Although SIBO hasn’t been identified as a definitive cause or consequence of any other disease, it is associated with a number of conditions that create an abnormal intestinal environment, which could include:
- A less acidic (more hospitable) small intestine
- Slower (more accessible) transit of food through the GI tract
- Abnormal muscular contractions that push contents (and microbes) backward, from the large to the small intestine
- Reduced immune activity that would normally regulate microbial growth
It is thought that these factors create a nutrient-rich environment that lacks the normal mechanisms for controlling microbial growth, and SIBO develops as a result.[1][2]