SIFO Testing Asheville NC

If you’re struggling with chronic bloating, digestive discomfort, brain fog, or fatigue—and you’ve been told it’s just IBS or stress—Small Intestinal Fungal Overgrowth (SIFO) might be the overlooked cause.

What Is SIFO?

SIFO stands for Small Intestinal Fungal Overgrowth—a condition where excessive amounts of yeast or fungal organisms (most commonly Candida) grow in the small intestine. While some yeast naturally exists in a healthy gut, overgrowth in the small bowel can disrupt digestion, impair nutrient absorption, and contribute to widespread inflammation.

SIFO is not the same as a typical Candida infection found in the mouth or vaginal tract—it affects the small intestine, making it harder to detect and treat through conventional approaches.

SIFO vs. SIBO: What’s the Difference?

SIFO is often confused with SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth) because the symptoms can be nearly identical. Both conditions involve microbial overgrowth in the small intestine, but with different organisms:

SIBO = excess bacteria
SIFO = excess fungus/yeast

Many people are treated for SIBO with antibiotics or restrictive diets but continue to feel unwell because the real issue—fungal overgrowth—was never addressed.

This is why SIFO testing through a functional medicine lens is so critical. At Caring for the Body, PLLC in Asheville, Dr. Cynthia Libert uses advanced diagnostics to uncover hidden causes of digestive symptoms—including SIFO—and create customized plans that address the whole body.

Who Should Consider SIFO Testing? Common Symptoms & Clues

Chronic Gas and Bloating (Especially After Eating)

If you regularly experience bloating—especially in the upper abdomen—shortly after meals, fungal overgrowth in the small intestine could be fermenting carbohydrates and producing excess gas.

Sugar Cravings, Brain Fog, and Fatigue

Fungi like Candida thrive on sugar. Intense cravings for sweets, along with mental fog, low motivation, or energy crashes, may be tied to fungal dysbiosis in the gut.

Food Sensitivities or Histamine Reactions

SIFO can impair the gut lining and immune response, increasing reactivity to foods. You may notice rashes, headaches, sinus issues, or flushing after eating certain meals.

IBS Diagnosis Without Relief

Have you been diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome but still struggle with symptoms despite dietary changes or medications? SIFO is often misdiagnosed as IBS—and requires different treatment strategies.

Skin Issues, Mood Swings, or Yeast Infections

Your skin and mood are deeply connected to your gut. Conditions like eczema, acne, or recurrent yeast infections may be external signs of internal fungal imbalance. Anxiety and irritability are also common in SIFO cases.

Poor Response to SIBO Treatment or Frequent Relapses

If you’ve been treated for SIBO but symptoms return shortly after antibiotics or herbal protocols, a hidden fungal overgrowth could be at play. It’s common for SIFO to coexist with or follow SIBO, especially if antifungal support wasn’t part of your protocol.

Why Conventional Gut Tests Often Miss Fungal Overgrowth

Stool Tests Alone May Not Be Enough

Traditional stool tests often focus on bacterial pathogens or parasites and may not include a fungal analysis at all. Even when yeast is present, it’s often dismissed as a harmless finding, especially if it's not causing an acute infection.

Fungi like Candida can live in the gut in low-grade, chronic overgrowth states—not enough to trigger a red flag on conventional panels, but more than enough to cause inflammation, leaky gut, immune dysfunction, and the symptoms you’re feeling every day.

Over-Reliance on Bacterial Testing

Many providers only look for bacterial imbalances using tests like the SIBO breath test, which measures hydrogen and methane gases. While helpful for detecting bacterial overgrowth, these tests tell you nothing about fungal populations in the gut.

As a result, patients are often treated with antibiotics or antimicrobial herbs for suspected SIBO—and feel worse or see no long-term improvement because SIFO was never addressed.

Lack of Awareness in Conventional Medicine

Fungal dysbiosis, especially in the small intestine, is largely under-recognized in traditional medicine. Many physicians are trained to look for overt fungal infections, like thrush or vaginal yeast, but not for subtle, systemic overgrowth in the gut.

Unfortunately, this means that patients with real, debilitating symptoms are often told:

“Your labs look fine.”
“It’s just stress or IBS.”
“Try a probiotic.”

Why a Functional, Whole-Body Lens Is Essential

At Caring for the Body, PLLC, we take a different approach. We don’t just look for pathogens—we look at the entire gut ecosystem and your body as a whole.

We ask:

Is your immune system regulating microbes properly?
Are you detoxifying fungal byproducts effectively?
Is your diet feeding a healthy microbiome—or an imbalanced one?
Are stress, toxins, or medications contributing to fungal overgrowth?

How SIFO Testing Works at Caring for the Body, PLLC

What Does SIFO Testing Involve?

Because there is no single "SIFO test" currently available in conventional medicine, we use a combination of highly sensitive functional lab tests to detect signs of fungal overgrowth and gut imbalance. These may include:

Stool testing to evaluate fungi like Candida albicans, yeast byproducts, digestive function, and immune response
Organic Acids Testing (OAT) to detect fungal metabolites (e.g., arabinose) in the urine
Microbial DNA analysis (PCR-based testing) to identify yeast and fungal DNA in stool samples
Comprehensive GI-MAP® or GI Effects® panels to assess for coexisting bacterial overgrowth, parasites, and inflammatory markers

Trusted Lab Partners

We work with some of the most respected functional laboratories in the world, including:

Doctor’s Data – advanced stool and OAT profiles
Genova Diagnostics – comprehensive GI and detox panels
Diagnostic Solutions – GI-MAP testing with microbial DNA identification
Mosaic Diagnostics (formerly Great Plains Lab) – organic acids testing for fungal, bacterial, and mitochondrial imbalances

Why Testing the Full Gut Ecosystem Matters

Fungal overgrowth rarely exists in isolation. It's often connected to:

Leaky gut (intestinal permeability)
Bacterial imbalances (dysbiosis or SIBO)
Parasites or stealth infections
Poor detox function
Weakened immune response

Root-Cause Treatment Approach for SIFO

Personalized Plans Based on Diagnostic Testing

Every SIFO treatment plan begins with a clear understanding of your gut terrain. Your lab results help us determine:

Which fungal strains are present
Whether SIBO, parasites, or leaky gut are also factors
The strength of your digestive, immune, and detox systems

From there, we craft a strategic, phase-based plan to eliminate overgrowth and rebuild resilience.

Antifungal Herbs and Natural Protocols

Rather than jumping straight to prescription antifungals—which may be harsh or incomplete—we typically start with targeted herbal antifungal protocols. These may include:

Caprylic acid
Berberine
Oregano oil
Pau d’arco
Olive leaf extract

These herbs are often combined for synergistic action, with dosing and duration adjusted based on your progress and tolerance.

Gut-Healing Diets and Microbiome Rebalancing

SIFO feeds on sugar and refined carbohydrates. We guide patients through gut-healing dietary changes to:

Starve the yeast
Reduce inflammation
Support the growth of beneficial microbes

Liver Support and Mycotoxin Detox (If Needed)

Fungi can release mycotoxins, which place a burden on your liver, brain, and immune system. If testing reveals signs of mold or detox impairment, we incorporate gentle liver support protocols using nutrients, binders, and botanicals to assist your body's natural cleansing pathways.

Stress, Immune, and Adrenal Support

Stress weakens the immune system and allows fungal overgrowth to take hold. As part of your care, we address:

Cortisol imbalances
Nervous system regulation
Immune resilience

Probiotics, Prebiotics, and Postbiotics (When Appropriate)

Rebalancing your microbiome after a fungal overgrowth is a delicate process. We may recommend:

Specific probiotic strains known to combat Candida
Prebiotics to feed good bacteria (used cautiously in SIFO cases)
Postbiotics to strengthen gut barrier function

You’re Not Crazy—Your Gut Symptoms Are Real

If you've been struggling with unexplained digestive symptoms, only to be told your labs are normal or “it’s just IBS,” please know this: you are not imagining things—and you are not alone.

At Caring for the Body, PLLC, we understand how frustrating it is to live with chronic bloating, fatigue, brain fog, food sensitivities, or cycles of relapse. We also know how often fungal overgrowth like SIFO is overlooked in traditional care settings.

True healing starts with the right diagnosis—one that looks beyond surface-level symptoms and explores the deeper imbalances in your gut, immune system, and microbiome. Functional medicine testing for SIFO can uncover the missing piece that has been holding back your progress.

Ready to Get to the Root of Your Gut Issues?

📍 Caring for the Body, PLLC – Center for Functional Medicine
1998 Hendersonville Rd, Suite #24, Asheville, NC 28803
📞 (828) 490-1545 📧 help@caringforthebody.org 🌐 caringforthebody.org

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