Yeast breads are some of the yummiest foods on the planet--who doesn't love freshly baked bread or warm cinnamon rolls or donuts or pizza? So good...yet so bad for us! There is another type of yeast that is so good yet can become so bad, and its name is candida. Candida albicans is a type of yeast that occurs naturally on the skin, intestines, and for women, the vagina. Under normal circumstances, candida is a harmless fungus which aids in digestion and nutrient absorption, but when it gets out of control and there is yeast overgrowth, all kinds of health problems can result.
Some conditions as a result of yeast overgrowth include vaginal yeast infections, thrush (a yeast infection in the mouth commonly occurring in infants), toenail fungus, athlete's foot, and jock itch--all of which were familiar. However, I didn't learn the term "candida" until after I was diagnosed with cancer and started doing my own research. Cancer cells are very similar to candida fungus cells in appearance as well as in the fact that both kinds of cells feed off sugar, leading some researchers to conclude that cancer cells are actually a type of fungus. When there is an overproduction of yeast in the intestinal tract, the fungus breaks down the intestinal walls causing leaky gut syndrome. This results not only in a number of digestive issues, but also in the ability of the fungus as well as other toxins to escape the gut and spread to the blood stream, causing systemic infection throughout the body--including the skin, gut, genitals, mucous membranes, and even the membranes surrounding the brain. Candidiasis manifests differently in different people--not everyone has the same symptoms. Since the symptoms are so numerous and varied, and since they can be associated with so many other health problems, it isn't unusual for candidiasis to go ignored and undiagnosed. Yet candida is a common denominator for many conditions which aren't normally associated with yeast overgrowth. Many symptoms are listed in the image below; read them and take note of how many apply to you.
There are several possible underlying causes of yeast overgrowth, mainly stemming from the body's systems being rundown or out of balance. Common contributing factors include an unhealthy diet (high in sugars and grains) which feeds the yeast, diabetes, taking birth control pills, taking antibiotics which kill off the good as well as bad bacteria, using corticosteroids for asthma, and exposure to environmental toxins and stress which negatively impact the immune system. While it's tempting to take over-the-counter remedies for common yeast infections, we need to understand that those remedies only alleviate the symptoms--they don't address the cause of yeast overgrowth.
As with most health problems, the primary preventive and treatment is a healthy diet. Alcohol, sugars, grains, conventional dairy, aged cheeses, processed foods, allergenic foods, starchy/high-sugar vegetables (carrots, beets, all potatoes, peas, radishes, parsnips), mushrooms (fungus), peanuts and cashews (ground nuts which commonly carry molds), fruit and fruit juices (high sugar content), and vinegar must all be avoided when trying to treat candida; the fruits and vegetables can be reintroduced after the yeast is under control. Apple cider vinegar, sauerkraut/fermented foods/cultured dairy (probiotics), green veggies (raw and steamed), green juices, coconut oil (antifungal), unsweetened cranberry juice, garlic, flax/chia seeds, turmeric, cinnamon, Pau D'arco tea, stevia as a sweetener, organic pastured lean meats, and bone broth are all great for fighting candida. Olive leaf, probiotics, astragulus, vitamin C, grapefruit seed extract, oregano oil, myrrh oil, and lavender oil are good supplements to add. It's also very important to drink lots of water to carry the candida and toxins out of the body.
Curing candidiasis may take anywhere from a few weeks to several months depending on how severe the case is, how strictly the proper diet is followed, and the level of probiotic and antifungal intake. An important note is that when actively treating candida, there will be a period when candida die-off occurs and the body is detoxing, during which symptoms like impaired brain function, headache, fatigue, dizziness, intestinal bloating/gas/constipation and nausea, sweating and fever, sinus infection, skin breakouts, flu-like symptoms may be experienced. These symptoms should resolve within 7-10 days, after which there should be an increase in energy, focus, and relief of candida symptoms.
If you are experiencing chronic or recurring symptoms from the illustrated list above, I strongly encourage you to look into candida overgrowth as part of the cause. Search Dr. Josh Axe on the internet and Facebook--he has some great videos
