Yeast / Candida
Candida Albicans is the most common type of yeast found in our bodies. It is naturally occurring and we need it. It is found in our mouth, intestines, vagina, and other mucous membranes. Yeast aids in the absorption of nutrients and digestions. They provide protection against pathogenic bacteria and toxic compounds. Good healthy bacteria live in balance with candida and a properly functioning immune system is essential to keep it in check. When the body’s natural pH is upset the candida yeast can grow out of control and create problems throughout the whole body. Most Americans have way too much yeast in their body because they eat too much sugar and bread carbohydrates. Think about this – they might be craving the sugar and bread because they’re feeding the yeast!
If you have a problem with yeast you’ll probably never get over it feeding it sugar and bread.
You might need to detox yourself off of the sugar.
In the digestive tract and throughout mucous membranes the candida yeast can have what’s called a yeast overgrowth. Yeast will begin to literally break down the walls of the intestines and penetrate into the bloodstream. The cells of the intestinal wall are clled Enterocytes. They are supposed to form tight little junctions to keep the yeast out of the bloodstream.
Junctions and functions of the gut wall. This is what must be repaired.
Yeast can slip through these junctions. They should be very tight!
This is the “Gut Wall” that must be repaired. Repairing this can take years.
See the cells all lined up like teeth on a comb.
When these gut lining gets damaged yeast can slip through these junctions. You don’t want your gut to be worn out. You want these tight junctions in your gut or food slips through. Then it turns into a systemic problem.
Systemic Yeast Infections
Then it can spread throughout the whole body. This is when it really causes problems. When it leaks into the bloodstream it releases toxins and is now called Leaky Gut Syndrome or sometimes Candida Overgrowth Syndrome.
This is a serious health condition.
When yeast spreads throughout the body people start getting new sensitivities and allergies to all kinds of things. Do you have allergies? Do you have new sensitivities to certain foods that you didn’t used to have? Does bread upset your stomach? Do diet drinks cause you to get headaches?
The main things that cause candida overgrowth are a poorly functioning immune system and a poor diet high in refined sugar, breads, and alcohol. The other MAJOR contributing factor is is the medical community continually over-prescribing antibiotics. People do not need antibiotics every time they go to the doctor. Period.
The medical community feels pressured to give you a prescription every time you walk into the office to see them. They over prescribe drugs many times because you are expecting they give you something for your symptoms. This is especially true during the cold season. When broad spectrum antibiotics like the Z-Pack are used it kills off healthy bacteria in the gut. When this happens yeast can over and overtake the colon and cause systemic yeast infections. Systemic yeast infections affect every organ in the body. Symptoms of systemic yeast infections can vary depending on the organ affected.
Diabetics are prone to eating too much sugar and yeast loves sugar. Type 1 and type 2 diabetics have “sweet mouths” and they get chronic candida infection of the mouth. It can coat the tongue and cause the corners of the mouth to become cracked and crusty. Diabetics are at a much greater risk of candida overgrowth syndrome because they eat sugar and they’re just so sweet. In fact, their urine is sweet and they can get bladder and vaginal yeast infections too. The disease of Diabetes has been referred to as “The Sugar” and it also has been called “Sweet Pee Syndrome”.
Oh no, not The Sugar… 
SIFO – Small Intestinal Fungal Overgrowth
Fungal overgrowth can develop in individuals with a weakened immune system. The symptoms of SIFO are chronic or recurring GI symptoms.
It’s common – about 25% of people with unexplained gut issues have SIFO.
Candida overgrowth is also called “Candidiasis”, is also difficult to diagnose as it shows up differently with different people. Here are a few of the main symptoms to look out for. You may notice that the symptoms mimic many of the other Lyme co-infections and many other chronic diseases of man. If you look for the similarities in all of these co-infections you can begin to see common causes for them all.
Chronic Fatigue
If you are exhausted every day no matter how many hours you sleep you may have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. It takes a lot of energy to keep a systemic yeast infection going. It’s a full time job.
Remember, this yeast overgrowth doesn’t want to kill you it just wants to go throughout your whole body on the inside. It can be parasitic in that way. The fatigue can easily last 6 months, or a liteime, and it usually has joint pain, headaches, and memory problems. If you have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome then you just know something isn’t right. And you’re right- you’re being zapped by yeast.
Reocurring Infections – Uriinary Tract, Skin, Mouth, and Nail bed Infections
Candida can be easily spread back and forth between people. It is in the saliva and causes thrush and those cracks in the corner of our mouths. It can be sexually transmitted. It can cause jock itch and vaginal yeast infections. It likes to be where it is damp. Babies can get thrush from the mother during the birth process. Kids can get it from sharing toys. Athlete’s foot and toenail fungus are closely related.
Persistent Sinus Infections
Sinus infections are very common today. When you see how yeast can be a common cause for all these conditions discussed here then hopefully you can begin to see a bigger picture of how something so small can influence our bodies so much. Candida in the sinuses makes way for mold in the sinuses. It causes postnasal drip. When someone who always has stinky breath you could actually be smelling the chronic sinus yeast infection. That’s so gross but true just think about it.
How does my chronic sinus infection smell?
Hormonal Imbalances
Hormonal balances will happen when an organ system in the body gets stressed. Research has shown that candida can cause early menopause, a low sex drive, migraines, endometriosis, water retention, mood swings, and weight retention.
Stress
Chronic stress is a major illness in society today. Stress can literally do anything and the mental problem can easily cause physical problems. Stress alters your pH and makes the body acidic. This leeches minerals from us and degenerates us slowly but surely. Stress raises your blood sugar. It depletes your adrenaline glands by overworking your “fight or flight” response. It alters your cortisol levels. It weakens your immune system in many different ways. It is a vicious cycle.
Stress weakens the immune system
I think I may have candida. What can i do?
Treating Candida Successfully
In order to properly treat Candida you have to do a couple of things. First, you must change your diet to get rid of all the sugars you can. Greatly reduce your carbohydrate intake – try to get it under 40g/ day. Doing this will start the process. Remove the sugar and starve the candida.
Don’t feed the yeast any sugar…
Second, sometimes (but not always) antifungal medication is necessary to medically kill off as much Candida as possible. If you’re going to take it now is the time to take it. If you go on antifungal medication make sure to be on a low sugar/ low carbohydrate diet.
And third, you should also find a good probiotic bacteria supplement to reestablish the natural gut flora and keep the yeast in check. Healthy probiotic bacteria compete with the candida fungus for space within your gut. They also maintain the natural acidity in the stomach and boost the immune system.
Yeast is a very quickly growing organism. Because it grows so quickly, any time we rapidly kill off yeast we cause a “yeast die-off reaction” that releases over 70 toxins into your body. All at once. This is called a Herxheimer Reaction and is a visible sign that something is working.
Do not be worried, a Herxheimer reaction causes fatigue, it goes away. Stay hydrated. Flush the toxins out. You didn’t want the toxins inside you anways- did you? This reaction is healthy and happens when the yeast has been killed off but the toxins haven’t been eliminated yet from the body yet. Increased fatigue and general malaise can happen for a few days. Drink lots of water to open the lymphatic channels and flush it out. If you have access to it, drinking ozone water will make the lymph system flush toxins even better.
You can kill a lot of yeast in a short amount of times because it multiplies so quickly. This is a characteristics of it. Keep persisting. The malaise will likely only happen in the beginning of treatment when you are your most toxic.
When you start detoxing off yeast you might feel these die off symptoms. Be Happy! This reaction is great sign. The initial die off has to happen sometime, and when you feel different you at least know something is going on! Once you start the process of killing off pathogens your lymphatic system will open up to flush toxins. You will intentionally increase your fluids to help flush this debris out of the body. You do not want your lymph system to be stagnant during this process.
This is one way toxins are removed from the body.
If you are still reading this then you are looking for information. I bet that at the current moment your lymph system is probably operating less than optimally. The lymph channels are not used to flushing stuff out and you’re most likely dehydrated on top of that. Don’t let the die off reactions discourage you. They will pass. This is what is zapping a lot of your energy. The candida will be leaving your body. In a week the sugar cravings will stop. You will start getting your energy back and you’ll sleep better at night. I anticipate that your brain fog will begin to lift some too.
If you need help with these concepts call our office and schedule an appointment. We will discuss your situation and come up with an customized treatment plan to fit your needs.
