By Rob Staunton
If you are experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned in the headline, you may be suffering from a disease known as Candida. Candida is hard to diagnose since it mirrors the symptoms of many other chronic diseases. However, according to the Candida Foundation, Candida now infects and impacts over 80% of people living in industrialized areas. It is hard to pinpoint, as the symptoms differ from day to day as a result of eating different foods.
Brighton Journal will be doing a seven day series on helping you through understanding what Candida is, what the symptoms are, how it affects you, and most importantly how to treat it. If you are a sufferer, and many are without realising it, this may be a great time to find out, as most of us are currently at home and have the time to embark on a specialised diet plan to get you back to being 100 %!
What is Candida?
Candida is a fungus, specifically a yeast, which normally lives in the gastrointestinal tract and other areas of the body without causing harm. It can actually play a beneficial role (when not overgrown) in assisting digestion and nutrient absorption as well as helping the immune system by recognising and destroying harmful bacteria. It is, however, opportunistic in nature, and when it gets an opportunity to overgrow and infect us, it does so. In this 7 part series, we will go through the causes of Candida, how to test for Candida at home, foods to avoid and foods to eat on a Candida diet, FAQ, and a diet plan.
What causes Candida?
So, with some people seemingly immune to Candida infections and others being a lot more susceptible, what are the main causes of Candida?
Candida has to start from somewhere; you aren’t born with a Candida infection. There are a number of situations that provide a breeding ground for Candida to flourish. As soon as you find out that you have a yeast infection or you believe you have an infection, it’s worth looking back at what has happened in recent months or years that could have caused it to flourish.
The role of our microbiome
Our gut microbiome contains ten times more microbes than the number of our own body cells. So, in effect, you could say we are more bacteria than we are human!
The role these microbes play in our body is absolute key to our health. When Hippocrates said over 2000 years ago, “all disease starts in the gut,” he was absolutely correct. Microbes play a key role in our immune system. Its involved in the production of vitamins, digestion, the breakdown of foods and, most importantly, it prohibits disease causing organisms from flourishing.
A disruption of the delicate balance between good and bad bacteria can lead to Candida overgrowth. When overproduced in the gut, Candida will break down the walls of our digestive tract, causing leaky gut, and will penetrate the bloodstream. When Candida enters the bloodstream, it releases toxins into your body. This can lead to many different health problems, both physiological and psychological.
So when Candida sufferers complain of anxiety and depression, there are very good reasons why they should be looking at their gut first.
But how does Candida get into your system in the first place? Here are some of the main ways people come to have Candida:
- C-section delivery of the baby
- Formula fed instead of breast fed
- Some prescription drugs known as Nsaids which cause inflammation.
- Taking antibiotics. Antibiotics kill good bacteria along with harmful bacteria which sets the stage for Candida Albicans to take over.
- Taking corticosteroids. Drugs commonly used to treat severe allergies, skin problems, asthma, or arthritis are known to cause yeast infections in humans.
- Excessive Alcohol intake. Alcohol is essentially liquid sugar with some alcohols being worse than others. Drunk in excess, it can cause a yeast overgrowth in some individuals with a weaker immune system.
- Taking the pill. The birth control pill can disrupt the bacterial balance in the microbiome which can weaken the immune system.
- Poor digestion – Undigested foods can feed both a fungal overgrowth
- Autoimmune conditions such as RA, any condition which weakens the immune system
- Diabetes
- Eating too much sugar and eating too many grains – both are inflammatory
- During hormonal changes, such as when a woman is on her period or going through pregnancy
- Exposure to environmental toxins such as living in a damp, mouldy environment which can impact the immune system.
The role of stress in Candida
We all have some sort of stress in our lives, and stress in small amounts isn’t a bad thing. The problem is when stress becomes a constant cause of low grade inflammation, allowing continuous immune suppression. This is where a person’s immune system gets compromised and opens the body up to more infections, of which Candida can be one.
Cortisol levels are generally higher in the morning and lower in the evening. However, when someone is experiencing continuous stress, the exact opposite happens, allowing the immune cells to circulate in the body continuously causing inflammation and slowing down tissue repair. The damaged tissue and inflammation give Candida the perfect feeding ground to flourish, as it can change the internal environment of the gut by decreasing acidity, changing gut movement etc. This in turn can inhibit the growth and adhesion of our gut bacteria. Stress also reduces the production of IgA antibodies, which provide us with a defence against disease causing organisms. Any reduction in IgA will make us more susceptible to these organisms.
In part 2, I will look at the different ways to test at home, why GP’s don’t take Candida seriously, and signs/symptoms of a Candida infection.
Rob Staunton has over 20 years’ experience as a researcher, writer, and final year Student at the College of Naturopathic Medicine. He is also an ex Candida sufferer. If you wish to discuss anything written here at more length, including possible treatment, the contact email is [email protected]
