Health Implications of the Overgrowth of Candida
Health Topics on this page
What is Candidiasis? You’ve seen what yeast does to beer or bread – well it can do the same to the health of your digestive system. If you suffer from frequent bouts of thrush and/or cystitis, bloating, cramp, irritable bowel syndrome and other bowel problems, chronic fatigue, sweet cravings and allergies, chances are you may have a candida overgrowth or candidiasis.
Everybody has “candida” – it is a harmless microbe that lives in the bowel. In a healthy gut, the fungus is kept in check by friendly intestinal flora. But certain conditions in the body allow this harmless normally benign yeast to change its form. It then runs riot and creates a long list of very unpleasant symptoms.
Damage to the bowel happens when it starts to build up in the bowel walls. At its most troublesome form, it actually competes with the bowels own healthy microflora (good bacteria) placing a huge strain on the body’s defences.
Once changed from a benign to an attacking form, the candida yeast can start to attack the healthy membrane between your digestive tract and your bloodstream and toxic waste products can seep into the circulation. Once this happens it can disrupt the healthy workings of any part of the body
Don’t despair though – there is plenty you can do to avoid it happening and to heal your body if you are a sufferer.
What is Candida?Candida Albicans is the name of the yeast fungus itself. Thrush is the common name for the same yeast - but in this case it usually thrives in the mouth, throat, groin or genitalia. Thrush is usually the first clash most people have with candida albicans. This is often as a result of taking antibiotics that may have been prescribed for an infection- and very often for cystitis.
Although unpleasant and uncomfortable, both cystitis and thrush should be relatively easy to treat naturally without resorting to repeat prescriptions of antibiotics. However there is often a repeated cycle of cystitis to antibiotics to thrush to cystitis to antibiotics. This is likely to lead to a weakening of the health of the immune system and driving the yeast “underground”, especially if there are other underlying health problems.
Despite all the evidence, many doctors still don’t accept that the condition of candidiasis exists. While they agree on the existence of vaginal and oral thrush, many remain resistant to the idea that this “harmless” yeast can create such havoc within the body. The majority of doctors treat thrush as a fungal infection at surface level by prescribing anti-fungal medications.
What are the symptoms?There is a whole load of symptoms associated with candida overgrowth. As well as the symptoms mentioned before there is also :
Aching, anxiety, depression, dizziness, dry cough, flatulence, food sensitivities, headaches or migraine, irritability, lack of energy, loss of sex drive, menstrual problems, mood swings, muscle pain, nausea, palpitations, persistent infections, poor concentration, poor immunity, PMS, rectal itching, skin eruptions, stiff joints, and weight gain. As you can see the list of symptoms is long – and this isn’t all of them! Candida overgrowth can aggravate many other conditions, including: acne, eczema, psoriasis, hyperactivity, asthma, food allergies, and ear infections
As well as this many of the symptoms are similar to a number of other digestive problems like leaky gut syndrome, making it impossible to work out which came first. No wonder it is so easily missed – and to misdiagnose.
Who can get candidiasis?Candidiasis is likely to affect anyone but it is around 8 times more likely to affect the health of women than in men. This is because it is aggravated by contraceptives, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and increased numbers of antibiotic prescriptions for cystitis.
Some other triggers likely to set off candida overgrowth can be :
Diets high in sugar
Of all the things on this list, depressed immunity has to be the major factor in the explosion of candidiasis. A weak immune system seems to be the norm these days, mostly caused by poor nutrition. The rise in candidiasis also depends a lot on “overload”. A properly nourished healthy body is able to deal with short periods of stress, exhaustion, illness, and so on.
What is overload? If you add frequent courses of antibiotics to, say, a diet high in sugar and lacking in fibre, add a few viruses, pile on the stress and ignore the need for rest, sleep and nourishing food. Also add to this mix, pollution and other chemical exposures in your environment. You are then well on your way to breaking point. Every move detrimental to your health makes it easier for candida albicans to escalate and get out of control.
Action Plan for CandidiasisThe first plan of action should be to kill off the yeast with anti-fungal supplements, heal the gut and boost the immune system to protect against future attack. Isolated use of anti-fungal drugs without taking care of the underlying factors will result in only short term improvements. Please don’t launch into a restricted dietary regime because you think you’re your candidiasis will give up the ghost by avoiding a long list of different food. This approach is not likely to work. It is a complex condition and low immunity and lack of nutrients are the most likely reasons it picked on you in the first place. So don’t cut calories – eating healthily and well is essential to a full recovery.
Leave a special healthy diet to be worked out by a nutritional therapist who knows all your diet, lifestyle and environment factors. However you can help yourself by following these initial guidelines :
Avoid all sugar and sugary foods. Like cancer cells, Candida albicans thrives on sugar. The majority of people experience significant improvements simply by avoiding added and hidden sugar at least during treatment. Avoid artificial sweeteners as well as they contain chemicals – another toxin to the overloaded liver to deal with!
Drink more water Many people “forget” to drink as they don’t feel thirsty. Boosting fluids is an important part of treating this condition – and for good health.
Take cold pressed aloe vera juice every day. Add half a cup (approx. 60 ml) to a glass of organic cranberry juice. Good quality suppliers of Aloe vera products are at the end of the page.
Cut out cow’s milk Make sure you avoid ordinary cow’s milk completely. The high lactose content of cow’s milk promotes the growth of Candida albicans It may also contain traces of antibiotics that can further disrupt the levels of friendly bowel bacteria and promote more yeast. Organic soya milk and rice milk are good alternatives
Avoid yeast drinks and foods Cut out alcoholic drinks, bread and other baked goods and anything containing yeast. Adding extra yeast to the body only encourages more candida growth
Eat food as fresh as possible Always check the “use-by” date on everything you buy and make sure you eat it well before that date. Foods that attract mould can be a particular hazard if you are a sufferer of candida overgrowth.
Steer clear of suspect foods All the food items of the following list are claimed to aggravate symptoms. If you DO eat anything from the list eat as fresh as possible and in minimum quantities:
Canned and cartoned juices
It is also best to avoid hydrogenated margarines and non-hydrogenated alternatives. And change polyunsaturated cooking oils for extra-virgin olive oil.
Use cold-pressed nut and seed oils these can include flaxseed, pumpkin seed, hemp, extra-virgin and safflower oils. This is a useful way of taking in the essential omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, which are lacking in most diets. Never heat them.
Eat plain bio-yoghurt daily. If possible, use yoghurt made from sheep’s or goat’s milk or soya.
Take certain supplements The following might be helpful:
Digestive enzymes taken with your lunch and evening meal.
Natural anti-fungal supplements :. Echinacea to boost the immune system
Garlic -add to your cooking, grate it raw into salads and over vegetables, or if you don’t like the taste, try as a supplement. It’s a fabulous anti-fungal agent and candida really loathes it! Take garlic capsules in the middle of a meal to prevent it “repeating”.
What else can I do?Cut your exposure to chemicals These include artificial food additives and pesticides. Buy natural cosmetics, bath products and cleaning materials. Avoid unhealthy processed packaged foods as much as possible. Don’t use artificial sweeteners and avoid cigarette smoke – yours as well as other people’s. Don’t exercise near a busy road – and fit an air purifier into your car.
Take the load off your liver a simple health detox can be a real holiday for this hard-working organ. Think positively, deal with stress and get plenty of rest Negative thinking, stress, overwork and lack of sleep put further pressure on your immune system
Talk to your doctor Discuss any medication you are taking with your doctor and check to see if it’s really essential for your health. Antibiotics are an obvious problem but did you know that some anti-ulcer drugs can encourage the growth of candida albicans in the stomach?
Tips to prevent candida overgrowth
Follow a diet rich in fresh vegetables and salads Use as much organic produce as you can Keep sugar, yeast and alcohol intake to a minimum Avoid Cow’s milk Reduce chemical exposure Follow a regular health detox Use garlic in your cooking and take garlic supplements
Follow a three month course of probiotics every twelve months and always take probiotics after a course of antibiotics. These are acidophilus supplements and are available from any health food shop.
For good quality Aloe Vera products direct to your door:
Easy cure for Yeast Infections The most best selling Book on this subject on the Internet.
Cure your yeast infection naturally and permanently The Only Clinically Proven & Unique 5 Step Holistic Yeast Infection System.
An intolerance of certain foods really can be the cause of many problems
|
