CHRONIC INTESTINAL YEAST INFECTION
by Lawrence Wilson, MD

© December 2009, The Center For Development

Yeasts, molds and fungi are one-celled organisms that are ever-present in the environment. Beneficial ones include brewers and nutritional yeast, and lactobacillus acidophilus. Many others are beneficial as well, and are used in industry and in our bodies to produce various vitamins, for example, and other beneficial substances.

In small quantities, many yeasts are harmless. However, under the right conditions, some such as Candida Albicans, overgrow and become pathogenic. They secrete many extremely poisonous chemicals in our bodies and can cause or contribute to a wide range of health conditions.

Why Candida Today? This topic is important today because a number of factors in modern diets and the bodies today combine to make excellent environments for candida and other yeasts to thrive in the human body. They are diets high in sugars and starches, massive antibiotic use, including residues in the food and water supply, along with widespread copper toxicity and a generally yin condition of the bodies today.

WHO SUFFERS FROM CHRONIC CANDIDA OVERGROWTH

Women are more affected than men, perhaps because women have more difficulty with copper imbalance than men. Also, women have a slower oxidation rate, in general, and this may play a role as well. Also, women use birth control pills and copper IUDs that may upset copper metabolism and other things that can contribute to the problem.

Those who eat sugar at all, or fruit or sweet juices are more prone to the problem, as are those with a copper imbalance. Copper is one of the body’s natural yeast fighters. In fact, copper compounds are used on crops such as copper sulfate, and in swimming pools and hot tubs, at times, to control yeast and fungal growth.

SYMPTOMS OF CANDIDA

Symptoms range from chronic fatigue and depression to headaches, bloating, gas and perhaps pain or tightness in and between the shoulder blade area. Candida can also contribute to brain fog, mood swings, memory loss, itching, joint pain, indigestion, ulcers, most sinus conditions and definitely cancer as well.

Learning and behavior disorders are often due in part to candida infection, especially in children who eat a lot of sugar. Chronic candida can also contribute to irritable bowel syndrome, colitis, food intolerances, heartburn and gastric acid reflux disease or GERD. One form of candida is invasive, burrows into body organs and can be life-threatening. Since candida albicans produces alcohol and acetaldehyde, it may also contribute to many other subtle dysfunctions, including general toxicity, liver dysfunction, nutrient deficiencies and more.

Some practitioners blame most illness on candida. I do not find this to be the case. However, candida overgrowth is very common and an important contributor to ill health.

DETECTION

Diagnostic Problems. A major diagnostic issue when identifying candida albicans is that most people have some of it normally in their bodies at all times. Also, just the presence of candida on a test does not assure that candida albicans is the person’s major health condition. It may be simply an opportunist organism due to the diet or other factors. Methods to identify candida include:

Symptoms. Symptoms are often excellent for detection. A whitish coating on the tongue, in the mouth or vagina often are caused by candida in these areas. People who take steroid hormones such as cortisone are more prone to candida.

If one is tired or spacy after eating sweets or a high-carbohydrate meal, candida is likely. If one gets vaginal yeast infections, candida is likely present in the intestines as well. Gas or bloating that improves when one stops eating sugars or complex carbohydrates is another simple indicator of possible candida infection.

An elimination Diet. The simplest test for candida infection is to eliminate all sugars and starches for a full week or even for two weeks. This must include all fruit and juices, plus all starches such as breads, rice, potato and more. One should also eliminate all sources of yeast in foods, such as fermented products, brewer’s yeast-based vitamins and more. The only exception to this rule is that live-culture yogurt is okay.

If, during this elimination diet, one notices significant changes in one’s symptoms, bowel habits, energy level or other health parameters, it is likely one has or had some degree of candida infection. This is not totally definitive since such a large change in diet can cause health parameters to change in many ways. However, it is helpful for many people and can be done at home at a minimal expense.

A therapeutic trial. For a more definitive test, one can also take an anti-candida remedy such as caprylic acid, garlic, tannic acid or grapefruit seed extract and see if symptoms improve a lot. Do not take drugs such as Nystatin or Nizoril, which are quite toxic and unnecessary in my view.

Other tests. Serum antibody tests are sometimes used to detect candida, although I do not know how accurate these are. Others include stool analysis, muscle testing and electrodermal testing.

Hair Analysis. Hair analysis does not specifically detect candida infection. However, patterns that correlate well with candida overgrowth are slow oxidation, a low sodium/potassium ratio, four lows pattern and overt or hidden copper imbalance. Another indicator is a calcium level above about 100 mg%. The more imbalanced these indicators are, the more severe or more likely is a candida infection.

CAUSES FOR CANDIDA OVERGROWTH

Since candida albicans is a normal inhabitant of the human body, it is really just an opportunist organism. This means that if the body is out of balance in certain ways, it tends to overgrow. Correct the imbalances and the problem will go away. This is a much better solution than staying on special diets or taking toxic drugs for the problem.

The major imbalances that are related to candida overgrowth are 1) copper imbalance, which impairs the body’s ability to control yeast, 2) an imbalanced sodium/potassium ratio, and 3) general fatigue and exhaustion of the body. This is associated with slow oxidation or an exhaustion stage of stress. Other important factors are too many carbohydrates in the diet, dehydration and at times, an imbalanced pH of the intestinal trace and low levels of bile and liver or pancreas enzymes. Let us address these in more detail.

COPPER IMBALANCE, SPECIFICALLY BIOUNAVAILABILITY

Copper is used in the human body as a natural anti-candida agent. Copper favors aerobic metabolism which disables yeast. In fact, copper is also used in many industries to retard yeast growth. For example, farmers often spray copper sulfate on fruits and vegetables to kill yeast and molds. Water departments may add copper compounds to drinking water for the same reason. Copper may be added to swimming pools and hot tubs to control yeast.

Why copper becomes biounavailable. Dr. Eck believed this is due to adrenal gland weakness and perhaps low ceruloplasmin. As a result, copper is not properly bound and is less available to the body. Until adrenal activity improves, candida will be difficult to control.

Medications And Copper. some medications that are known to make candida problems worse may do so by interfering with copper metabolism. For example, birth control pills and patches affect copper metabolism. Some antibiotics act by removing copper from the liver. Steroid hormone therapy slows the adrenal glands which makes copper less available. All can cause or aggravate chronic candida infection.

Women are more prone to candida infection and copper imbalance is more prevalent in women as they tend to have more sluggish adrenals than men. Also, copper levels in women rise and copper may become less bioavailable before the menstrual period. This is also a common time of the month for women to experience yeast infections. Click here to read more about copper imbalance.

IMBALANCE IN THE SODIUM/POTASSIUM RATIO

This hair mineral ratio, when low, indicates an impaired immune response, in general, and it indicates biounavailable copper as well. It also indicates adrenal weakness, digestive weakness and other problems. It is commonly imbalanced in people with chronic candida albicans infection that does not respond well to simple diet change or even to anti-candida medication.

It is usually not difficult to correct, however, with a properly designed nutritional balancing program.

GENERAL FATIGUE AND EXHAUSTION

Slow Oxidation. Most people with candida overgrowth have a slow oxidation rate. This is also usually an exhaustion stage of stress, with underlying fatigue and the accumulation of toxic metals. Several reasons for candida in these individuals are:

1)While their cells are more acidic, their intercellular spaces can become too alkaline, which favors candida growth. Reasons this may occur are that slow oxidizers do not generate enough acid end products of metabolism such as lactic acid. Also, calcium, an alkaline-forming element, increases in their tissues in slow oxidation and may affect the alkalinity in the spaces between the cells.
2) The pH or the intestinal tract also is often too alkaline. This may be due to low levels of bile acids, hydrochloric acid in the stomach and the overgrowth of various abnormal intestinal flora such as E. Coli and others. This is one reason acidophilus, an acid-forming organism, often helps alleviate candida. Acidophilus also helps acidify the colon, impeding the growth of candida in the large intestine.
3) Slow oxidizers generally have a copper imbalance.

OTHER FACTORS THAT CAN WORSEN OR AGGRAVATE CANDIDA INFECTIONS

MEDICATIONS

Antibiotics. Antibiotic overuse ranks high as a cause for chronic intestinal candida infection. Acidophilus and other ‘friendly’ yeasts help maintain an acidic intestinal environment. Antibiotics often kill acidophilus. When this occurs, E. coli and other improper intestinal bacteria replace the friendly organisms and produce an alkaline environment in which candida thrives.

Some antibiotics are also toxic for the liver, and may impair its ability to produce ceruloplasmin. Many antibiotics persist in the liver and elsewhere for years. They should be used only as an absolutely last resort and not for viral infections. By using infrared saunas, vitamin A, vitamin C, high-quality colloidal silver and propolis, antibiotics are very rarely needed. Click here to read an article on antibiotics.

Also, antibiotic residues are now found in tap water. The drugs are excreted in the urine and feces. They do not break down quickly and are recycled and reappear in city water supplies. This has been documented in at least 42 major metropolitan areas of the United States and in other nations as well, according to a recent news report. Distillation can remove these drug residues, but carbon filters may not remove them.

Millions of pounds of antibiotics are also fed to animals. Commercially grown meats, poultry, milk and eggs contain antibiotic residues. To avoid antibiotics, buy hormone-and antibiotic-free meats, poultry and dairy products. Animals raised in a healthful manner rarely require antibiotics.

Antacids. Antacids such as Tums, Maalox, Mylanta and other drugs that reduce stomach acid may worsen candida by creating a deficiency of stomach acid. These include Prevacid, Prilosec, Protonix, Tagamet, Nexium Zantac, Pepcid, Mylanta, Malox, Gaviscon, Riopan, Rolaids, Tums and many others.

Reducing A Hiatal Hernia. Instead of using the drugs listed above, natural remedies for heartburn and reducing a hiatal hernia can make them unnecessary. To reduce a hiatal hernia, lye down on your back on a bed or couch. Raise your legs by bending them at the knees. Place two or three fingers of each hand in the small hollow just below the breast bone or sternum.

Breathe in deeply. Then, as you exhale, push down hard and move your hands downward toward the waist and a little to the left. Do this five times and often the hernia will be pushed back into a normal position. You may have to repeat this often for a while.

Pay attention to foods or stress or other conditions that cause the hernia to appear once again. Ulcers and heartburn, at times related to a hiatal hernia, are often due to wheat allergy, other food sensitivities, stress or other factors. Amazingly, even giving some apple cider vinegar or tablets of Betaine Hydrochloride and Pepsin can, in some cases, relieve heartburn by replacing improper stomach chemicals with normal stomach acidity.

Other Drugs And Candida. Birth control pills and steroid drugs such as cortisone or prednisone also contribute a lot to candida infection, as explained above in the section regarding copper.

Excessive carbohydrates, especially sugars. These encourage candida infection for several reasons:

1) The adrenal glands regulate blood sugar. Sugars in the diet weaken the adrenal glands by causing large blood sugar fluctuations. Weaker adrenal glands cause a worsening of copper imbalance, making yeast problems worse.

2) Eating refined sugars, in particular, depletes B-complex vitamins, as well as zinc, manganese, selenium and many other vital nutrients. This can worsen the body’s immune response and other defenses against yeasts and other parasitic organisms.

3) Sugar is also the food that nourishes yeast organisms. The more of it one eats, the more “fuel” that is available for the growth of yeast organisms in the intestines. Some of the sugars one eats may even mourish yeasts that live in the vagina, on the skin or elsewhere.

In fact, common sugar and carbohydrate cravings may be yeast organisms calling for dinner. This may sound odd. However, when ‘deprived’ of sugars or even other carbohydrates, the yeasts in the intestines and elsewhere begin to die, releasing toxic substances. These cause unpleasant ‘die off symptoms’ that can include nausea, anxiety, fatigue and many others. Eating sugars or even some starches ends these unpleasant symptoms, often quickly. Thus, feeding the problem has a temporary satisfying effect, causing an addictive behavior regarding sugars in the diet. This is a very common situation that most people do not understand at all.

Many, many people overeat on carbohydrate foods today. Many do not realize all of the foods that are high in sugars or starches. Common ones include sugar, honey, candy, cookies, rice, bread and potatoes. Others include milk, fruit, juices, most processed food if it is sweetened at all and sweetened drinks like Gatorade and bottled teas, sodas and much more.

OTHER TOXIC SUBSTANCES MAY BE A FACTOR AS WELL

Mercury And Candida Infection. Excessive mercury often accompanies copper toxicity. Mercury can stimulate the thyroid, which causes adrenal imbalance. Mercury itself can also impair the immune reponse. In fact, there is a close relationship between mercury and chronic candida infection in which mercury appears to protect the body from certain yeast toxins. However, mercury causes many more problems as well. Other articles on this website discuss how to remove mercury from the body. This requires several years in most cases. There is also evidence that candida albicans can convert ionized mercury vapor to methyl mercury, a form of mercury that can be as much as ten times more toxic than its original form.

Cadmium. Cadmium is another highly toxic metal. It interferes with zinc, a critical mineral needed to balance copper and required for proper functioning of the adrenals, among many other essential functions. Cadmium also accumulates in the liver and might impair its ability to synthesize ceruloplasmin and other vital chemicals needed to control candida overgrowth.

Lead. Lead toxicity interferes with calcium metabolism and the immune response in some cases. Chronic lead toxicity is very common today.

Toxic chemicals found in the home, air, water and food also accumulate in the liver and elsewhere, and may impair the body’s ability to protect itself against candida overgrowth.

IMPROPER BOWEL FLORA

Improper bowel flora is extremely common and often contributes to candida infections. Important reasons for this severe problem today are:

1) Overuse of antibiotics. These often damage the normal flora of the intestines. Antibiotic may remain in the body for years to some degree. Traces are also in the water and food supply, especially meat and dairy products.

2) Chemicals toxic to human intestinal flora. These are too many to name individually. They range from all the toxic metals to pharmaceutical drugs of many kinds, to fluoridation and chlorination of the water.

3) Bacterial, viral and other intestinal infections. These can range from simple cold and flu viruses that can damage the intestinal flora to intestinal parasites and others. The infections need not be in the intestines themselves.

4) Impaired and sluggish bowel activity. Food should pass completely through the intestines and out of the body within 18-24 hours or less. This, however, is rare today in Westernized or developed nations. When the food remains longer, it is subject to decay. Proteins tend to putrefy, and carbohydrates ferment. Both processes produce very toxic substances that damage the intestinal flora.

Assessing Bowel Transit Time. To test your bowel transit time, eat a large portion of red beets at one meal and note how long it takes for the red color to show up in the stool. It is important to note that one cannot just speed up the bowel transit time at will, using laxatives or other herbal or pharmaceutical products. You may produce diarrhea, but this is not a healthy fix. Instead, begin an entire nutritional balancing program. As the small and large intestines heal, they can absorb more nutrients and operate correctly, and the bowel transit time will naturally decrease.

Normal Bowel Habits. It takes at least several years (not a misprint) on the nutritional balancing program for most people’s intestines to recover from years of abuse. Toxic chemicals from the food and water, infections, and other problems such as an imbalanced body chemistry must first be corrected.

ALCOHOL ADDICTION DUE TO CANDIDA INFECTION

Alcohol produced by candida can contribute to fatigue, spaciness, impaired judgment, emotional problems and learning and behavior disorders in children. This can be why eating sugars and starches can produce fatigue and the other symptoms listed above. The more carbohydrates one eats, the more alcohol is produced. This is also one reason that many alcoholics or former ones are addicted to sugar without understanding the connection.
This can also explain why quitting sugar or reducing carbohyrates in the diet can essentially produce withdrawal symptoms. They can be due to a reduction in alcohol production in the intestines, so they are somewhat similar to alcohol withdrawal with anxiety, tremors and other odd symptoms. Sadly, this drives many people back to sugar to enhance alcohol output. Other factors can also contribute to sugar addiction. See the article on Sugar Addiction on this website for these factors.

IMPAIRED IMMUNE SYSTEM

Factors other than copper imbalance and sugar-eating may also impair the body’s immune response, reducing its ability to defend itself against candida and other intestinal infections. The most common causes are nutrient deficiencies and excesses of toxic metals or toxic chemicals. Click here to read an article on the immune system.

CORRECTION - DIET

Sugars. Dietary change is critical in most cases. The single most important shift in the diet is to eliminate all refined and processed sugars. These include eliminating all glucose, sucrose, maltose, fructose, and products like honey, rice syrup, maple syrup, agave nectrar, barley malt and other sweet items. Even fruit juices and sweet fruits are a problem. Most people can still drink some carrot juice, which is a good source of calcium. Other juices and smoothies are harmful in most cases. Keep all fruit to a minimum.

This is quite a dietary change for most people. However, it is well worth the effort, not only to reduce the candida population, but there are many other benefits as well. Sweet foods are extremely yin in Chinese medicine and not healthful for the most part.

Non-Caloric Sweeteners. Stevia, xylitol or mannitol are natural sweeteners that are somewhat better as they do not contain much absorbable sugar. Strictly avoid artificial sweeteners such as aspartame due to its many other problems. Ideally, quit all sweetener use because they all keep the sweet taste alive and tend to confuse the body to some degree.

Cereral Grains. Reducing most grains may be very helpful as well, at least for a while. Once the body has healed, some grains are excellent foods such as brown rice, white Basmati rice, organic blue corn chips with sea salt, quinoa, amaranth and even rye, oats and barley. Avoid all wheat products, as they are not healthful today. Wheat flour is found in hundreds of prepared foods including most breads, pasta, deep-fried food, cream soups thickened with flour, crackers, cakes and cookies. Some people must eliminate all grains for a while, even rice and blue corn chips, which we normally recommend in moderation. At first, however, these can cause significant problems for those with severe candida albicans infection.

Fruit. Reducing all fruit is also helpful. Ripe fruit is best, as the sugars are more quickly absorbed. Completely avoid very sweet fruits such as dates, figs and avoid all dried fruit. The most desirable fruits are those that are not sweet, such as berries and grapefruit, which can be excellent once in a while. Others that are better include apples, pears, peaches, kiwi and other juicy and not-too-sweet fruits.

Legumes. Reduce most dried beans such as pintos, lentils, black beans and peanuts. Peanut butter is very sweet and best avoided. Toasted almond, cashew or sunflower seed butters are much better in small amounts, particularly toasted almond butter, in most cases.

Other Fermented Foods. Some candida books recommend eliminating all fermented foods such as cheese, wine, pickles, sauerkraut and yeasted breads. This is usually unnecessary unless one is specifically allergic to all yeast. However, we never recommend wheat in any form, and reducing fermented foods is not a bad idea as many people are sensitive to the ferments in these foods. Unsweetened live-culture yogurt is excellent, however. It is a fermented food, but is usually very helpful for the candida patients.

Beverages. Drink pure spring or distilled water, or mild unsweetened teas only. Do not use distilled water for more than a year, as it can leach some vital minerals from the body. Avoid most other beverages such as milk, which is high in sugar. A little raw, certified buttermilk is okay, however. Strictly avoid all soda pop, Kool-aid, punch, fruit juices and strictly limit vegetable juice to about 10 ounces daily. Also avoid sweetened teas or coffees, lemonade, wine and most alcoholic drinks. As stated above, a small amount of carrot or other vegetable juice, while sweet, may be very helpful to assist healing.

Eat more cooked vegetables. If one does not eat much carbohydrate in the diet, one must eat more vegetables, fats, oils and proteins to obtain needed calories and rebuilt the body. Therefore, avoid diets that are low in these items. These include many strict vegetarian diets. In fact, they can make the problem worse, while natural meats, poultry, eggs, plenty of cooked vegetables, and a few nuts and organic cow or goat cheese is best.
The very strict diet in the yeast books is often unnecessary if one follows a nutritional balancing program to correct underlying causes. Most people report they have weight loss and severe food cravings on the very strict candida diets.

EATING HABITS

The following suggestions will assist digestion tremendously and hasten rebuilding of the intestines:

· Eat four, five or even more meals daily if you are hungry,

· Do not snack all day, however. Eat real sit-down meals.

· Chew thoroughly and eat slowly in a relaxed, quiet environment.

· Do not eat too much at a time. Quit when satiated.

· Take a nap or two every day. A good time is after a meal. It need only be 10 or so minutes.

LIFESTYLE

Rest and sleep. Lifestyle plays a critical role. Plenty of rest and sleep are important, as lack of rest stresses the adrenal glands. Go to bed by 9 PM most every night and obtain 9 or more hours of sleep daily. Stimulant use such as caffeine or heavy exercise decimates the adrenal glands.

Breathing and posture. Deep breathing and good posture assist oxygenation of the body which inhibits candida.

Stress reduction. Reducing all types of physical, emotional, financial, social and other stressors rests the adrenal glands and helps improve copper metabolism.

Positive emotions and thoughts. Surround yourself with positive, uplifting and more spiritually-oriented materials such as books, CDs and movies. Work on your negative attitudes and emotions, deciding they are not worth holding on to, no matter how ‘true’ they seem to be. Let go of grudges, angers and hatreds. Your attitude is your altitude.

ANTI-CANDIDA MEDICATION

Anti-fungal, anti-yeast and specifically anti-candida albicans medications and supplements are rarely needed if one takes GB-3, for example, a digestive aid that will also kill a lot of yeast.

The most powerful anti-candida weapon is often a change of diet and a lifestyle that is restful and healthful in all regards. Sleep is a greatly unemphasized weapon against candida as well. It helps rebuild the adrenal glands and this is its major benefit in most cases.

If this is not adequate, use only natural products, if possible, and avoid the drugs such as Nystatin Diflucan and Nizoril that are more toxic. Natural products include tannic acid (Tanalbit and found in teas), garlic, olive leaf extract and acidophilus. Others are caprylic acid, other medium-chain fatty acids and herbs such as echinacea. Some herbal preparations and grapefruit seed extract may be a little toxic, however, so be careful with these anti-candida products. As stated above, anti-candida products are rarely needed if one follows a complete nutritional balancing program.

THE NEED FOR A COMPLETE HEALING PROGRAM

Most often, candida infection is just a symptom of deeper systemic imbalances in the body. The great advantage of a nutritional balancing program is it is not a symptomatic approach. It addresses many imbalances and deeper causes at the same time. For this reason, many people find nutritional balancing effective when all other methods, including other natural healing methods, have failed to bring about the desired results.

HOW LONG UNTIL I AM HEALTHY?

A better diet alone often leads to improvement in candida symptoms within a few days to a week. Anti-candida medications also often work quickly. However, permanently improving copper balance, eliminating toxic metals and enhancing the oxidation rate take longer, up to several years or even longer.

If one has taken antibiotics recently or in the past, more time is often required to remove residues stored in the liver and other organs. Do not be discouraged if results take longer.

Sauna therapy can significantly speed up the improvement in candida infection. It assists the elimination of toxic metals, toxic chemicals and other poisons that may accumulate within the body. It also inhibits the sympathetic nervous system, improves circulation and oxygenation and directly disables candida organisms to some degree. Sauna therapy is thus one of the finest method of eliminating candida overgrowth.

Other References.

Atkins, R., Dr. Atkins Diet Revolution.

Crook, W. MD, The Yeast Connection.

Trowbridge, J., The Yeast Syndrome.

Truss, O., The Missing Diagnosis.

These older books offer more in-depth information about candida albicans symptoms, diagnostic criteria, various treatments and more. However, none of them recommend a nutritional balancing program, so I would view them somewhat skeptically.

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