Intestinal Candida Diet

Candida albicans, a pathogenic yeast present in all human bodies, can cause a wide range of problems when it becomes overgrown in the intestines. Dr Lawrence Wilson, a physician familiar with the issues caused, explains that modern living often allows these undesirable organisms to become dominant.

Candida Overgrowth

Wilson highlights a high sugar diet, antibiotic use and copper toxicity as potential causes of candida overgrowth. He explains that, when candida becomes overgrown, it colonizes the gut lining before translocating into the bloodstream. The troublesome yeast then ferment sugar present in the blood into fungal toxins, which can cause tiredness, concentration problems and itching.

Diet

You cannot deal with candida infection without making some major changes to your diet, explains Dr William Crook. The family doctor, who wrote "The Yeast Connection," explains that candida can only derive fuel from sugar, so the elimination of dietary sugar remains crucial to the success of the cleansing diet. He recommends a diet free of sugar and low on carbohydrates to help to starve the candida.

Anti-Fungals

The reduction in carbohydrates weakens the yeast population, but this may not complete the job. Jonny Bowden, a board-certified nutritionist and the author of the several books on nutrition and health, suggests including anti-fungal foods in the diet such as coconut oil and garlic, together with other compounds such as grapefruit seed extract and pau d'arco.

Probiotics

Probiotics also have a major role to play in eliminating candida. Bowden explains how the bacterial population of the intestines works on a "king of the jungle" principle; each bacterium releases anti-microbial peptides that kill off other rival species. Probiotics, which contain millions of beneficial bacteria, can help to repopulate the intestines with helpful microbes and crowd out candida.

Die-Off

Whenever candida yeast die, they release a number of fungal toxins that can cause aggravation. Dr Crook notes that, during this die-off phase, symptoms often get worse for a short time. This die-off reaction, also called the Herxheimer response, tends to last for around 24 hours.