Candida albicans is a fungus found naturally in your body that under certain conditions can multiply and lead to health problems. Most cases are more annoying than serious, but if you have a compromised immune system, the infection can become life-threatening. For most people, making dietary changes is all it takes to help bring an outbreak under control.
Identification
When candida multiplies rapidly, it can lead to vaginal infections, intestinal problems and a condition called thrush in the mouth and throat. Symptoms can include white patches in your mouth and throat, as in the case of thrush; skin rashes and blisters, found most often in the groin, between fingers and toes and under the breasts; vaginal itching and irritation with a discharge resembling cottage cheese; or gastrointestinal bloating and diarrhea.
Causes
Ordinarily, candida lives in harmony on your skin and in your mucous membranes, unless certain factors cause numbers to explode. Risk factors can include tight clothing; poor hygiene or infrequent diaper or undergarment changes; antibiotic use; inflammatory skin diseases like eczema, dermatitis or psoriasis; or a suppressed immune system caused by pregnancy, endocrine disorders, diabetes or AIDS.
History
Candida was first described by a Dutch botanist in 1923, although the first claims that candida can cause systemic health problems didn't occur until the 1970s and 1980s with Dr. C.O. Truss and Dr. William Crook. Dr. Crook's "The Yeast Connection" book made the anti-candida diet well-known, and was based on his hypothesis that toxins produced by candida can lead to a wide range of health disorders, and that diet was the way to fix the problem.
Diet Recommendations
Various studies, such as by Dr. BJ Horowitz et al published in 1984 in the Journal of Reproductive Medicine, have suggested that reducing sugar and refined flour in your diet may help prevent yeast infections. Other experts like the University of Michigan Health System have added dairy products, other than yogurt, and foods with high concentrations of yeast, such as cheese, peanuts and alcohol, to the list. Alternative therapies include using natural antifungals or probiotics, like those found in yogurt, kombucha, kefir and sauerkraut, to keep candida in check. Whether or not all refined carbohydrates increase your risk of candida infections is controversial, with many studies showing a link, and others, like one published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 1999 by Michael Weig et al, indicating that such carbohydrates have a limited effect.
Warning
"The Yeast Connection" book contains a long questionnaire to score how likely it is that your health concerns are candida-related. Since then, similar questionnaires have appeared in magazine ads and on websites that sell products designed to target the candida, a clear conflict of interest. In 1989, the FDA's Health Fraud Branch issued a sample regulatory letter indicating it was illegal to market vitamin products intended for treating yeast infections. In 1990, the New Jersey State Attorney General secured consent agreements barring two doctors from diagnosing and treating "candida albicans overgrowth syndrome."
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