Research Update: Clinical Study Shows Biocidin Botanicals Protocol Improves SIBO
By Kristen Klos-Maki, DC, Assistant Director of Research at Biocidin Botanicals®
Our flagship formula, Biocidin® Liquid, has long been considered foundational for addressing gastrointestinal dysbiosis. Integrative practitioners depend on its broad-spectrum activity to support healthy microbial balance in the gut and throughout the body.
Seeking to validate clinical findings with data, Biocidin Botanicals' Founder and Formulator, Rachel Fresco, collaborated with Danielle Lewis, ND, an integrative medicine specialist, over a decade ago. Together, they conducted a small pilot study evaluating the effects of Biocidin®, G.I. Detox®+, and Olivirex® on patients with Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO). As anticipated, eight people with SIBO saw a reduction in hydrogen-dominant breath tests after 8 weeks, while every participant experienced clinical improvement in their symptoms.
These promising results prompted our research team at Biocidin Botanicals to reproduce the outcomes in a clinical trial setting. Dr. Raja Sivamani and his team at Pacific Skin Institute in Sacramento, CA, began preparing for the clinical trial in 2020.
As the world was shutting down, the researchers got to work screening and enrolling patients for the clinical trial. The study, which launched in April 2021, set out to formally validate the following measurable endpoints using the Biocidin Botanicals protocol:
- SIBO-positive breath tests (lactulose breath testing) will decrease.
- Pathogenic bacteria (gut microbiome testing) will decrease.
- Facial redness will decrease (image-based analysis).
The 12 patients who qualified to participate in the study followed a 10-week protocol:
- Biocidin Liquid – 15 drops orally, 2 times per day
- G.I. Detox+ – 2 capsules one time per day, one hour away from food
Participants who did not clear SIBO after the first 10-week protocol continued the protocol for another four weeks, with the addition of an herbal formula:
- Biocidin Liquid – 15 drops orally, 2 times per day
- G.I. Detox+ – 2 capsules, one time per day
- Olivirex – 2 capsules, 2 times per day
Results: At week 10, baseline comparison showed:
- The botanical regimen was most effective for hydrogen-dominant and hydrogen sulfide-dominant SIBO, leading to negative breath test results at week 10 in 42.8% and 66.7% of participants, respectively.
- The mean abundance of Firmicutes decreased by 20.2%. Bacteroides increased by 30%, and the F/B ratio decreased by 25.4%, showing a favorable shift in beneficial species.
- Facial erythema had a 20% decrease (p = 0.001) in redness intensity.
- Positive shifts were seen in short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria. Abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Coprococcus eutectus, and Roseburia faecis increased by 31.4%, 35.4%, 24.8%, and 48.7%, respectively.
Study Conclusion
Dr. Sivamani and his team concluded: “Supplementation with an antimicrobial botanical supplemental regimen may have therapeutic potential in hydrogen and hydrogen-sulfide subtypes of SIBO. Furthermore, the botanical supplemental regimen may reduce facial erythema, increase SCFA-producing bacteria, decrease the F/B ratio, and modulate markers of intestinal permeability.”
Resources for Practitioners
- Read the complete study.
- For guidance in applying this protocol in your practice, download our Head-to-Toe Guide and SIBO/SIFO protocol.
- For further support, please contact us at clinical@biocidin.com or reach out to your regional sales representative.
- View the published article.