Trillions of micro-organisms make your intestines their home, working with your body to fight disease, digest food and perform other physiological functions. Among these micro-organisms is a species of yeast called Candida albicans. Alternative medicine advocates believe that an imbalance in your intestines' candida yeast population can cause fatigue, conjunctivitis, white coating on your tongue, weight gain, joint pain and other symptoms. Following an anti-candida diet program supposedly restores balance to your gut flora. Before beginning an anti-candida diet, consult your doctor for more information about the cause of your medical problems.
Rationale
The purpose of an anti-candida diet is to suppress the candida yeast population in the intestines. Several factors can contribute to yeast overgrowth, or candidiasis, including unhealthy diet, use of antibiotics or oral contraceptives, chemotherapy and suppressed immune system activity. Because candida yeast typically feed on sugars, alternative medicine practitioners claim that eliminating sugar from your diet starves candida yeast to death.
Phases
A typical anti-candida diet program begins with a detoxification program. During this candida detox, dieters eat vegetables and whole grains, drink water and use colon cleansing herbs. The detoxification phase of the anti-candida diet lasts three weeks. The next phase is less strict, allowing you to eat certain foods that were banned during the detox diet. Some dieters take anti-fungal medications during this four-week second phase to kill candida yeast. The final phase repopulates your gut with beneficial bacteria and can be continued indefinitely.
Prohibited Foods
The anti-candida diet program prohibits many foods that stimulate candida yeast growth. Dieters should avoid fresh, dried and canned fruits for the duration of the diet because of their high sugar content. Additional banned foods include aged cheeses, processed foods, starchy vegetables, sweets, mushrooms and other fungi, wheat, rye, barley, artificial sweeteners, honey, alcohol, baked goods and peanuts.
Acceptable Foods
Although the list of foods prohibited on an anti-candida diet seems restrictive, several types of foods are permitted. The bulk of your diet should consist of vegetables, lean protein and whole-grain foods. Choose non-starchy vegetables such as asparagus, broccoli, leafy greens, avocado, peppers, onions or celery. To boost your protein intake, eat lean beef, skinless chicken, fish or eggs. Non-glutenous grains, such as brown rice, rice bran, oat bran, quinoa or buckwheat provide your body with complex carbohydrates. You should also eat live yogurt cultures every day to stimulate growth of beneficial bacteria in your gut.
Considerations
The claims of anti-candida diet practitioners may sound compelling, but they remain unsupported by scientific evidence. According to Brent Bauer, an internist at Mayo Clinic, most conventional medicine professionals dispute the diagnosis of candidiasis. Following the candida diet may cause you to lose weight or feel more energetic, but these effects are likely due to cutting excess sugars and processed food from your diet. Talk to your doctor about your anti-candida diet plans before beginning the diet to ensure that it is safe.
Member Comments