Unpopular Opinions as a Gastroenterologist with Emeran Mayer, MD | MGC Ep. 84

In this special episode of the Mind-Gut Conversation podcast, I discuss my personal opinions on topics related to Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) & Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

Some key questions and topics I discuss are:

• The issue with diagnosing SIBO
• How to treat SIBO, without antibiotics
• Why the low FODMAP diet is not a practical solution
• IBS is not a gut-disorder
• How to manage IBS symptoms

My name is Emeran Mayer, and I have been a gastroenterologist and neuroscientist for the last 40+ years. I have written over 450 publications in peer-reviewed journals, and have published two best-selling books, The Mind-Gut Connection & The Mind-Gut Immune Connection.

Some of the unpopular opinions I explain in detail during this episode are the following:

• SIBO is not a valid diagnosis and is not an important cause of some of the most common digestive symptoms. Treating it with antibiotics is not only bad for your gut microbes, but also for your overall health. This treatment’s main benefit is for the pharmaceutical industry.

• Even though the low FODMAP diet improves gut symptoms in the short-term, it is bad for your gut microbiome and your overall health in the long-term.

• IBS is not a gut disorder, but a disorder of altered interactions between the brain, gut and its microbiome. This is the reason that therapies solely targeted at the gut are generally not effective IBS therapies.

I hope you enjoy the episode!

Learn more at www.emeranmayer.com