown significant relief in bloating, abdominal pain, and irregular stool patterns when patients followed the diet under supervision. Deeper look at FODMAPs To understand why this diet is gaining traction, it helps to know what's actually being restricted. FODMAPs include: Oligosaccharides: Found in wheat, garlic, onions, legumes—essentially prebiotics that feed gut bacteria. Disaccharides: Mainly lactose, the sugar in milk and dairy. Monosaccharides: Fructose, the simple sugar in certain fruits. Polyols: Sugar alcohols found both naturally (in apples, stone fruits) and artificially (in sugar-free gum or mints). Each of these groups can cause a unique reaction in sensitive guts, which is why this isn't a one-size-fits-all approach. For instance, someone might tolerate dairy fine but react violently to a lentil stew or a slice of garlic bread. Who needs it? Not everyone needs to go on this diet. For a healthy digestive system, fermentable carbs are a good thing. Feeding gut bacteria isn't just natural; it's vital for immunity and long-term health. However, for individuals with sensitive or inflamed intestines, the normal fermentation process can lead to the overproduction of gas and water. This, in turn, can stretch the gut wall and trigger pain receptors. According to the American College of Gastroenterology, a low-FODMAP diet is particularly helpful in managing IBS and SIBO. It's typically done in three phases: elimination, reintroduction, and personalization. However, experts emphasize that the idea is not to ban these foods completely but to identify personal triggers and expand your diet as much as possible without symptoms. What can you eat? Low-FODMAP doesn't mean low variety. In fact, many common and enjoyable foods remain on the menu. Some safe bets include: Proteins: Eggs, tofu, firm cheeses, plain meats. Fruits: Grapes, oranges, kiwi, unripe bananas. Vegetables: Zucchini, carrots, spinach, bell peppers. Grains: Rice, oats, quinoa, gluten-free breads made without high-FODMAP flours. But there are nuances too. For example, a ripe banana is high in fructose, but a slightly green one may be fine in moderate amounts. Similarly, avocado is only low-FODMAP if you stick to a tablespoon or two. Disclaimer : This article is for informational purposes only and does not substitute medical advice. Always consult a healthcare professional before starting any diet, including low-FODMAP.
Scottish Sun
13-07-2025
- Health
- Scottish Sun
EastEnders star details nightmare turbulence on flight after travel hell while battling with chronic illness symptoms
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) EASTENDERS star Melissa Suffield has revealed her nightmare journey home from a family holiday while battling her chronic illness. The actress - who used to play Lucy Beale in the BBC soap - was diagnosed with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) after experiencing "horrible nausea" in 2023. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 2 Melissa has opened up about her journey from hell Credit: Instagram 2 The actress played Lucy Beale in EastEnders Credit: BBC And it has had a huge impact in her life - which makes her family holidays and quality time all the more precious. But today she has revealed that she had the journey from hell home - undoing the good the holiday did. Taking to Instagram, Melissa wrote: 'I've been a bit quiet because life has been a LOT. The trip away was so restorative but honestly the act of getting home undid it 'The ship didn't make it into the final port of my trip due to very bad weather, but obviously my flight was booked from there! 'So booked a flight home from the next available port very last minute, which was a midnight flight, which was delayed by 2 hours because of weather again, and then the ENTIRE 3 hour flight was mad turbulence and lightning out the window I s*** you not. 'I'm not a nervous flyer but I was on that flight. 'Honestly, not a fun experience, followed by only 4 hours of sleep and then a 3 hour train journey home with River and all my luggage. 'On the list of things I simply do not need in my life, this experience was a high ranking one.' Melissa added: 'Not aided by the fact that towards the end of the trip, my symptoms started getting worse. 'I think the combination of not eating anything other than steak and potatoes, as well as the stress of making a new very last minute plan and the childcare and everything that went along with that is probably what did it. Former EastEnders star has had '40 doctors appointments' and spent 'over five figures' amid gruelling health condition 'Also my period always makes everything worse- I've actually just had a test arrive that looks at your DNA and hormones to see if I can pin point anything I'm missing. 'But anyway, I am home now safe and sound, I have done all the washing, I've got full control over my diet again, and I've got my boy back. But I am feeling rough in a way that I haven't in a while, so l'm focusing all my energy on resting. What is SIBO? SIBO is also known as Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth. Melissa experiences nausea, reflux, constipation, and other symptoms like her hair falling out and suffering from dry skin. According to the Mayo Clinic, the condition occurs "when there is an abnormal increase in the overall bacterial population in the small intestine — particularly types of bacteria not commonly found in that part of the digestive tract." Symptoms are listed as a loss of appetite, abdominal pain, nausea, bloating, an uncomfortable feeling of fullness after eating, diarrhea, unintentional weight loss, and malnutrition. 'I've got a really busy week next week too, so I've really got to try and get back on top of things quickly tbh. But when your nervous system is frazzled, that time limit way of thinking is completely counter productive.'
The Irish Sun
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
EastEnders star details nightmare turbulence on flight after travel hell while battling with chronic illness symptoms
EASTENDERS star Melissa Suffield has revealed her nightmare journey home from a family holiday while battling her chronic illness. The actress - who used to play Lucy Beale in the BBC soap - was Advertisement 2 Melissa has opened up about her journey from hell Credit: Instagram 2 The actress played Lucy Beale in EastEnders Credit: BBC And it has had a huge impact in her life - which makes her family holidays and quality time all the more precious. But today she has revealed that she had the journey from hell home - undoing the good the holiday did. Taking to Instagram, Melissa wrote: 'I've been a bit quiet because life has been a LOT. The trip away was so restorative but honestly the act of getting home undid it 'The ship didn't make it into the final port of my trip due to very bad weather , but obviously my flight was booked from there! Advertisement Read more on EastEnders 'So booked a flight home from the next available port very last minute, which was a midnight flight, which was delayed by 2 hours because of weather again, and then the ENTIRE 3 hour flight was mad turbulence and lightning out the window I s*** you not. 'I'm not a nervous flyer but I was on that flight. 'Honestly, not a fun experience, followed by only 4 hours of sleep and then a 3 hour train journey home with River and all my luggage. 'On the list of things I simply do not need in my life, this experience was a high ranking one.' Advertisement Most read in Soaps Exclusive Exclusive Melissa added: 'Not aided by the fact that towards the end of the trip, my symptoms started getting worse. 'I think the combination of not eating anything other than steak and potatoes, as well as the stress of making a new very last minute plan and the childcare and everything that went along with that is probably what did it. Former EastEnders star has had '40 doctors appointments' and spent 'over five figures' amid gruelling health condition 'Also my period always makes everything worse- I've actually just had a test arrive that looks at your DNA and hormones to see if I can pin point anything I'm missing. 'But anyway, I am home now safe and sound, I have done all the washing, I've got full control over my diet again, and I've got my boy back. But I am feeling rough in a way that I haven't in a while, so l'm focusing all my energy on resting. Advertisement What is SIBO? SIBO is also known as Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth. Melissa experiences nausea, reflux, constipation, and other symptoms like her hair falling out and suffering from dry skin. According to the Symptoms are listed as a loss of appetite, abdominal pain, nausea, bloating, an uncomfortable feeling of fullness after eating, diarrhea, unintentional weight loss, and malnutrition. 'I've got a really busy week next week too, so I've really got to try and get back on top of things quickly tbh. But when your nervous system is frazzled, that time limit way of thinking is completely counter productive.'
Scottish Sun
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Ex EastEnders actress has ‘breakdown' as she spots her ribs in picture after illness led to dramatic weight loss
Plus, what Melissa told The Sun about her unintentional weight loss last year 'I HATE IT' Ex EastEnders actress has 'breakdown' as she spots her ribs in picture after illness led to dramatic weight loss Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) MELISSA Suffield has shared an emotional post on social media after she unintentionally lost weight because of an illness. Melissa, 32, was diagnosed with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) after experiencing "horrible nausea" in 2023. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 5 Melissa Suffield has opened up in a candid post Credit: Instagram 5 She has unintentionally lost weight due to SIBO Credit: Instagram 5 Melissa often promotes a positive body image Credit: Instagram Since battling SIBO, the former Lucy Beale star has shed weight unintentionally, with the results of this now visible. Sharing a snap from inside a fitting room, Melissa could be seen donning a bright green plunging dress. "I had a bit of a breakdown today," Melissa began her post. She said: "Today has been not a very good day. "I had a bit of a menty b in the changing rooms while I was filming some bits. "I'm sure light didn't help, but I could see my ribs visible in the middle of my chest," she explained, referring to her chest area visible because of the plunging neckline. Melissa added: "And I just totally lost it. Like, cartoon floods of tears, unable to catch breath, that sort of thing. "You can see it on my face, like I am seconds away from breaking the f*ck down. And that is indeed what then happened." Getting even more emotional, Melissa went on: "It's just such a visible reminder of how much SIBO has taken from me. How much else I've lost along with the weight. 'I HATE IT' "And that doesn't even begin to cover the mental/emotional impact. Former EastEnders star opens up about drastic weight loss after health battle and says she was healthier when she was bigger "The fact that we glorify weight loss so much much is weighing so heavy on me, especially when I look in the mirror and see this. I hate it. "I know there are people who would be overjoyed to see this, but when you lose the weight like this, trust me, it's not a nice feeling. There is no accomplishment. Just a reminder of everything you have lost. "And no matter how often I talk about it, I'm going through it alone. Nobody will ever truly understand, even if they're going through it themselves. "Nobody else will know what I'm thinking when my legs feel so heavy I can barely manage the stairs. Or how lonely it is when you're still awake at 3am because the nausea won't let you lay down." What is SIBO? SIBO is also known as Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth. Melissa experiences nausea, reflux, constipation, and other symptoms like her hair falling out and suffering from dry skin. According to the Mayo Clinic, the condition occurs "when there is an abnormal increase in the overall bacterial population in the small intestine — particularly types of bacteria not commonly found in that part of the digestive tract." Melissa then spoke about how she often talks about body confidence and embracing change, but noted how "this feels different" because there is "nothing to embrace". ANGRY BECAUSE OF SIBO She added how the impact her long term illness has had on her body image is "wild" before saying her body is "broken". The former soap star then said how she has to be a mother, an attentive partner, a cleaner, a cook and everything else in between, but when she was in the changing room, it was just her. "But in that changing room, nobody else, I'm just me. There aren't any responsibilities or asks. "So she puts it all down and she breaks in half. "And then she dries her eyes, and she cracks on. Again," she said. Melissa then revealed the "two good things" to come out of the "breakdown". "I got angry," she penned, revealing the first "good thing". "Yet again, another renewed fire for talking about SIBO. For educating as many people as possible. For helping people understand the symptoms, for forcing healthcare professionals to sit up and listen, for changing the perception, and for advocating for treatment. "A fight I will always show up for, no matter what." She then revealed the second "good thing", saying: "I bought the dress anyway. Because I love the colour, the cut, and of course, the pockets. "I'm not going to let SIBO take anything else from me." 'THERE'S NO JOY' Last year, Melissa opened up about her unintentional weight loss exclusively to The Sun. "Obviously, I've lost quite a lot of weight this year," Melissa began, adding: "But absolutely none of that has been through choice. None of it. Like I'm back in my pre-pregnancy jeans." 'She added: "But there's no joy," noting: "I don't enjoy the fact that that's happened at all in the way that you know, that's like a goal for a lot of people. "A) It was never a goal for me. But B) this is the complete antithesis of whatever I've ever wanted with my body. "So that's been tricky for sure. And then also, just on top of that, like my skin and my hair has been like affected. "Now I'm dealing with feelings of, you know, not enjoying the way that I look, which is frustrating because I've done such a lot of work to get me to a place where." 5 Melissa has a mass following on social media and raises awareness of SIBO while promoting body confidence Credit: Instagram/@
The Irish Sun
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Ex EastEnders actress has ‘breakdown' as she spots her ribs in picture after illness led to dramatic weight loss
MELISSA Suffield has shared an emotional post on social media after she unintentionally lost weight because of an illness. , 32, was after experiencing "horrible nausea" in 2023. 5 Melissa Suffield has opened up in a candid post Credit: Instagram 5 She has unintentionally lost weight due to SIBO Credit: Instagram 5 Melissa often promotes a positive body image Credit: Instagram Since battling SIBO, the former Lucy Beale star has shed weight unintentionally, with the results of this now visible. Sharing a snap from inside a fitting room, Melissa could be seen donning a bright green plunging dress. "I had a bit of a breakdown today," Melissa began her post. She said: "Today has been not a very good day. Read More about Melissa "I had a bit of a menty b in the changing rooms while I was filming some bits. "I'm sure light didn't help, but I could see my ribs visible in the middle of my chest," she explained, referring to her chest area visible because of the plunging neckline. Melissa added: "And I just totally lost it. Like, cartoon floods of tears, unable to catch breath, that sort of thing. "You can see it on my face, like I am seconds away from breaking the f*ck down. And that is indeed what then happened." Most read in TV Getting even more emotional, Melissa went on: "It's just such a visible reminder of how much SIBO has taken from me. How much else I've lost along with the weight. 'I HATE IT' "And that doesn't even begin to cover the mental/emotional impact. Former EastEnders star opens up about drastic weight loss after health battle and says she was healthier when she was bigger "The fact that we glorify weight loss so much much is weighing so heavy on me, especially when I look in the mirror and see this. I hate it. "I know there are people who would be overjoyed to see this, but when you lose the weight like this, trust me, it's not a nice feeling. There is no accomplishment. Just a reminder of everything you have lost. "And no matter how often I talk about it, I'm going through it alone. Nobody will ever truly understand, even if they're going through it themselves. "Nobody else will know what I'm thinking when my legs feel so heavy I can barely manage the stairs. Or how lonely it is when you're still awake at 3am because the nausea won't let you lay down." What is SIBO? SIBO is also known as Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth. Melissa experiences nausea, reflux, constipation, and other symptoms like her hair falling out and suffering from dry skin. According to the Melissa then spoke about how she often talks about body confidence and embracing change, but noted how "this feels different" because there is "nothing to embrace". ANGRY BECAUSE OF SIBO She added how the impact her long term illness has had on her body image is "wild" before saying her body is "broken". The former soap star then said how she has to be a mother, an attentive partner, a cleaner, a cook and everything else in between, but when she was in the changing room, it was just her. "But in that changing room, nobody else, I'm just me. There aren't any responsibilities or asks. "So she puts it all down and she breaks in half. "And then she dries her eyes, and she cracks on. Again," she said. Melissa then revealed the "two good things" to come out of the "breakdown". "I got angry," she penned, revealing the first "good thing". "Yet again, another renewed fire for talking about SIBO. For educating as many people as possible. For helping people understand the symptoms, for forcing healthcare professionals to sit up and listen, for changing the perception, and for advocating for treatment. "A fight I will always show up for, no matter what." She then revealed the second "good thing", saying: "I bought the dress anyway. Because I love the colour, the cut, and of course, the pockets. "I'm not going to let SIBO take anything else from me." 'THERE'S NO JOY' Last year, "Obviously, I've lost quite a lot of weight this year," Melissa began, adding: "But absolutely none of that has been through choice. None of it. Like I'm back in my pre-pregnancy jeans." 'She added: "But there's no joy," noting: "I don't enjoy the fact that that's happened at all in the way that you know, that's like a goal for a lot of people. "A) It was never a goal for me. But B) this is the complete antithesis of whatever I've ever wanted with my body. "So that's been tricky for sure. And then also, just on top of that, like my skin and my hair has been like affected. "Now I'm dealing with feelings of, you know, not enjoying the way that I look, which is frustrating because I've done such a lot of work to get me to a place where." 5 Melissa has a mass following on social media and raises awareness of SIBO while promoting body confidence Credit: Instagram/@ 5 Melissa previously played the role of Lucy Beale in EastEnders Credit: BBC
