Reversing Crohn's and Colitis Naturally
What if Crohn’s and Colitis weren’t lifelong?
Hosted by IBD specialist Josh Dech who has helped over 500 people reverse Crohn's and Colitis, this podcast reveals the hidden root causes of Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative Colitis; from microbiome collapse and bile acid dysfunction to mold toxicity, immune imbalance, chronic inflammation, and the gut-brain connection.
Every week, learn simple, science-backed strategies to reduce symptoms, calm inflammation, repair your gut, and rebuild your life.
Reversing Crohn’s & Colitis Naturally is for anyone who wants real answers, real hope, and a path to real healing.
Reversing Crohn's and Colitis Naturally
91: IBS vs. IBD - Could SIBO Be the Missing Link Between the Two
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IBS and IBD are often confused with one another, but they are not the same condition—and understanding the difference may be one of the most important steps in making sense of chronic gut symptoms.
In this episode, Josh Dech breaks down the distinction between irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. He explains why IBS is generally considered a functional disorder, while IBD involves structural changes such as inflammation, ulceration, strictures, and tissue damage.
The conversation also explores the surprising similarities between IBS and IBD. Both can involve abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, urgency, bloating, dysbiosis, gut-barrier disruption, environmental triggers, stress, lifestyle factors, and medication-related aggravation. Josh also discusses why people with IBD can continue experiencing IBS-type symptoms even when their inflammatory disease is considered to be in remission.
A major focus of the episode is the relationship between IBS and SIBO—small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. Josh highlights research suggesting substantial overlap between IBS and SIBO, particularly in people experiencing mixed constipation-and-diarrhea symptoms.
From there, he introduces a provocative hypothesis: could some cases of IBD potentially develop following an earlier IBS/SIBO pattern? Josh walks through his own population-attributable-risk thought experiment and arrives at a theoretical range suggesting that a substantial percentage of IBD could potentially be connected to this progression.
Importantly, Josh emphasizes that this is a theory requiring further research—not an established conclusion.
The episode ultimately raises a bigger root-cause question: if certain forms of gut dysfunction can be identified earlier, could earlier investigation and intervention potentially change the trajectory of chronic inflammatory gut disease?
For anyone interested in gut health, the microbiome, inflammation, immune-system dysfunction, SIBO, IBS, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, or root-cause approaches to chronic illness, this episode provides a provocative framework for thinking about where inflammatory bowel disease may begin—and whether there could be opportunities to intervene earlier.
TOPICS DISCUSSED:
- IBS Vs. IBD: Fundamental Differences And Similarities
- IBS Symptoms, Diagnosis, Subtypes And Rome Criteria
- SIBO And Its Relationship To IBS
- IBD Symptoms, Inflammation And Structural Damage
- Crohn’s Disease Vs. Ulcerative Colitis
- Shared Triggers: Stress, Environment, Medications And Lifestyle
- The Gut-Brain Axis, Dysbiosis And Gut-Barrier Dysfunction
- IBS/IBD Prevalence And Diagnostic Changes
- Josh’s IBS → SIBO → IBD Population-Risk Thought Experiment
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