Whether you need to lose weight, or manage a health condition such as diabetes, several diets are available. Among these are the yeast-free diet, an eating plan to control yeast overgrowth in the body. Although proponents of the diet say this diet cures yeast syndrome and its effects on your body, it is not without side effects. Speak with your doctor before using this alternative form of treatment.
The Basics
Yeast, also known as Candida albicans, is present in the intestinal tract of every human being. It shares space with probiotics, or good bacteria, which feed on yeast, keeping a harmonious and healthy balance. If this balance between the two is interrupted, yeast takes over, causing thrush and vaginal yeast infections. It is also responsible for yeast infections of the digestive tract that can go unnoticed for weeks or months. These infections lead to uncomfortable symptoms such as itching, bloating, gas and constipation. Following a yeast-free diet might help destroy excess yeast in your body, eliminating these medical conditions by restoring a healthy balance between the yeast and probiotics.
The Diet
The primary goal of the yeast-free diet is to remove all foods on which yeast can thrive. It's no coincidence that most contain sugar, the one ingredient yeast loves the most. All foods made with yeast are off limits, including alcohol and any fermented food such as vinegar and the foods containing it. All items containing sugar are prohibited, along with anything moldy such as cheese, cured meats, soy sauce, dried or pickled meats and canned tomatoes. You can enjoy potatoes and corn, but in moderation -- three to four times per week. Eliminating these foods from your diet cleanses your body of yeast toxins, thus preventing infection and disease due to yeast overgrowth. Several foods can be consumed freely, including vegetables, eggs, whole-grain products, all varieties of beans, all types of uncured or smoked meat, unrefined vegetable oil and unprocessed nuts and seeds.
Side Effects
Although the yeast-free diet might cleanse your body of excess yeast and its toxins, side effects can occur upon starting this new eating plan. The food you take away results in mass destruction of the yeast in your body. This, in turn, dumps large amounts of yeast toxins into your vaginal and intestinal tracts, causing flu-like fatigue, weakness and irritability. TheYeastDiet.com recommends adhering strictly to the diet for three to six weeks, noting that you might experience these side effects for the first few weeks until your body flushes the toxins out.
The Great Debate
Some common signs of yeast overgrowth in the eyes of alternative practitioners include fatigue, headache and poor memory. These practitioners are quick to recommend the yeast-free diet to their patients. Dr. Brent Bauer, a Mayo Clinic internist, states otherwise. He says this diet has undergone no clinical trials, and therefore has no scientific evidence to support either the diagnosis of Candida syndrome or its treatment, the yeast-free diet. Bauer adds that anyone who eliminates processed foods containing flour and sugar, then replacing them with fresh food, will begin to look and feel better. That, he says, is the primary benefit of the Candida cleanse, not preventing the overgrowth of yeast in the gastrointestinal tract.
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