What on earth is Candida ?

What is Candida?

Candida is a fungus, which is a form of yeast, and a very small amount of it lives in your mouth and intestines. Its main job? Helping out with digestion and nutrient absorption.

Yeasts are parasitic organisms that deprive the body of nutrients. They also eliminate toxic waste into the body and been found to produce over 70 known toxins. When Candida grows from its yeast form into a fungal form, it creates waste products known as ‘mycotoxins’. Among the mycotoxins produced is ‘acetaldehyde’, a poison that is converted by the liver into alcohol. As alcohol builds up in the system, symptoms associated with alcohol intoxication develop. This is why one of the most common symptoms of Candida is ‘brain fog’.

In its fungal form, Candida grows long roots called ‘rhizoids’ that puncture the intestinal lining, leading to a condition called Leaky Gut Syndrome. This means that the digestive tract has holes in it, allowing Candida to pass through into the bloodstream. When undigested food particles leak through these holes and enter the bloodstream, the body views them as foreign invaders. This can result in food allergies or sensitivities, and autoimmune diseases. As mycotoxins become abundant in the body, more serious and chronic conditions can develop. Toxins tend to settle in the organs and tissues of greatest weakness. As everyone has a different area of genetic or acquired weakness, each individual can manifest a different disorder. This explains why Candida symptoms can be so wide-ranging.

Candida can be caused by:

The good news is that the healthy bacteria in your gut typically keep your candida levels in check. However, a few factors can cause the candida population to grow out of control:

• Eating a diet high in refined carbohydrates and sugar
• A poor, unbalanced diet
• Birth Control pills
• Type 2 diabetes
• Consuming a lot of alcohol
• Living a high-stress lifestyle
• Taking a round of antibiotics that killed too many of those friendly bacteria

You may have Candida if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms:

• Skin and nail fungal infections, such as athlete’s foot or toenail fungus
• Dry mouth and tongue, cracked tongue, bleeding gums
• Strong sugar and refined carbohydrate cravings
• Recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs)
• Depression, anxiety, sudden mood swings, lack of concentration, headaches, drowsiness, or fatigue
• Abdominal pain. bloating, gas, constipation, or diarrhea or mucus in the stool
• Indigestion or heartburn
• Difficulty concentrating, poor memory, lack of focus, ADD, ADHD and brain fog
• Skin issues like eczema, psoriasis, hives and rashes
• Vaginal infections, urinary tract infections, rectal itching or vaginal itching
• Severe seasonal allergies or itchy ears

Natural and Alternative Treatment Recommendations for Candida

• Change the diet: The best way to treat Candida infection is to change the diet. Raw foods help the growth of the “good” bacteria. Probiotics and yogurt should be added to the diet. Consumption of sugar should be halted completely, while healing is taking places, as sugar is a food that will stimulate growth of the Candida. Even fruit juices are too sweet. Fermented foods or those containing yeast should also be avoided, such as beer or cheese. Even vinegar can cause a spike in yeast growth and mushrooms should not be consumed because it is a member of the fungus family as well. Adding fiber to the diet is encouraged. Fiber purges the lining of the colon and helps reduce inflammation and yeast. A good source of fiber can be found in oatmeal mixed with flax seeds or chia seeds. Coconut oil has been shown to solve yeast problems as well. This is because coconut oil contains ingredients that have antimicrobial and antifungal properties.
• Probiotics Supplement: Probiotics provide the helpful bacteria that your gut desperately needs, and helps fight off the bad bacteria that can overrun your gastrointestinal tract with yeast overgrowth—so you start feeling better.
• Digestive Enzyme: Digestive enzyme is frequently used to help balance the gut. Nutritional supplemental Digestive enzymes should be taken with every meal, as well as in between meals, so that the buildup of yeast will be reduced, as well as aiding digestion of the current meals
• Candida Therapy: Take the one that contains using a broad spectrum of anti-fungal ingredients in order to target the many different types of yeast organisms that can exist in the body.
• Colon Hydrotherapy: Colonics is a great way to get the most out of your Big Clean-Up; it will assist in loosening and removing any unwanted and hardened fecal matter from your large intestine. This treatment will ensure that there are virtually no places for the yeast to hide in your large bowel, and give your digestive system a clean foundation

In review, a Candida condition can be remedied by the elimination of cooked starch and antibiotics, lots of Sunshine on the skin, an increase of oxygen, wholesome raw nutrition, fasting from sugar, adequate dosages of coconut oil, probiotics, prebiotics, specific supplements, special herbs and a rebuilding program with colon cleansing as well as emotional cleansing.

References :
http://naturopathconnect.com/
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/
http://www.yeastinfection.org/
www.naturalnews.com