Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO): Can Hydrogen Water Help?

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is a troublesome digestive condition where excessive bacteria from the colon proliferate in the small intestine. This overgrowth can disrupt digestion and absorption, leading to symptoms like bloating, gas, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and constipation. Treatment options are available, but could a solution be as simple as drinking hydrogen water?

Understanding SIBO

Our gut harbours trillions of bacteria, known as the gut microbiome, that play a critical role in our health. With SIBO, the normal balance of these bacteria is thrown off. Instead of remaining concentrated in the colon, bacteria migrate to the small intestine, where they shouldn't be in high numbers.

Causes of SIBO

• Structural Abnormalities: Conditions like diverticulosis or surgery that alters the normal anatomy of the gut.

• Motility Problems: Disorders affecting the muscular contractions that move food through the digestive system (e.g., scleroderma or diabetes).

• Medications: Antibiotics or proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) can negatively impact gut bacteria.

• Other: Celiac disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and other health conditions can increase the risk of SIBO.

The Gut-Hydrogen Connection

Certain bacteria in the gut, especially when overgrown in the small intestine, produce hydrogen gas as they ferment food. SIBO is often diagnosed using a hydrogen breath test. The patient drinks a solution (like lactulose), and any excess hydrogen they exhale suggests bacterial overgrowth.

Hydrogen Water: A Potential SIBO Aid?

Hydrogen water is simply water infused with hydrogen gas. Emerging research suggests hydrogen may provide several health benefits. Could it also help fight SIBO? Here's what early studies are uncovering:

• Possible Benefits: Limited studies suggest hydrogen water may decrease excess hydrogen production by gut bacteria, possibly reducing SIBO-related symptoms. Animal models support this idea but it's important to remember they don't always translate fully to humans.

  • Drinking hydrogen water and intermittent hydrogen gas exposure, but not lactulose or continuous hydrogen gas exposure, prevent 6-hydorxydopamine-induced Parkinson's disease in rats - NCBI: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3407490/
  • Different effects of hydrogen-rich water intake and hydrogen gas inhalation on gut microbiome and plasma metabolites of rats in health status - PMC - NCBI: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9068821/

• Research Gaps: While promising, research on hydrogen water and SIBO is still in its infancy. Larger, well-designed human studies are needed to fully understand its impacts.

Should You Try Hydrogen Water for SIBO?

Important: Before experimenting with hydrogen water, talk to your doctor, especially if you have an underlying health condition. Here's why:

• Unproven Therapy: Research on hydrogen water for SIBO is very limited. It's not a standard treatment or replacement for current therapies.

• Potential Side Effects: Hydrogen water is generally considered safe, but mild side effects like bloating or headache have been reported in a small number of cases.

• Underlying causes: It's essential to see your doctor to diagnose SIBO correctly and explore underlying problems in your case.

The Bottom Line

Hydrogen water is generating excitement but more research is necessary to establish its role in managing SIBO. If you're struggling with SIBO, speak to your doctor about effective treatments and discuss whether further investigating hydrogen water could be right for you.