IBS and SIBO Breath Testing with FoodMarble: Real-Time Hydrogen and Methane Monitoring

Dr. Ben Weitz introduces the Rational Wellness Podcast episode on IBS and SIBO with guests Angus Short, PhD (CEO/co-founder) and Claire Short, PhD (chief clinical officer) of FoodMarble, creators of the handheld AIRE breath analyzer that measures hydrogen and methane in real time to track fermentation patterns at home. Inspired by Angus's wife's unresolved IBS symptoms and restrictive dieting, the device evolved from early prototypes into a validated product, including published research with Johns Hopkins showing equivalence to a leading mail-in breath test kit. They discuss following North American Consensus SIBO protocols (prep diet, fasting, lactulose or glucose, readings every 15 minutes for two hours with customizable options), additional at-home FODMAP intolerance tests, symptom/diet/stool tracking, and personalization. They note ongoing development of hydrogen sulfide measurement, factors affecting readings, and how monitoring can guide diet, supplements, and treatment choices.

00:00 Podcast Intro

00:59 IBS SIBO Episode Setup

02:29 Why FoodMarble Started

06:54 Early Prototypes to Product

07:46 Clinical Validation Studies

10:06 How to Run SIBO Tests

12:34 FODMAP Intolerance Testing

16:11 Stool Microbiome Links

20:17 Building a Healthier Microbiome

24:30 Daily Tracking and H2S Sensor

27:00 Diet Variability Matters

27:39 Tracking Meals and Symptoms

28:56 Personalization Factors in Data

29:39 Meal Timing and Liquids

30:48 GLP-1s and Gut Transit

31:56 Patient Engagement and App Modes

33:38 Avoidance and Food Reintroduction

34:32 Lactose Myths and Hidden FODMAPs

36:09 How FODMAPs Really Work

39:20 Food Database and Alternatives

40:16 Enzymes and Supplement Testing

41:54 Breath Sampling Technique

44:28 Calibration and Device Longevity

48:18 Breath Testing Misconceptions

49:59 SIBO Treatments and Research

54:51 Wrap Up and Where to Buy

Claire Shortt, PhD and Aonghus Shortt, PhD are the creators of the Food Marble, the handheld SIBO breath analyzer that measures hydrogen and methane in real time to track fermentation patterns at home. To learn more, go to FoodMarble.com and use the code WEITZ15 to get 15% off.

Dr. Ben Weitz is available for Functional Nutrition consultations specializing in Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders like IBS/SIBO and Reflux and also Cardiometabolic Risk Factors like elevated lipids, high blood sugar, and high blood pressure. Dr. Weitz has also successfully helped many patients with managing their weight and improving their athletic performance, as well as sports chiropractic work by calling his Santa Monica office 310-395-3111.

Environmental Toxins, Wildfire Smoke, and Practical Detox Strategies with Dr. Joe Pizzorno Dr. Ben Weitz hosts the Rational Wellness Podcast and interviews Dr. Joe Pizzorno on latest research about environmental toxins, emphasizing wildfire smoke risks, PM2.5 penetration, rapid body and brain distribution, and links to neurological, respiratory, and cardiovascular disease. Pizzorno argues toxins are a primary, solvable driver of chronic illness and that oxidized cholesterol reflects toxic exposure more than cholesterol itself. Practical protections include running high-MERV (≥12, ideally 16) HVAC filtration 24/7, avoiding incense, and supporting detox with glutathione (liposomal or via NAC), increased and diverse fiber to reduce toxin reabsorption, and saunas to sweat profusely (except PFAS "forever chemicals," which don't excrete via sweat). They discuss mercury release from forest fires, microplastics and gut binding, arsenic reduction from rice cooking, water filtration (carbon block, RO for arsenic), endocrine disruptors like bisphenols, and toxin assessment using GGTP, ALT, eGFR, and urinary 8-OHdG rather than challenge tests. 01:02 Meet Dr Joe Pizzorno 02:24 Wildfires and Toxic Exposure 05:21 PM2.5 and Systemic Damage 07:24 Cholesterol Oxidation and Toxins 09:35 Home Air Filtration Tips 11:25 Mercury From Forest Fires 13:15 Glutathione and NAC Basics 14:41 Binders and Fiber Strategy 17:26 Persistent vs Nonpersistent Toxins 19:21 Saunas and Forever Chemicals 21:47 Microplastics and Gut Binding 24:13 Post Fire Cleanup Safety 25:21 Arsenic in Water Rice Chicken 27:54 Whole House Water Filters 29:08 Chlorine Fluoride Tradeoffs 31:08 Plastic Bottles and Bisphenols 31:54 Endocrine Disruptors Explained 33:58 Phytoestrogens vs Xenoestrogens 35:49 Safer Drinkware and Cookware 36:37 Testing Toxins Smarter 39:49 Biomarkers GGTP ALT eGFR 44:37 Detox Nutrition and Glutathione 46:54 Toxins and Autoimmune Disease 48:22 Cure Versus Suppression 53:44 Final Thoughts and Outro

Dr. Joe Pizzorno is one of the founders of the modern naturopathic medicine and also the Functional Medicine movement, founding president of Bastyr University, editor of the Textbook of Natural Medicine, and one of the world's leading authorities on environmental toxins and chronic disease. He's the author of at least 14 outstanding books, including The Toxin Solution and a textbook on toxins that he cowrote with Walter Crinion, Clinical Environmental Medicine and he continues to publish groundbreaking research on the role of environmental toxicants in human health.

Dr. Ben Weitz is available for Functional Nutrition consultations specializing in Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders like IBS/SIBO and Reflux and also Cardiometabolic Risk Factors like elevated lipids, high blood sugar, and high blood pressure. Dr. Weitz has also successfully helped many patients with managing their weight and improving their athletic performance, as well as sports chiropractic work by calling his Santa Monica office 310-395-3111.

View the Show Notes For This Episode Newest Developments in SIBO Treatments with Dr. Mark Pimentel | Rational Wellness Podcast 476 Dr. Mark Pimentel on SIBO/IBS: 3-Gas Breath Testing, Hydrogen Sulfide, Methane, Diet & Emerging Treatments Dr. Ben Weitz welcomes Dr. Mark Pimentel to discuss new research on IBS and overgrowth syndromes, including hydrogen SIBO, intestinal methanogen overgrowth (IMO), and intestinal sulfide overproduction (hydrogen sulfide). Pimentel explains that hydrogen on breath tests is a marker for bacteria like E. coli and Klebsiella and that slowed motility enables overgrowth; he also distinguishes bloating vs abdominal distension and critiques Rome criteria for excluding bloating. They review Trio-Smart three-gas breath testing, lactulose vs glucose, timing and cutoffs (methane ≥10 ppm; hydrogen sulfide >2), and evidence that elevated hydrogen sulfide correlates with severe diarrhea and gut cellular dysfunction. They cover GLP-1 effects on motility, FoodMarble pros/cons, low fermentation diet, elemental diet (MBIOTA), probiotics, new therapies (rifaximin + timed-release NAC; methane enzyme inhibitor), and a Cedars-Sinai IBS-D trial recruiting in Los Angeles. 00:00 Show Intro and Mission 01:00 Meet Dr Mark Pimentel 03:12 Is Hydrogen Always Bad 05:11 Bloating vs Distension 08:40 Where SIBO Bugs Come From 10:30 Why Slow Transit Drives Overgrowth 12:50 Three Gas Breath Testing 16:21 Breath Test Critiques Answered 20:09 Cutoffs for Positive Tests 23:27 Hydrogen Sulfide Gut Damage 24:57 GLP1 Drugs and SIBO 27:37 Methane Weight Gain Explained 29:17 FoodMarble Pros and Cons 30:42 Low Fermentation Diet Debate 32:27 White Bread Misconceptions 33:25 Rifaximin Plus NAC Trial 35:10 New Methane Blocking Drug 36:26 Methane Treatment Challenges 38:00 Methanogens Balance And Phages 40:05 Palatable Elemental Diet 41:22 Next Gen Anaerobic Probiotics 44:23 IBS Versus IBD Relationship 46:31 Hydrogen Sulfide Options 47:40 Mast Cells Mold And Motility 49:18 Vagus Nerve Confusion 51:30 Future Of Overgrowth Syndromes 52:42 Trial Signup And Wrap Up 53:26 Podcast Outro And Clinic Info

Dr. Mark Pimentel is one of the world's leading authorities on the gut microbiome and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, or SIBO. He serves as Executive Director of the Medically Associated Science and Technology Program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and has dedicated more than two decades to unraveling the complex relationship between the gut microbiome and disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome.

Dr. Ben Weitz is available for Functional Nutrition consultations specializing in Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders like IBS/SIBO and Reflux and also Cardiometabolic Risk Factors like elevated lipids, high blood sugar, and high blood pressure. Dr. Weitz has also successfully helped many patients with managing their weight and improving their athletic performance, as well as sports chiropractic work by calling his Santa Monica office 310-395-3111.

View the Show Notes For This Episode

Dr. David Perlmutter on Microglia, Metabolism, and a New Paradigm for Neurodegenerative Disease

Dr. Ben Weitz introduces the Rational Wellness Podcast and interviews neurologist and author Dr. David Perlmutter about his upcoming book, Brain Defenders, describing a neuroscience shift from neuron-centered thinking to the brain's immune cells (glia/microglia) as key drivers of neurodegeneration. Perlmutter argues microglial polarization (supportive M2 vs destructive M1) is upstream of protein accumulations like beta-amyloid, alpha-synuclein, and phosphorylated tau, and is strongly influenced by lifestyle-driven metabolic health (blood sugar, insulin resistance, lipids, blood pressure), systemic inflammation, gut dysbiosis, and blood–brain barrier integrity. They discuss prevention, multimodal treatment approaches (e.g., Bredesen and Ornish/Tanzi), mitochondrial dysfunction, exercise, supplements (olive oil polyphenols, vitamin D, CoQ10, urolithin A, spermidine, dihydromyricetin, rosmarinic acid), and emerging drug strategies including TREM2 targeting and GLP-1 agonists, noting benefits and risks.

00:00 Show Intro

01:02 Meet David Perlmutter

03:04 Microglia Paradigm Shift

05:21 Beyond Amyloid Drugs

09:08 Multimodal Reversal Evidence

13:34 Neurons vs Microglia Basics

16:46 Gut Inflammation Link

19:24 Blood Brain Barrier Aging

21:22 Mitochondria Microglia Switch

25:52 Why Diseases Differ Epigenetics

29:54 Tau Is Downstream Too

31:40 Brain Defender Diet Metabolism

35:14 GLP1s For Parkinsons

42:57 Diet Types CGM Keto Fiber

48:46 Supplements For Microglia

52:04 Rapamycin NAD Hype Check

54:34 Wrap Up Preorder Book

55:03 Podcast Outro

Dr. David Perlmutter, board-certified neurologist, six-time New York Times bestselling author, with some of his most popular books being Brain Grain, Brain Maker and Drop Acid and his new book, Brain Defenders. His website is DrPerlmutter.com.

Dr. Ben Weitz is available for Functional Nutrition consultations specializing in Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders like IBS/SIBO and Reflux and also Cardiometabolic Risk Factors like elevated lipids, high blood sugar, and high blood pressure. Dr. Weitz has also successfully helped many patients with managing their weight and improving their athletic performance, as well as sports chiropractic work by calling his Santa Monica office 310-395-3111.

Rational Wellness Podcast Episode 020: Female Hormones with Dr. Jill Stocker Dr. Jill Stocker discusses the use of bioidentical estrogen and progesterone hormones to help women restore their youth and vigor and their "juiciness". I laid out the topic first by talking about how it was believed for decades that estrogen was protective for the heart, which is why women have a lower risk of heart attack than men until menopause and then their risk increases equal to men's. There was however, concern about the increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer. When the Women's Health Initiative study was published in 2002 it shook the field of women's hormone replacement therapy by demonstrating an increased risk of heart attack and stroke in women who took equine (from horses) estrogen and synthetic progestins (Premarin and PremPro). But these results do not necessarily apply to the use of bioidentical hormones, which are much safer.

Dr. Jill Stocker can be reached at https://www.jillstocker.com/ or here: http://www.thebodywellusa.com/

Dr. Ben Weitz is available for Functional Nutrition consultations specializing in Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders like IBS/SIBO and Reflux and also Cardiometabolic Risk Factors like elevated lipids, high blood sugar, and high blood pressure. Dr. Weitz has also successfully helped many patients with managing their weight and improving their athletic performance, as well as sports chiropractic work by calling his Santa Monica office 310-395-3111.

View the Show Notes For This Episode

Breast Implant Illness with Dr. Robert Whitfield | Rational Wellness Podcast 474

Dr. Ben Weitz interviews Dr. Robert Whitfield, a board-certified plastic surgeon specializing in breast reconstruction and explant surgery using an integrative approach with functional medicine, genomics, nutrition, and environmental medicine. They discuss breast implant illness (fatigue, brain fog, joint pain, GI and autoimmune-like symptoms), implant types, and why implant-based reconstruction is more common than microsurgical autologous tissue reconstruction. Whitfield reviews evidence and proposed mechanisms including bacterial biofilm contamination, oxidation of oleic acid in breast tissue, immune activation (T-, B-, and plasma-cell responses), and findings from PCR testing in 694 consecutive cases showing 29% bacterial contamination. He outlines preparation and recovery strategies (genetics, toxicity, gut, hormones, sleep, nutrition), surgical capsulectomy and pocket rinses, limited role for antibiotics, implant surveillance after 8–10 years, and alternatives like fat transfer. 00:00 Show Intro and Mission 00:59 Meet Dr Rob Whitfield 02:45 Implant History and Types 03:46 Microsurgery Reconstruction Explained 07:50 Implants Versus Own Tissue 09:30 Silicone Leakage and Immune Limits 11:48 Explant Surgery and Capsule Removal 13:42 Biofilm Mechanism and Oxidation 17:05 Evidence and Susceptibility Factors 20:43 Preop Prep and Recovery Protocol 23:20 Antibiotics PCR and Pocket Rinse 25:20 Heavy Metals Sauna and BIA ALCL 27:40 Textured Implant Recall Guidance 28:32 Implant Lifespan and Imaging 29:58 When to Remove Implants 30:34 Ruling Out Other Causes 31:51 Mold and Parasite Protocols 33:45 Autoimmunity and Biomarkers 36:01 Recovery Lifestyle Basics 37:45 Diet and Protein Focus 39:23 Why BII Is Missed 41:48 Implant Choices and Risks 43:14 Alternatives Like Fat Transfer 45:48 Aftercare and Recovery Tech 48:10 Finding Surgeons and Resources

Dr. Robert Whitfield is a board-certified plastic surgeon who specializes in breast reconstruction, explant surgery, and optimizing recovery through an integrative approach that combines reconstructive surgery with functional medicine, genomics, nutrition, and environmental medicine. Over the past decade, Dr. Whitfield has become one of the leading physicians studying what has become known as Breast Implant Illness, or BII—a constellation of symptoms that can include fatigue, brain fog, joint pain, gastrointestinal complaints, autoimmune-type symptoms, and other chronic health issues that some women associate with their breast implants. Dr. Whitfield can be found at DrRobertWhitfield.com

Dr. Ben Weitz is available for Functional Nutrition consultations specializing in Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders like IBS/SIBO and Reflux and also Cardiometabolic Risk Factors like elevated lipids, high blood sugar, and high blood pressure. Dr. Weitz has also successfully helped many patients with managing their weight and improving their athletic performance, as well as sports chiropractic work by calling his Santa Monica office 310-395-3111.

View the Show Notes For This Episode

Mold, Indoor Air Quality, and Building a Healthy Home with Michael Rubino Dr. Ben Weitz introduces the Rational Wellness Podcast and interviews mold remediation and indoor air quality expert Michael Rubino of Home Cleanse and the Change the Air Foundation about mold, indoor air quality, and creating a healthy home. Rubino describes entering the field after Hurricane Sandy, observing people remaining ill despite cosmetic restorations driven by insurance limits and cost-cutting, and notes an EPA statistic that people spend about 90% of their time indoors. They discuss widespread water damage in homes, mold and bacteria as linked problems, and how new construction can develop mold from poor material handling and inadequate moisture control. Rubino addresses wildfire-related indoor contamination (heavy metals, VOCs, ash), recommends dust and VOC testing, critiques fogging and bleach-based approaches, emphasizes HVAC maintenance and filtration, and outlines the foundation's education, research, and policy goals.

00:59 Meet Michael Rubino

01:50 Why Indoor Air Matters

03:26 Hurricane Sandy Wakeup

05:40 Insurance Drives Remediation

06:45 Mold Coverage Caps

08:57 Denied Claim Story

11:13 How Common Is Water Damage

12:14 Mold In New Builds

17:49 Dried In Explained

19:09 Fire Smoke Toxins Indoors

22:35 Testing After Fires

27:15 Drywall And Safer Walls

29:14 Mold Inspection Dust Test

30:10 ERMI Confusion Solved

32:48 Ordering And Next Steps

32:57 Mold Plus Bacteria

34:02 Mold vs Bacteria Basics

34:54 Next Wave Testing

35:41 Bleach Fogging Myths

37:00 Porous vs Nonporous Cleanup

40:42 What to Toss or Keep

42:26 Tape Testing Belongings

45:12 Laundry and Air Purifiers

46:37 Filters MERV and Ozone

50:30 Ventilation Fires Humidity

53:02 Change the Air Mission

57:01 HVAC Lungs of Home

01:01:20 Clinician Takeaways Wrap

01:03:21 Where to Find More

Michael Rubino is one of the country's leading experts on mold remediation and indoor air quality. He's the founder of HomeCleanse, Chairman of the Change the Air Foundation, and he is also a council-certified Mold Remediator by IICRC and ACAC and a contributing member, sponsor, and speaker for the Indoor Air Quality Association. He is also the host of the Never Been Sicker podcast.

Dr. Ben Weitz is available for Functional Nutrition consultations specializing in Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders like IBS/SIBO and Reflux and also Cardiometabolic Risk Factors like elevated lipids, high blood sugar, and high blood pressure. Dr. Weitz has also successfully helped many patients with managing their weight and improving their athletic performance, as well as sports chiropractic work by calling his Santa Monica office 310-395-3111.

View the Show Notes For This Episode

Dr. Philip Goglia explains to Dr. Ben Weitz how to improve athletic performance through nutrition.

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Dr. Goglia explained that using the correct macronutrient food pattern that fits each person's metabolism is crucial. This can be determined via a questionnaire and by looking at a lipid profile. If you are efficient at burning fats and carbohydrates and you consume a vegan diet, it will not work very well. Some people are efficient at burning fats and proteins, some are efficient at burning carbs, and some are efficient at both.

Dr. Goglia will often utilize a pretraining cocktail with athletes that includes D-Ribose, L-Glutamine, Taurine, Cinnamon, Calcium and Magnesium, and blackstrap mollases. We'll even add citrulline mallate to it. He mentions that when his athletes have an athletic event in the morning, he will have the athletes eat a "mash" in the evening that includes shredded wheat, apple sauce, almond butter and jam. They'll wake up with lots of energy. He may also have the athlete consume this "mash" several hours before an athletic event, such as a basketball game or an athletic event.

Dr. Philip Goglia can be reached through his website and for nutrition appointments: http://www.pfcnutrition.com/

View the Show Notes For This Episode

Helping Dysregulated Kids with Dr. Roseann Capanna-Hodge Rational Wellness Podcast 472

Dr. Roseann Capanna-Hodge, a licensed mental health expert, founder of The Global Institute of Children's Mental Health, host of The Dysregulated Kid Podcast, and author of the bestselling book, The Dysregulated Kid. Her website is DysregulatedKid.com.

Dr. Ben Weitz is available for Functional Nutrition consultations specializing in Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders like IBS/SIBO and Reflux and also Cardiometabolic Risk Factors like elevated lipids, high blood sugar, and high blood pressure. Dr. Weitz has also successfully helped many patients with managing their weight and improving their athletic performance, as well as sports chiropractic work by calling his Santa Monica office 310-395-3111.

View the Show Notes For This Episode

The Science of Breathwork with Dr. Sachin Patel | Rational Wellness Podcast

Dr. Ben Weitz introduces the Rational Wellness Podcast and interviews Dr. Sachin Patel, a chiropractor and functional medicine practitioner known for breathwork, about how breathing influences health. Patel explains how tongue posture and nasal breathing affect facial structure, airway size, posture, circulation, lymph flow, and nervous system regulation, and discusses CO2 tolerance, the Bohr effect, and how hyperventilation can reduce oxygen delivery. He outlines common mistakes such as treating breathwork as a single daily session instead of frequent check-ins, and emphasizes nose breathing—especially during sleep—citing high rates of mouth breathing and recommending options like micropore tape or Myotape. They cover breathing "gears" for exercise, parasympathetic-focused patterns (including 4-7-8 and longer exhales), breath holds, digestion and vagal tone, sleep apnea considerations, and resources including Patel's sites and book. 00:00 Show Intro 00:59 Meet Dr Sachin Patel 01:59 Why Breathwork Matters 05:32 Tongue Posture Airway 09:47 Diaphragm Heart Lymph 13:25 CO2 Tolerance Bohr Effect 19:07 Daily Breath Habits 22:00 Mouth Taping Sleep 25:06 Nasal Breathing Benefits 29:19 Athletes Three Breathing Gears 33:22 Breathing Metabolism Fat Loss 35:07 Question About 478 35:17 Exhale For Sleep 36:14 Breath And Trauma 40:21 Somatic Breathwork 41:05 Why Mouth Breathing 42:46 Breath And Digestion 48:08 Breath Holds Benefits 50:11 Breathing For Longevity 51:23 Clinicians Start Here 53:32 Sleep Apnea Alternatives 57:31 Final Takeaways 01:01:21 Diaphragm And Rhythm 01:03:48 Heart And Blood Pressure 01:04:49 Where To Learn More 01:06:58 Podcast Wrap Up

Dr. Sachin Patel is a doctor of chiropractic, a Functional Medicine practitioner and success coach, an international speaker, and author. He is perhaps most well known for his expertise on the science of breathwork and he is also a very successful business coach for Functional Medicine practitioners. His websites are TheLivingProofInstitute.com and BreathworkwithSachin.com

Dr. Ben Weitz is available for Functional Nutrition consultations specializing in Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders like IBS/SIBO and Reflux and also Cardiometabolic Risk Factors like elevated lipids, high blood sugar, and high blood pressure. Dr. Weitz has also successfully helped many patients with managing their weight and improving their athletic performance, as well as sports chiropractic work by calling his Santa Monica office 310-395-3111.