Candida Gone Wild: How Diet and Lifestyle can Support Healing From Candida

Candida Albicans species are living and usually benign microorganisms that live in the gastrointestinal tract, mouth, and genitals of the human body. They tend to become opportunistic pathogens when a person’s immune system is weak or compromised causing local or systemic chronic infections, which can spread all over the body and colonize in the organs. High levels of candida colonization are also associated with diseases of the GI tract. According to Kumamoto (2011), both inflammatory bowel disease and gastrointestinal candida colonization are associated with higher levels of cytokine IL-17, which is a pro inflammatory inducer to help protect against invading pathogens, potentially affecting many individuals.

There are many different types of candida species that are found in healthy individuals such as Candida glabrata, Candida tropicalis, Candida parapsilosis, and Candida krusei. These can be very severely invasive and can pose serious health problems to individuals, leading to life threatening bloodstream infections due to colonization of Candida in the internal organs (Kabir and Ahmad, 2012). Infections by candida overgrowth have been dramatically increasing over the past couple of years. Its estimated that treatment of candida in the U.S. costs between $1 and $2 billion per year (Kabir and Ahmad, 2012). They are also the fourth most common hospital acquired infection in the United States.  (Gunsalus, et al., 2015)

There are many different factors that can cause candida overgrowth and there are also several ways to treat candida using a holistic and functional approach. Such factors can include long term use of antibiotics, recurring vaginal yeast infections, having an auto immune disease like Hashimotos, or even a weakened immune system. Individuals who have AIDS, patients undergoing chemotherapy, radiation, and organ transplants who have a systemic candida infection are much more at a higher risk of it becoming life threatening. (Kabir and Ahmad, 2012). The mortality rate of systemic candida albicans is ~40%. To prevent this, doctors focus on reducing colonization of Candida in at risk patients using antifungal drugs (Gunsalus, et al., 2018).  

A poor diet high in sugar and refined carbohydrates can also serve as a huge culprit for candida overgrowth. Yasharpour, n.d., reported on a study that was published in Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease, looking at the dietary influences of different carbohydrates such as fructose, galactose, glucose, maltose, sorbitol, and sucrose. Results showed that galactose and glucose promoted higher adhesions of candida in the cells of humans.

There are conventional and natural ways to treat Candida. The best treatment options will vary from person to person due to his/her biochemical individuality. Long term dietary, herbal support and lifestyle modifications are considered the first steps to the treatment of Candida and bringing the body and gut microbiota back to a state of balance.

WHAT IS CANDIDA ALBICANS?

Candida Albicans, although considered to be part of our natural microflora, it’s one of the most prevalent causes of fungal pathogenic infections in individuals. A normal strain of candida can aid in nutrient absorption and digestion. Albicans in latin means “white.” When a candida infection occurs its seen as white thick patches also called thrush (Seladi-Schulman, 2018). It can develop in several locations throughout the body, including the mouth, ears, nose, toenails, fingernails, GI tract, and the vagina (Levy, 2019). There are five types of Candida Albicans infections: urinary yeast infection, genital yeast infection, oral thrush, mucocutaneous candidiasis, and deep candidiasis.

Urinary yeast infections are the most common causes of fungal UTIs. Symptoms include increase need to urinate, painful burning sensation when urinating, pelvic pain, or blood in urine. As a conventional treatment, the antifungal drug fluconazole is given.

Genital yeast infections is caused when lactobacillus flora levels in the vagina are disrupted and candida starts to overgrow. Symptoms include burning feeling while having sex or urinating, feeling itchy, redness, irritation, swelling, thick white discharge, rash in the genitals. The same antifungal medications is also given. Other treatment options include over the counter antifungal creams, pills, or suppositories, or the use of natural remedies, which will be discussed later on (Seladi-Schulman, 2018).

Oral thrush occurs in the mouth, tonsils, and back of the throat. Symptoms include thick white spots in the mouth that look like cottage cheese, burning or painful sensation in the mouth, redness, difficulty eating, cotton like feeling in the mouth, and loss of taste. Antifungal medication such as nystatin, clotrimazole, or fluconazole is usually administered (Seladi-Schulman, 2018).

Mucocutaneous candidiasis affects the skin and mucus membranes, causing a fungal skin infection. Affected areas include armpits, groins, corners of mouth, and area under the breasts. The most common symptom is a red rash, blister like lesions, thick white patch. Similar antifungal medications is prescribed (Seladi-Schulman, 2018).

Deep candidiasis occurs in the bloodstream and spread throughout the body causing a systemic and severe infection. This type of infection is common in individuals who have a weakened immune system, medication, newborns with low birth weights. When candida spreads into the bloodstream, it can cause a wide range of symptoms, from fever and in some extreme cases, multiple organ failure. Intravenous antifungal drugs are given. (Candidiasis, n.a., 2019).

COMMON SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

The list of common signs and symptoms will vary from person to person.

Common signs and symptoms of Candida Albicans include (levy, 2019) and (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019) and (Hyman, 2017).

CAUSES/CONTRIBUTING RISK FACTORS TOWARDS CANDIDA

Once candida overgrowth occurs, it can wreak havoc on the body. The good news is that if you become aware of the signs and symptoms early, it can easily be treated. However there are many causes and risk factors that contribute to candida albicans to silently creep up. Many of these risk factors include a long history of having a poor diet high in sugar and refined carbohydrates, being on long term medication, surgery, long term use of oral contraceptives, and family history. Other contributing factors include:

• Weakened immune system: elderly, infants, illness

• Patients who spend a lot of time in Intensive Care Unit

• Cancer

• Autoimmune diseases-Hashimoto, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Ulcerative Colitis, Lupus, Psoriasis, MS

• Stress due to high levels of cortisol that weaken the immune system and cause elevated blood sugar levels

• Leaky gut

• Alcohol consumption

• Kidney failure

• Pregnancy-hormonal alterations stimulate the resurgence of yeast overgrowth

Associated Risk Factors:

• HIV/AIDS

• Diabetes

• Antibiotic use

• Corticosteroid use, which can depress the immune system and provide nourishment for fungi

• Increased estrogen levels

FUNCTIONAL TESTING

Functional testing includes

• IGG, IGA, IGM CANDIDA ANTIBODIES

• CBC

• STOOL TESTING

• URINE ORGANIX DYSBIOSIS TEST

• PATIENT HEALTH HISTORY QUESTIONNAIRE

CONVENTIONAL TREATMENTS

• Anti-fungal Prescription medications

• OTC: oral rinses, tablets, suppositories, creams

NATURAL TREATMENT:

NUTRITIONAL SUPPORT: INTRODUCE HEALTHY FATS, ORGANIC PROTEIN, AND COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES WITH THE ADDITION OF BOOSTER FOODS.

ORGANIC PROTEINS: PLANT AND ANIMAL

Proteins help boost the immune system by forming immunoglobulins. These are antibodies that help fight infection in the body. Without these antibodies unwanted pathogens would multiply and invade the body. In the case of candida overgrowth, this is essential to prevent them from over colonizing the body. Proteins also help transport and store nutrients in the body through the bloodstream and  increases energy (Van de Walle, 2018). Introducing plant and animal protein such as organic pasture raised eggs, 4oz wild caught fish such as Alaskan salmon, branzini, tuna, legumes such as black beans, chickpeas, lentils, broccoli, and cruciferous veggies that aid the body in gentle detoxification such as cabbage, brussels sprouts, and asparagus provide optimal nutrition and starve candida.

HEALTHY FATS

Healthy Fats help with nutrient absorption, give your body energy, and reduce inflammation in the body (Bauman, 2017). Healthy fats include avocadoes, Extra virgin olive oil, nuts like brazil, macadamia, pecans, walnuts, almonds, pine nuts and seeds such as chia, flax, hemp, sesame, pumpkin.

CARBOHYDRATES

Considered one of your body’s major macronutrient and source of energy, its essential to incorporate into ones diet. However, not all carbs are created equal. There’s simple and complex carbs. Carbohydrates are made up of fiber, starch and sugar (Marengo, 2019).  Simple carbs contain sugar. When it comes to candida and carbohydrate consumption, it’s important to limit simple carbohydrates and those containing gluten. Candida feeds on these simple carbs and gluten causes inflammation in the body, which leads to gut permeability and candida to spread and leak into the bloodstream. Studies show the connection between carbohydrates and Candida lies in how well yeast binds to cells in the mouth because the sugar in simple carbohydrates makes it easier for the yeast to do this (“The influence of dietary carbohydrates,” 2009). This is why an individual suffering from Candida should limit simple carbohydrate consumption. Complex carbs are essential to killing candida because they help cleanse, alkalinize, and restore the body back to balance. They also starve candida because they are not being fed the sugar it needs. The more complex carbs in the form of green leafy, non-starchy, and cruciferous veggies are incorporated, the better. Complex carbs include include broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, asparagus, shallots, onions, carrots, celery, jicama, daikon radish, cucumber, zucchini, sweet potatoes, spinach, kale, arugula, dandelion, water chestnuts, pumpkin, squash, bok choy, shitake, maitake mushrooms.

BOOSTERS

• A term coined by Dr Ed. Bauman. Booster foods refer to nutrient dense condiments and food supplements that are rich in micro and phytonutrients. These include spices that help fight candida like ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, and cumin. Herbs like parsley, oregano, rosemary,

• Seaweeds like arame and nori, and green powders like spirulina and chlorella, and mineral broths that can be very nourishing and calming for the body, nuts and seeds, herbal teas.  (Bauman, 2017). Booster foods provide the body with a good source of nutrients and help boost the immune system, which is essential for an individual struggling with candida who already is dealing with gut dysbiosis and a compromised immune system.