Candida albicans is yeast and a normal inhabitant of the digestive system that we usually live in peaceful coexistence with. When we eat too much sugar, take hormones (including birth control pills) or steroids or when we take antibiotics Candida albicans can grow out of control. It is an opportunistic critter that also loves alcohol and stress and it thrives when we have too much of either. Like you and I, microbes like Candida albicans create their share of waste both during their life cycle and when they die.
Unlike you and I, Candida doesn’t have an external sewer system responsible for cleaning up its excretions. That job is up to us. It is our lymphatic system, kidneys and liver that are responsible for cleaning up the exotoxins (waste produced while Candida is alive) and endotoxins (waste produced when Candida dies). These toxins are no laughing matter and cause a wide variety of symptoms affecting multiple organ systems.
Toxins associated with Candida can affect our digestive system causing gas, bloating and alternating diarrhea and constipation. They can also affect our central nervous system and cause brain fog, balance problems, mood swings and irritability. Candida related toxins can trigger allergic symptoms like postnasal drip, stuffy nose and asthma along with unexplained fatigue and poor sleep. Overgrowth of Candida and the associated toxins can cause skin rashes, itchiness, diaper rash and even dandruff.
Antibiotics are the most potent trigger of Candida proliferation and what I find interesting is that Candida related symptoms can start soon after their use or they can develop over a number of years. I have seen patients in various stages of adulthood for whom the triggering event was antibiotics for ear infections as a toddler or tetracycline for acne as a teenager. Sometimes the triggering event is an infection, mould exposure, stress or trauma.
Regardless of the cause, there are three components to treatment: 1) anti-yeast medication to kill some of the Candida, 2) dietary restrictions to inhibit yeast growth and 3) probiotics to restore healthy bacteria. The best natural medicine for reducing yeast levels comes from the castor bean. It is called Undecenoic acid, is very effective at preventing yeast from replicating and I use a product called Mycoplex. The general dietary approach is to reduce the intake of simple sugars and carbohydrate in general.
A diet made up of fish, meats, lots of vegetables and some fruit works very well in combination with Mycoplex to suppress Candida growth. Candida related complex is a common cause of many nagging, generalized symptoms that may go undiagnosed for years and often gets worse with the excess alcohol and sugar or exposure to hormones, antibiotics and steroids.
