Candida, a fungus-like organism also known as a yeast overgrowth, may cause symptoms such as headache, fatigue, gastrointestinal distress and brain fog. According to MayoClinic.com, the theory behind a candida diet is to cleanse the body of this overgrowth by eliminating foods that the organisms thrive on. These foods include sugar in all forms -- including the natural sugars found in fruit, wheat flour and dairy. However, very little scientific evidence supports the candida overgrowth theory or a "yeast syndrome." Followers of a candida diet may feel better because the diet eliminates highly processed sugary foods and replaces them with nutrient-dense whole foods.
The Candida Diet
The standard Candida Diet, designed in 1983 by Dr. William Crook, is based on the premise that antibiotics are the most common cause of a yeast overgrowth, because they kill both harmful and good bacteria. Candida grows very quickly in the absence of good bacteria, unbalancing your internal gut flora. The Candida Diet restricts added and naturally occurring sugars and gluten, some legumes such as peanuts, fungi, caffeine and alcohol. On this diet, eat plenty of fresh vegetables, organic meats, cold-pressed oils and foods that contain probiotics, such as yogurt and sauerkraut.
The Body Ecology Diet
Developed by Donna Gates, the Body Ecology Diet is a system of healing that believes "candida is the predominant fungal infection behind human disease." The diet eliminates foods that yeast feeds on, including all forms of sugar, most fruits, dairy and gluten. This diet also has rules for food combining and emphasizes the consumption of fermented foods. It can be a very difficult diet to follow because it has many rules and eliminates so many foods.
The Atkins Diet
Although not technically a diet designed to kill a yeast overgrowth, the Atkins Diet does severely restrict sugars and carbohydrates, which will weaken the candida. Candida may adversely affect your metabolism and interfere with your body's ability to burn fat. The Atkins Diet puts your body in a state of ketosis, where tit burns fat instead of sugar for energy, reprograming your metabolism.
The Paleolithic Diet
Also known as the Stone Age Diet or Hunter-Gatherer Diet, the Paleolithic Diet is based on the idea that people were much healthier 10,000 years ago, before they discovered that cooking grains, legumes and starchy vegetables such as potatoes made them edible. The Paleolithic Diet restricts all grains -- not just grains that contain gluten -- as well as beans, potatoes, dairy and sugar.
Unlike the standard Candida Diet, the Paleolithic Diet does allow the consumption of fruits, especially berries. According to the Biamonte Center for Clinical Nutrition, the Paleolithic Diet will weaken candida because it eliminates almost all starches, carbs and alcohol.
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