Candida is the name for a group of yeast, a type of fungus that occurs naturally in the human body. The most prevalent, Candida albicans, lives on the skin and in the mucosal lining of the mouth, the digestive tract and in the genitals. Normally the growth of yeast is controlled by the presence of bacteria and the activity of cells in the immune system. However, there are several factors that can induce an imbalance within the body, resulting in Candida yeast overgrowth.
Antibiotics
Taking non-discriminatory antibiotics, meaning antibiotics that kill all types of bacteria, is the single most common cause of candidiasis, the illness caused by the overgrowth of Candida, according to Life Research Universal. Our bodies are full of bacteria, both bad bacteria that cause illness and good bacteria that fulfill important roles in the body. Good bacteria such as acidophilus and bifidobacteria produce anti-fungal substances that help inhibit the overgrowth of Candida yeast. When these bacteria are destroyed by antibiotics, the yeast are able to grow more rapidly turning from a co-existing organism to a pathogen (a substance that can cause illness).
Hormone Changes
Hormones, chemicals released in the body to mediate biological processes, are important in keeping organisms in the body under control. Changing the balance of hormones, such as estrogen, in the body can have an effect on the level of bacteria and yeast within the body. Taking oral contraceptives, or birth control pills, changes hormone levels to prevent pregnancy. This can cause Candida yeast overgrowth. In addition, taking hormone replacement therapy to treat symptoms of menopause can also lead to Candida overgrowth. Pregnancy also changes hormone levels, which can lead to the overgrowth of yeast.
Disease
The presence of disease can have a profound effect on the body's immune system. Conditions such as HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infection suppress the immune system, which leaves the body vulnerable to attack by other organisms, including Candida. In fact the University of California publication HIVInSite reports that 90 percent of patients with advanced, untreated HIV will develop oropharyngeal Candida, which is Candida overgrowth in the mouth or esophagus.
Cancer and the accompanying treatments of chemotherapy and radiation also affect the immune system, causing it to be temporarily suppressed, which allows the yeast to multiply out of control.
Diet
Candida yeast thrive on sugar. Sugar, or glucose, is also the end product produced when the body breaks down carbohydrates. Therefore, a diet full of carbohydrates and sugars is like a buffet for the yeast that live within the body. Providing the yeast with an unlimited supply of food can trigger an overgrowth.
In addition to feeding the yeast, sugar triggers intestinal fermentation, a process by which the body breaks down the sugars leaving a by-product of acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde, which is also a product of the breakdown of alcohol in the body, is a toxic substance which can affect the body's immune system leaving the body vulnerable to Candida overgrowth.
