How to Have a Healthy Gut

June 27, 2018

Functional medicine practitioner, clinical researcher, and international lecturer Dr. Michael Ruscio is back on the podcast today, talking with Dr. Tommy Wood about the work he’s doing to advance understanding of Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) and other disorders of the gut. In addition to seeing patients, maintaining a podcast and blog and conducting his own clinical research, he’s recently written Healthy Gut, Healthy You, a practical guide to intestinal health and overall well-being.

In this podcast, Dr. Ruscio discusses his evidence-based strategies for identifying and treating SIBO in his clinic, including breath testing, prokinetics to prevent relapse, and symptom management. He also talks about how he has built a successful online platform to bring his work to a wider audience. You can find Dr. Ruscio’s previous podcasts with us here and here.

Here’s the outline of this interview with Michael Ruscio:

[00:00:21] Book: Healthy Gut, Healthy You: The Personalized Plan to Transform Your Health from the Inside Out, by Dr. Michael Ruscio.

[00:04:02] When to reach out to a health practitioner.

[00:04:44] Setbacks during protocol.

[00:05:45] When to do testing.

[00:09:43] Tracking progress.

[00:10:37] Mark Pimentel, MD.

[00:10:40] North American Consensus guidelines: Rezaie, Ali, et al. "Hydrogen and methane-based breath testing in gastrointestinal disorders: the North American consensus." The American journal of gastroenterology 112.5 (2017): 775.

[00:10:50] Rome Foundation Guidelines: Gasbarrini, A. N. T. O. N. I. O., et al. "Methodology and indications of H2-breath testing in gastrointestinal diseases: the Rome Consensus Conference." Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics 29 (2009): 1-49.

[00:11:09] Study: Khoshini, Reza, et al. "A systematic review of diagnostic tests for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth." Digestive diseases and sciences 53.6 (2008): 1443-1454.

[00:13:41] Study: Distrutti, Eleonora, et al. "Evidence that hydrogen sulfide exerts antinociceptive effects in the gastrointestinal tract by activating KATP channels." Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics 316.1 (2006): 325-335.

[00:14:00] Study: Lin, Eugenia, et al. "Measurement of hydrogen sulfide during breath testing correlates to patient symptoms." Gastroenterology 152.5 (2017): S205-S206.

[00:15:00] Controlling GI symptoms.

[00:16:38] Efficacy of peppermint, study: Enck, Paul, et al. "Therapy options in irritable bowel syndrome." European journal of gastroenterology & hepatology 22.12 (2010): 1402-1411.

[00:18:30] Building an online platform.

[00:23:19] Balancing clinical mission with sponsorships.

[00:26:24] Identifying truth vs. bias.

[00:29:40] Evaluating scientific research.

[00:32:50] When to try something that's not evidence-based.

[00:36:12] In-progress clinical trials.

[00:38:44] Prokinetics for preventing SIBO relapse.

[00:39:37] Study - Pimentel, Mark, et al. "Low-dose nocturnal tegaserod or erythromycin delays symptom recurrence after treatment of irritable bowel syndrome based on presumed bacterial overgrowth." Gastroenterology & hepatology 5.6 (2009): 435.

[00:40:59] Healthy Gut Healthy You; Healthyguthealthyyoubook.com; drruscio.com; Dr. Ruscio Radio Podcast, weekly videos.

[00:42:10] Article: Is SIBO a Real Condition? By Alan Christianson.

[00:42:11] Rebuttal article: Is SIBO a Real Condition? by Michael Ruscio.

[00:42:43] Future of Functional Medicine Review clinical newsletter.