Candida

CANDIDA

Find the cause and you find the solution. Candida only gets worse and doesn’t go away naturally. For diagnosis and to eliminate the imbalance contact Marie @ gwellaclinicsolutions@gmail.

Symptoms

Candida is a yeast fungus. Under normal conditions it sparsely populates the intestinal tract. If the healthy environment is altered, the Candida organism flourishes and illness results. When the digestive system symptoms include: bloating gas, cramps, alternating diarrhea with constipation, multiple food allergies. The nervous system where symptoms include abnormal fatigue, anxiety, mood swings, drowsiness memory loss, depression, insomnia and mental fogginess. The skin-where symptoms include hives, psoriasis, eczema, excessive sweating acne and nail infections.

Causes.

Like all fungi Candida thrives in warm moist areas. Under normal conditions, this yeast exists within us in a healthy environment and the immune system keeps the fungus from spreading. The single largest cause for Candida overgrowth is the use of antibiotics. Whenever antibiotics are given, they eliminate the healthy friendly bacteria in the bowels, thereby setting up an imbalance that allows yeast organisms to invade and grow. Other medication cause similar imbalances, among them the contraceptive pill, cortisone, chemotherapy drugs and ionizing radiation. Candida is more likely to thrive when the immune system is weak. For this reason diabetics and others with long term chronic illnesses are much more prone to Candida infections. A poorly functioning digestive system, due to insufficient enzymes or stomach acid for instance also increases the likelihood of infections. Stress, a poor diet and an unhealthy lifestyle all weaken the body’s resistance. A poor diet that lacks raw foods and whole grains is most detrimental. Simple sugars including refined white flour, rice and pasta are particularly problematic as they promote Candida. The health of the host must be enhanced by better nutrition, reduced stress, cigarette and alcohol cessation, aerobic exercise, spiritual and psychological therapy as well as a less contaminated or less polluted environment. Diet changes alone do not reverse Candida. Aggressive antifungal therapy is also necessary in almost all cases.

Nutrition.

A radical change in diet is needed to treat Candida. Candida yeast thrives on sugar. Eliminate sugar, honey, dried fruits, cake, cookies, candies, jam, sweet fruit such as bananas and sweet apples, fruit juices, lemonade and fruit sweetened yogurt from the diet. Do not eat canned goods and processed foods like ketchup, as these invariably contain sugar. White flour products, alcohol and yeast also feed Candida infections and should be avoided. Also restrict the consumption of milk and uncultured dairy products because of their milk sugar content. Cultured milk products on the other hand are beneficial since they restore the friendly bacteria which inhibit Candida overgrowth. Lactic acid fermented vegetables such as raw sauerkraut also effectively restore friendly bacteria. Eat row vegetable salads and sour fruits such as grapefruit and cooking apples to strengthen the body’s immune system. Drink mineral water, herbal teas and vegetable juices to wash out toxins. Apple cider vinegar is antifungal. It can be consumed orally with meals as a way of improving stomach digestion or it can be used as a vaginal douche in cases of localized vaginitis.

Nutritional supplements.

Betaine and pepsin hydrochloride as well as other stomach acidifiers like glutamic acid and stomach bitters dissolve Candida and fungi in the stomach. Biotin is one of the B complex vitamins. It is important particularly for the health of the hair skin and nails. It inhibits the conversion of the benign yeast form of Candida to the invasive mycelia form. Caprylic acid is another naturally occurring antifungal fatty acid (from coconut oil) which works at the primary level of the gastrointestinal tract. Colloidal Silver is another broad spectrum antifungal product which is gaining more widespread use, especially with alternative health care practitioners. Lactobacillus Acidophilus and Bifid us are friendly bacteria and normal inhabitants of the gastrointestinal tract. Their presence is one of the body’s natural defenses against fungal invasion. Vitamin C in high doses is antifungal. In general, Vitamin C is a weak acid. Candida, bacteria, fungi and parasites are often killed off by high doses of Vitamin C.

Herbal Remedies.

The high silica content in horsetail normalizes the bowels and can clear up the intestinal tract. Silica also rebuilds damaged or inflamed intestinal walls.

Aloe Vera juice and fig syrup are great aids for normalizing bowel function. Aloe Vera juice has long been known for its antimicrobial properties.

Golden Seal is another herbal remedy which helps fungal infections by encouraging the growth of friendly intestinal bacteria. Both golden seal and lactobacillus acidophilus are valuable supplements that prevent fungal overgrowth if one has been prescribed antibiotics in the treatment of a bacterial infection. Avoid during pregnancy as it can cause uterine contractions.

Green food supplements are effective against Candida and fungi primarily because of their high chlorophyll content which prevents the spread of any fungal or bacterial infection. They also promote the growth of the friendly bacteria.

External/ physical Therapies.

Avoid prolonged stressful situations and spend some time every day exercising outdoors.

Aerobic exercise is an effective antifungal therapy simply and only because Candida and fungi do not thrive in a high oxygen environment. A higher oxygen level can be created in the body by regular aerobic exercise.

In the case of vaginal infections, make sure that underpants are loose and allow the passage of air. Fungi are difficult to eradicate from underwear even if they are machine washed with detergents. In persistent recurrent vaginal yeast infections, placing the moistened underwear in a microwave oven and turning the setting to high for 5 minutes destroys all traces of Candida. Baths with Epsom salts or magnesium sulfate are very soothing for the inflammation which is often the cause of severe itching in Candida vaginitis.