Irritable Bowel Syndrome has become a huge struggle for people today. There are different answers out there including a Fodmaps diet or Vagus nerve meditations. These solutions can be helpful, but it still doesn’t explain the cause.

Most of our digestion happens in the small intestine, and we tend to view the large intestine as a basic poop-chute. Yet, there is another process that takes place here, dependent on our microbes.  We don’t have to go as far back as our ancestors to access this problem.  A hundred years ago, symptoms like IBS were unheard of.  A huge difference in our world today is the use of antibiotics, since the year 2000, the usage has increased 66%. One dose of antibiotics can wipe out the entire microbiome, which can take up to six months to restore. Even at birth, we are given antibiotics, and many children born through C-Section are skipping the inheritance of our mother’s microbes. This also allows harmful bacteria to thrive, like Clostridioides difficile, which has been linked to Autism.

Microbes in our large intestine are responsible for breaking down indigestible fibers and producing short-chain fatty acids. Butyrate promotes the integrity of the intestinal lining, preventing a leaky gut. This also explains why people are becoming more sensitive to natural foods because they do not have the microbes to break them down. This causes the large intestine to react and be unable to process.

We have to consider when we are eating that we are not just feeding ourselves but our whole ecosystem inside of us. It is essential to incorporate prebiotics and probiotics into our diet. Gut dysbiosis can be a root cause of many conditions, including mental health, autoimmune, and digestive.  As always, it all begins in the gut!