Candida overgrowth is a condition that can cause any number of symptoms and ailments. A great number of Americans suffer from this wide spread condition. However, it is often overlooked due to the refusal of mainstream medicine to fully acknowledge candida overgrowth as a cause of more serious health issues.
Candida Albicans
Below is the Candida Self-Test. Answer each question and then place the appropriate score in the box to the right. Add the scores for all questions to find your total score. If you score 3 or higher then there is a chance that you are suffering from candida and its effects.
Take The Candida Self-Test
1. Do you experience regular fatigue and/or muscle aches
and pains?
YES___ NO___ (YES = 1 NO = 0) _____
2. Do you have food sensitivities or food allergies?
YES___ NO___ (YES = 1 NO = 0) _____
3. Have you experienced nail fungus, athlete’s foot or jock itch?
YES___ NO___ (YES = 1 NO = 0) _____
4. Do you have recurrent vaginal yeast infections?
YES___ NO___ (YES = 1 NO = 0) _____
5. Have you taken broad spectrum antibiotics-even
for one period?
YES___ NO___ (YES = 1 NO = 0) _____
6. Do you crave sugar?
YES___ NO___ (YES = 1 NO = 0) _____
7. Do you commonly have gas and bloating?
YES___ NO___ (YES = 1 NO = 0) _____
8. Do you crave bread, pasta, etc. (any type of refined
white flour)?
YES___ NO___ (YES = 1 NO = 0) _____
9. Have you taken birth control pills for 6 months or longer?
YES___ NO___ (YES = 1 NO = 0) _____
10. Do you experience brain fog?
YES___ NO___ (YES = 1 NO = 0) _____
TOTAL SCORE ______
What is Candida?
Candida albicans is the most common yeast found in the human body. Yeast is one of many types of micr-organisms normally found in the human digestive system. Digestive yeasts or molds, as they are sometimes called, are considered to be parasites. Parasites are organisms that live by feeding upon another organism (the host) while produces harmful effects for that host. Candida is a parasite in the human body that eats nutrients found in the digestive tract. Candida produces over 70 known toxins as a by-product of their digestive process.
Microscopic view of candida
What Causes Candida Overgrowth?
In a healthy digestive system, there is approximately 1 yeast cell for every 1 million bacteria cells. In this small ratio, yeast is constantly fighting to survive. The pH of a healthy gut is not optimal for candida to thrive as they must compete for nutrients with good bacteria that far outnumber them. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, this ratio can become unbalanced, and candida can grow quickly and significantly in number. The delicate balance of the intestinal environment is affected by prolonged stress, a diet high in processed food, incomplete digestion and a variety of medications. When this balance is upset, many negative health effects take hold.
Prolonged Stress
Prolonged stress can lead to an overgrowth of Candida. When under prolonged stress, the body directs its resources to the brain and the muscles, rather than fighting infection and properly digesting food. Infection and poorly digested food are breeding grounds for Candida. Stress signals the body that a problem is occurring that requires a “fight-or-flight” response. Blood is rushed to the brain to solve the problem and to the muscles to out-run the problem. Unfortunately, the human stress response does not know the difference between the stress from misplacing our keys or fighting a grizzly bear. Because our modern world has inundated us with constant modern stress, low-immunity and poor digestion are common problems that lead to Candida overgrowth for many people.
Scanning electron micrograph of yeast cells
multiplying.
Diets Rich In Processed Foods
A diet high in processed food is Candidas’ dream. Why? Because Candida multiplication is fueled by sugar, and diets high in processed foods are high in refined sugar. Much like the yeast that causes bread to rise, Candida feeds on sugars and refined carbohydrates. Candida also thrives when its competitor, good bacteria, dies. Good bacteria need a diet high in unprocessed foods to thrive. A diet high in processed food lacks nutrients and fiber that are necessary to feed the good bacteria in the intestine.
Incomplete Digestion
Incomplete digestion of food material also contributes to Candida overgrowth. Food that has not been properly broken down will ferment and rot in the digestive system. This decaying material is perfect food for yeast and harmful bacteria. Just like mold and fungus in nature, Candida in the digestive system eats dead and decaying material. Incomplete digestion is caused by enzyme and hydrochloric acid deficiencies and the use of antacids and proton pump inhibitors.
Antibiotics
The use of broad-spectrum antibiotics is a common cause of Candida overgrowth. Antibiotics kill all forms of bacteria, good and bad. When you take an antibiotic, the healthy bacteria in your digestive system is attacked as well. It’s the price we pay to get rid of the bad bacteria. Candida is a yeast, not a bacteria, and it is not killed by antibiotics. Since antibiotics do not kill Candida, it has a golden opportunity to grow and multiply in an environment that is virtually free of its gatekeeper, good bacteria.
Candida Overgrowth
All of the above factors contribute to dysbiosis. Dysbiosis is the state of having more harmful bacteria and microorganisms than beneficial bacteria. When yeast organisms are allowed to multiply, to the point that there are more of them than good bacteria, they are considered to be “overgrown”.
Candida and the Digestive Tract
Candida overgrowth damages the digestive tract and sets in motion autointoxication, the process where the body pollutes itself. The entire digestive tract is lined with a mucus membrane that protects its delicate tissues and serves as a critical barrier. The mucus barrier keeps partially digested food and harmful microorganisms in the intestines for proper removal and breakdown, rather than absorption into the bloodstream and circulation throughout the body.
Esophagus with candida overgrowth
As Candida grows and multiplies, it changes into a fungal form that grows roots and secretes acids. The roots, with the help of the acids, puncture the mucus lining of the digestive tract. This condition is referred to as intestinal permeability or “leaky gut syndrome”. With the barrier now penetrated, any digestive contents small enough to fit through the hole can travel into the bloodstream and lymphatic system. The digestive contents that can leak through the barrier into the bloodstream include bacteria, yeast, undigested food particles, toxins and fecal material. This is why Candida can make you feel so sick.
What are the Signs and Symptoms of Candida Overgrowth?
Gas and Bloating
Some symptoms of Candida overgrowth are localized in the digestive system, other symptoms are found in different locations in the body. Just as bread rises from yeast due to carbon dioxide production from fermentation of carbohydrates, Candida also produces carbon dioxide in the intestine. The result is persistent gas and bloating.
Brain Fog
Another by-product of Candida is acetaldehyde, a poison that is converted into ethanol by the liver. As yeast multiplies and produces more acetaldehyde, the blood alcohol level rises, resulting in symptoms associated with drunkenness, including impaired mental and physical functioning.
Infections
As yeast moves through the holes in the mucosal barrier and travels throughout the bloodstream, it produces such disorders as chronic ear infections and sinus infections. Physicians commonly prescribe antibiotics for fungal ear infections and sinus infections, which can make the condition worse by further destroying the good bacteria in the body. Candida overgrowth is also responsible for fingernail and toenail fungus and recurrent vaginal yeast infections.
Fatigue
Excess toxins produced by Candida can leave a person feeling lethargic and fatigued and sometimes with joint and muscle pain. Quite simply, the body must exert energy to cleanse itself, and when Candida is overgrown, the toxic load on the body increases. Sugar and carbohydrate cravings are a common Candida symptom as yeast feeds on sugars. The result can be an increased desire for sugar, which in turn causes a rollercoaster effect in your energy.
Candida can cause autoimmune diseases due to the fact that Candida can increase the permeability of your intestinal lining, also known as “leaky gut syndrome.” With leaky gut, large undigested food molecules can enter your bloodstream which the body recognizes as a foreign material. When this occurs, the immune system attacks the food. The immune response involves making antibodies, which are the equivalent to the immune system’s memory. The next time the same type of food enters the body, the immune system remembers and attacks again. The result is a sudden food allergy or sensitivity to commonly eaten foods. Toxins made by candida also signal an immune response to produce antibodies. An autoimmune disorder occurs when the immune system reacts with a hyperactive response to the digestive process and the toxins within it. The hyperactive immune system begins to attack the body’s own tissues. There are about 80 known autoimmune diseases. Among these diseases are: rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, Chrohn’s disease, diabetes, Lupus, and multiple sclerosis.
How to Eliminate Candida Overgrowth
1.) Cleanse your system with herbs that reduce Candida in the digestive system and in the body.
2.) Re-establish the balance of good bacteria by taking a probiotic (good bacteria) supplement.
3.) Change your diet. Eliminate foods that encourage yeast growth. Eliminate refined carbohydrates like wheat, rice and sugar. Eliminate fruit and fruit juices while cleansing. Avoid alcohol, coffee, caffeinated tea and soda.
4.) Increase fiber intake to 30-40 grams per day. Fiber absorbs toxins in the digestive system and prevents their absorption into the bloodstream.
5.) Eliminate the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, steroids, immune suppressing drugs and oral contraceptives (after consulting with your health care provider or physician)
6.) Eat lean protein and vegetables. Substitute gluten-free grains such as millet and quinoa. Use stevia or lo-han as sweeteners. Snacks can include raw pumpkin seeds, raw almond or cashew butter and oil-free chips. Granny Smith apples are the only occasional fruit permitted because of their low sugar content.
7.) Enhance digestion by eating raw vegetables, chewing thoroughly and taking an enzyme supplement with each meal.
8.) Drink, at least, 8-10 glasses of water per day.
9.) Maintain good digestive health with a daily probiotic supplement and a fiber supplement.
The Candida Solution
1.) Cleansing Herbs- CandiGONE
CandiGONE is an internal Candida cleanse consisting of 12 anti-fungal herbs that help to eliminate Candida from the body. The formula contains: Uva Ursi, Calcium Undecylenate, Oregano Oil, caprylic acid, Neem leaf, grapefruit seed extract, berberine, garlic, Oregon grape root, Pau D’arco root bark, barberry root, olive leaf extract, cinnamon bark, clove bud, peppermint leaf and orange peel.
2.) Digestive Enzymes- CandiZYME
Enzymes are used in a Candida elimination program to break down the walls of the candida cell. This weakening of the cell wall leaves them more susceptible to the anti-fungal herbs in CandiGONE. Protease, lipase, lysozyme and amylase all break down different components of the yeast’s cell wall. The enzymes cellulase, hemicellulase, invertase and lactase are included in CandiZYME to break down the carbohydrates that yeast normally eats.
3.) Fiber- FiberSMART
FiberSMART is an important supplement with any cleansing program. FiberSMART is a flax fiber that consists of both soluble and insoluble fiber. The soluble portion of FiberSMART helps to absorb toxins in the digestive tract that are released while eliminating Candida. The insoluble fiber portion helps to sweep away debris and acts as roughage in the bowel. FiberSMART does not dehydrate the bowel like many other fiber supplements, which can lead to constipation.FiberSMART also provides glutamine, which helps support the health of the lining of the intestine, and other herbs that soothe irritated mucus membranes.
4.) Probiotics- FloraSMART
FloraSMART helps to restore the good to bad bacteria ratio in the gut by delivering 2 billion cultures of beneficial bacteria per tablet. FloraSMART provides 5 strains of resident bacteria (bacteria that normally reside in the human digestive system) and 2 strains of transient bacteria (bacteria that stay for a few days, add benefit and then pass through). FloraSMART uses a patented process that safely delivers the bacteria past the harsh environment of the stomach into the small intestine and colon where it is needed.
5.) Sweetener- SweetLIFE
SweetLIFE is a natural alternative to refined sugar, honey and artificial sweeteners. SweetLIFE is a low carbohydrate, zero calorie, great tasting sweetener. SweetLIFE has a low glycemic index and is approved by the Diabetes Resource Center, Inc. SweetLIFE can be used in baking, beverages and as a sugar substitute on any food.
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