What is Candida?

Candida Albicans is an yeast-like organism that exists in all individuals. It is the most common yeast found in the human intestinal tract. However, sometimes due to outside factors, it will cause a fungal infection of the digestive tract, skin, or genital area. Even worse, sometimes Candida will make its way into your bloodstream and begin to infect every organ in your body. You must begin to cleanse your system so that you can regain control of this problem. This overgrowth of Candida is usually caused by overuse of antibiotics, birth control medicine, or immune suppressing drugs, among others.

What Causes Candida Overgrowth?

There are many causes of Candida overgrowth. To keep you from having to read pages and pages of documentation, I will condense the causes into the ones that are most prevalent.

ANTIBIOTICS, BIRTH CONTROL PILLS, AND OTHER DRUGS - Antibiotic usage may be the main culprit for most Candida infections. This is what caused my overgrowth to flourish. Whenever you take antibiotics (especially a broad spectrum antibiotic), the powerful drugs you are taking do not discriminate the types of bacteria they kill (unless they are prescribed for a specific strain of bacteria). So after these powerful drugs have come through and destroyed your normal flora, there are a number of organisms just waiting to take their place. Your intestinal flora is an amazing organ, that was designed to have a state of proportional balance. When this balance gets disrupted, I can guarantee you will feel the effects. Candida, parasites, and other harmful microbes will now fight for and take the place of the beneficial bacteria that has been destroyed. I bet your doctor didn't inform you of this, huh? Mine either. Along with that, I was given 2 weeks of Medrol (a corticosteroid). Steroidal drugs will greatly lower your immunity and allow Candida to thrive. Finally, if you have been taking birth control medication, you most likely have/will also suffer from vaginal yeast infections. This is probably the most common cause of recurring vaginal yeast infections. If you are taking pain medication, you may also be at risk for chronic constipation. The chemicals in most pain meds will slow peristalsis (the flow of food through your digestive tract) and therefore cause your digestion to be like trying to pass cement. I therefore urge you to talk to your doctor about the prescription drugs you currently take, and if there is alternative therapy that is just as effective without the harmful side effects. If your doctor is not able to help you with this, then do your own research and find other ways to heal your body. You deserve it! You can also contact me with general health questions and if I do not know the answer, I will try to find it for you.

TOXIC CHEMICALS - The main toxic chemical that most of us have in our bodies is mercury. Mercury exists in high concentrations in your amalgam dental fillings. I would highly suggest you get your mercury fillings replaced if you want your friendly bacteria to be able to return and survive. There are also other heavy metals that are most likely in your system. Your liver would be in toxic shock if you tried to eliminate them all at once. I would suggest you slowly eliminate these metals from your system and take a liver tonic such as Milk Thistle. Another chemical that we battle with on a daily basis is in the foods we eat. There are numerous pesticides that are used to keep insects out of foods. However, I would rather eat an insect than to ingest these powerful pesticides. Try switching to organic foods that don't use hormones or pesticides. You would be amazed at the level of pesticides you consume each day. Some toxic substances you will never be able to eliminate completely (such as in the air), but the more you can eliminate, the healthier your liver and immune system will be so you can fight off infections such as Candida. Another toxic chemical to watch out for is chlorine. I suggest you never drink water directly from the tap without a good filter. I would also suggest you putting a water filter on your shower. If you have a swimming pool, try to limit your exposure to chlorine there as well by swimming with your mouth closed.

IMMUNE SYSTEM DEFICIENCIES - People suffering from immune system disorders (such as HIV) almost ALWAYS have an overgrowth of Candida in their system. This gives us much insight to how the Candida organism loves for your immune system to be in a weakened state. Ask your homeopathic doctor which products to take to boost your immune system. You can read here all the items I have taken. You absolutely must maintain a healthy immune system to defeat Candida. Also, be sure to keep your "elimination pathways" as open as possible, so that your body can eliminate the overgrowth. These include your skin, lymphatic system, and bowel area. My suggested diet will help with your digestion and bowel movements, and exercise/sauna therapy will aid in eliminating Candida through your skin and lymphatic system.

PARASITES - Along with Candida, usually you will find some sort of parasitic overgrowth. I guess misery does need company, and usually you will need to attack this tag team together to completely rid your system of these pathogenic organisms. There are many products out there such as Wormwood and Black Walnut that are great at attacking parasites. Parasites are simply opportunistic organisms that feast on a host. Whenever you have the proper balance of beneficial bacteria, your immune system and these bacteria provide the necessary defense against them.

DIET - Your diet is what allows Candida to survive. Most Americans consume more sugar each day than they should for the entire week. Especially processed sugars. Then, to add to the feast that you provide Candida, you also provide an ample amount of time for them to consume the sugars by not eating enough fiber. Its a somewhat sad dilemma that the American diet is facing. We have become the nation of fast food and slow digestion. At home, we cook our foods until the all the natural digestive enzymes have been removed and wonder why we have so many digestive disorders. Do some research and find the right diet for you. As far as drinks go, alcohol is probably the worst thing for you. Most alcoholic drinks are high in sugar, lower your immunity, and add to the toxic overload your body already has. The funny thing is that when Candida begin to flourish, they will actually ferment in your gut and produce alcohol that makes you feel sick, hung-over, or toxic. Don't add to the cause! Check out my Sensible Candida Diet page for more help. If you absolutely must have a drink every couple of months or so, stick to either vodka or gin.

PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS - Impatience, Worry, Pessimism, Depression, Hopelessness, Anger, Overall Negativity. These are often overlooked. I know I overlooked them. A major obstacle you will have to overcome is the battle within yourself. You must remain patient, and that is hard to do for most people. I have stated before that stress alone does not cause disease in my opinion. However, if you already fall into one of the above categories, you can bet that a high stress level will multiply the symptoms of Candida. Whenever your body experiences a rise in cortisol (stress hormone), it basically shuts down any non-vital process (such as digestion and Candida) to focus on the problem at hand. You can see that if you are a victim of chronic stress, you may never get well. Try to relax. Try to see that there will be a light at the end of the tunnel and you will not have to suffer forever! Please trust me on this. You will have good and bad days during your recovery. Keep motivating and pushing yourself to become well. Learn to pray and ask for guidance. You will soon see the path God wants you to take.