Candida albicans is a type of yeast that naturally occurs inside people's intestines. If it grows beyond the right amount for good intestinal health, however, it may cause a wide range of symptoms -- from headaches, constipation to fatigue and difficulty concentrating. People can try a diet called a "candida cleanse" to clear out extra Candida albicans yeast in their intestines. Some alternative medicine practitioners say that candida cleanse diets can bring people's intestinal health back into proper balance and relieve a host of symptoms that may have been caused by an intestinal imbalance.
But conventional doctors don't usually recommend candida cleanses, according to Mayo Clinic internist Dr. Brent A. Bauer. No evidence from clinical trials shows that the diet can effectively treat any medical condition, Dr. Bauer says. DoctorFungus.org cautions that physician studies on candida cleanses haven't been subjected to peer review, and recommends that people suffering from symptoms they think may be caused by too much Candida albicans should have all other potential causes carefully evaluated by a physician. Dr. Bauer warns that the only proven benefit of candida cleanses is that many people who follow the diet report feeling better than they did before they tried it.
Relieving physical symptoms
Intestinal Health Institute director Sheila Shea declares that people can relieve a wide variety of physical symptoms by following a candida cleanse diet. According to DoctorFungus.org, some of the symptoms that people associate with an overgrowth of Candida albicans include heartburn, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, fatigue, headaches, rhinitis, sneezing and wheezing. DoctorFungus.org adds that women suffering from conditions such as menstrual irregularities and vaginal itching, burning or abnormal vaginal discharge sometimes associate abnormally high amounts of Candida albicans with those conditions.
Relieving mental symptoms
Following a candida cleanse diet may also clear up various mental symptoms, says Shea. According to DoctorFungus.org, some of the mental symptoms associated with too much Candida albicans include anxiety, depression, memory problems, difficulty concentrating, and irritability
Restoring balance
A candida cleanse diet can restore the microorganisms inside people's intestines to a healthy balance, says Intestinal Health Institute director Sheila Shea. The diet involves switching to organic dairy products and meats, eliminating foods that can cause too much Candida albicans to grow inside the intestines -- such as like cheese, sugar, and white flour -- and eating foods that contain healthy bacteria, such as probiotic yogurt, Shea says. Since the organisms inside intestines can affect every part of the body's health, says Shea, people will feel better overall once their intestines are properly balanced.
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