The silent epidemic in the United States is Candida albicans overgrowth. One out of three people are suffering from Candida overgrowth. This condition is continually ignored by Western medicine because its symptoms mimic so many other conditions. It is to be taken seriously and is one of the greatest causes of physical imbalance today.
What Is Candida?
Candida albicans is a harmless yeast that naturally lives in everyone's gastrointestinal tract, mucous membranes and on the skin. It lives there in a symbiotic world in a healthy person's body. When your body's ecosystem becomes imbalanced Candida overgrowth can occur thus allowing it to attack any organ or system in your body.
What Causes Candida Overgrowth?
Antibiotics, steroids: cortisone, prednisone, birth-control pills, estrogen replacement therapy, poor diet, chemotherapy, radiation, stress, and alcohol overuse are what cause Candida albicans overgrowth.
The Detriment Of Taking Antibiotics
The United States, because of its protocol of antibiotic overuse, has one of the highest numbers of people with Candida albicans overgrowth. A vicious cycle starts with the use of antibiotics. For example, you have an infection, usually a cold or flu, and you visit your doctor. The problem starts right there because antibiotics are for bacterial infections not viral ones. Antibiotics are useless when it comes to colds and flues. Overuse also creates super germs that are resistant to common antibiotics and these germs that you used to be able to kill off become life threatening.
Nonetheless, you take the antibiotic, which wipes out the good and bad bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract but does not affect Candida albicans. Without the friendly bacteria such as Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacteria present, Candida albicans will multiply. It only takes having had one dose of antibiotics in your lifetime to raise yeast levels in the body. Think about how many times you've had antibiotics in your lifetime along with the antibiotics you get from consuming dairy and animal products.
You're not only dealing with yeast overgrowth but also the fact that Candida albicans puts out 79 toxic by-products, all of which weaken your immune system. One of the major toxins produced from Candida albicans is acetaldehyde, which is transformed by the liver to ethanol (alcohol), creating the feeling of intoxication and brain fog. There have been cases where Candida patients have been pulled over and tested positive with elevated blood alcohol levels above normal.
As the immune system continues to weaken from yeast overgrowth and its toxic by-products, more infections arise and you end up at the doctor's office taking more antibiotics. Thus a vicious cycle has been created.
If yeast overgrowth is not arrested it will change form into a pathogenic (disease producing) fungus with roots causing a myriad of symptoms. This fungus burrows its roots into the intestinal lining, creates leaky gut, allowing the yeast/fungus to go into the bloodstream. This systemic yeast infection is called Candidiasis.
A poor diet (refined sugar, dairy products, fermented foods) and high stress levels keep feeding the yeast overgrowth. Digestion becomes impaired, essential vitamins and minerals are lacking, and healthy cells are not replicated to repair the body. The result is chronic progressive disease over time.
What Candida Albicans Likes To Attack
Candida albicans overgrowth primarily targets the nerves and muscles, yet it can attack any tissue or organ in the body depending on your body's predisposition. The most common symptoms are, indigestion, bloating, gas, fatigue, disorientation, poor memory, numbness, abdominal pain, constipation, attacks of anxiety, depression, irritability and shaking when hungry, incoordination, headaches, rashes, vaginal yeast infections, and urinary frequency. You may experience a few of these symptoms or many to have Candidiasis.
Dr. William Crook, M.D. author of the book "The Yeast Connection" is an expert in Candida and his books describe the condition in detail. I've included his questionnaire so that you can score yourself to become more aware of the symptoms that correlate to Candidiasis.
As time passes without treatment of the Candida albicans overgrowth, your immune system becomes more compromised, and the fungal overgrowth can interfere with nutrient absorption, altering amino acid and protein metabolism, which can alter multiple body functions. These imbalances create a situation in which the Candida overgrowth may be primary or secondary as the core problem, but either way it must be treated.
How To Know If You Have Candida?
The way in which you identify if you have Candida albicans overgrowth is to see a healthcare practitioner that treats this condition. By taking Dr. Crook's test you will have a good idea if Candida is a factor for you. I use his test, along with taking an extensive case history, performing a physical examination, and if needed a blood test and/or stool test to detect Candida albicans overgrowth.
If my patient's test results are negative that does not mean that I won't treat them for the condition because I rely heavily on my examination and their case history. A negative result may also mean the yeast is localized in the gut and is not in the blood.
Emotional and mental imbalances are a common occurrence with Candida albicans overgrowth. Depression is an almost constant component of systemic illness related to chronic yeast growth in the tissues. The reason is the link between the gut and the brain. Leaky gut allows the fungus and toxins to reach the brain, especially with a liver that is overstressed.
Unfortunately negative labels are given when you are imbalanced emotionally/mentally, implying that psychosis or neurosis is your initiating cause. Do not buy into the judgments you may receive from doctors. Search for the right healthcare practitioner that will treat your body/mind as whole.
Once Candida albicans overgrowth has been identified, treatment follows by killing the fungus/yeast and its toxins. It is killed by taking an antifungal supplement and modifying your diet so that there is nothing for the yeast to feed on. Treatment is simple but takes diligence. An antifungal source either herbal or pharmaceutical must be taken. When your condition is mild an herbal compound/supplement is sufficient. If your condition is chronic or severe, Nystatin and/or Diflucan, or strong herbal compounds used by alternative health care practitioners are what I find to be most effective.
Go HERE to see a chart of conditions directly or indirectly caused by Candida Overgrowth (PDF)
Nystatin comes from a soil-based organism that is concentrated and works by directly killing the yeast. It is safe and effective and can be used with pregnant mothers and infants. 1 pill (500,000 units) taken three times a day is usually the recommended dosage for an adult. If the powder, Nilstat, is used a 1/8th tsp. is taken 3 times a day orally either directly on the tongue or mixed with a little water. Work up to three times daily to manage die-off symptoms. The difference with the powder is that it does not contain any dye and kills yeast living in the mouth and esophagus as well in the gastrointestinal tract.
Nystatin is not well absorbed into the bloodstream but with prolonged use it can get into the blood, helping those with autoimmune diseases. The problem is that most doctors prescribe Nystatin for less than 6 weeks. Better results show with a usage of three months or longer. In my case of MS I took Nystatin for two years. If you have a mild case of Candidiasis 3 or 4 months of Nystatin is usually sufficient.
Diflucan (fluconazole), an antifungal synthetic drug, is found to be effective against systemic (in the blood) Candida overgrowth. It is ten times stronger than Nystatin, but it also more toxic to the liver. If Diflucan is used longer than a couple of weeks have your doctor test and monitor your liver enzymes. When you have symptoms of depression or any mental imbalance, Diflucan can give you a jump-start on eradicating the fungus. I recommend taking one Diflucan pill (4 pills total), every other day for the first week and then switching to Nystatin because it is safer and can be monitored better. Unlike Diflucan, Nystatin permeates the areas of the GI tract where yeast overgrowth usually originates and it is essential to tackle both the blood and the gut in a chronic or severe case.
If your case is mild or a pharmaceutical antifungal cannot be secured there are many good herbal compounds available. Ones that I recommend are Candida Cleanse by Rainbow Light or Fungal Defense by Garden of Life (available at health food stores). If you cannot get either one then look for yeast eliminating products at your health food store containing a mixture of some of the following ingredients: Pau D'arco, Oregon grape root, garlic, berberine, undecylinic acid, caprylic acid, black walnut, grapefruit seed extract, and oregano oil, ginger, gentian root, marshmallow, and fennel. * Work up slowly to the maximum dose.
Note that starting a program of food elimination and taking an antifungal can create a Herxheimer reaction, in which you experience die-off symptoms from killing the yeast. Basically you may feel worse before you feel better. To assist with this process make sure that your elimination pathways are open such as the liver, bowel, kidneys, lungs, and skin.
A daily bowel movement is essential. If needed take fiber powder, a source with citrus pectin's, flax seed, or rice bran, not one with psyllium in it as it can create more gas and bloating. Gentle Fibers by Jarrow is a good fiber product. Take 1 level tbsp. in 10 oz. of water. Increase dosage in a week if needed. Drink a quart of red clover tea (hot or cold) daily to assist with cleansing the blood, liver, and kidneys. To make the tea boil 1 quart of filtered water and turn it off. Add 3 tea bags of red clover and let it steep for 15 minutes. Also engage in doing deep breathing several times a day to helps to remove toxins from the lungs. Exercise if you feel you can. Brisk walking or yoga is sufficient.
Symptoms of Die-Off
Flu-like symptoms, headaches, aches, or abdominal distress may be present as part of your detox process. If your die-off symptoms are too intense cut down on your dosage of the antifungal and increase it slowly as you feel you can handle it. Stick with the program and work with your healthcare practitioner. Having these symptoms usually means that you are on the right track because toxins are pouring out into the bloodstream. After a couple of days to a week these initial symptoms will pass. Consume as much water as possible in addition to drinking the red clover tea.