Candida albicans are usually benign yeasts (or fungus) that naturally inhabit the folds and creases of the digestive tract and the vaginal tract in women. They normally live in harmonious relationship with beneficial intestinal flora, also known as “probiotics.” In healthy people, Candida albicans does not present a problem because it is kept in check by friendly bacteria that also inhabit the gut.

These good bacteria, however, can be easily destroyed by the use of antibiotics and other medications, allowing Candida albicans to flourish. Other factors connected with our twenty-first-century lifestyle such as diets rich in sugar, refined carbohydrates, and alcohol, along with the use of birth control pills (pregnancy, hormonal changes), and stress encourage yeasts to grow.

Thought to affect more than forty million Americans, Candida albicans is now being recognized as a complex medical syndrome known as “chronic candidiasis” or “yeast syndrome.” These organisms attach themselves to the intestinal wall, where they compete with cells and ultimately the entire body for nutrients, thus creating nutrient deficiencies. They also release toxic byproducts (their waste) that contribute to symptoms of yeast overgrwoth. This overgrowth of yeast is believed to cause widespread symptoms in virtually every system of the body, with the gastrointestinal, genitourinary, endocrine, nervous, and immune systems being the most susceptible.

Symptoms of Candidiasis

• Athletes foot
• Canker sores
• Chemical sensitivities
• Depression
• Digestive problems
• Dry cracking feet, hands, or elbows
• Ear and sinus irritation
• Fatigue
• Feeling “sick all over”
• Immune system dysfunction
• Intense itching
• Intense cravings for sweets, bread, and/or alcohol
• Jock itch
• Respiratory problems
• Ringworm
• Skin problems including rashes that won’t go away
• Thrush in the mouth or the genital area
• Toenail fungus
• Vaginitis
• Weight gain

Predisposing Factors

Chronic candidiasis has many predisposing factors, such as altered bowel flora, decreased digestive secretions, dietary factors such as consuming too much sugar, alcohol, and too many other high-carbohydrate foods such as bread, pasta, or pizza, drugs (particularly antibiotics), immune dysfunction, impaired liver function, nutrient deficiencies, and underlying disease states. To simply go after the yeasts and kill them off, whether using natural or synthetic antifungal agents, will not get to the root cause of why you developed candidiasis in the first place. It’s a lot like cutting leaves off a weed. It’s vitally important to address all the factors that predisposed you to yeast overgrowth and get to the root of the problem so it doesn’t return in the future.

Correcting the Problem

In addition to using antifungal agents, it’s very important to address the predisposing factors. Here’s what I recommend.

Follow a Candida-Control Diet

Incorporate a healthy, low-carb diet, such as the one in The Coconut Diet, which has over seventy recipes, during a candida detox program. I recommend virgin coconut oil because it contains fatty acids that help kill yeasts. The early phases of the diet eliminate grains, fruit, alcohol, sugars, and other carbs that quickly turn to sugar such as refined flour and starches, which Candida albicans is known to feed on. All natural sugars should also be eliminated when cleansing the body of yeasts. Sugars are a primary food for yeasts. Milk and dairy products need to be omitted because milk lactose promotes overgrowth of yeasts. And all mold-and yeast-containing foods such as alcohol, cheese, dried fruit, bread, and peanuts must be completely avoided. Food allergens should also be eliminated. Candidiasis sufferers may need to avoid these foods for a number of months, as Candida albicansinfections are known to be opportunistic and very difficult to overcome if the condition is systemic (meaning that the yeast has spread to other areas outside the digestive tract). It’s best to stick with this diet until you are symptom free and yeast free, which can be determined by a stool test.

Include Plenty of Virgin Coconut Oil in Your Diet

Research shows that the medium-chain fatty acids in coconut oil kill Candida albicans. Caprylic acid is one of the fatty acids it contains that has been used successfully to fight candida. William Crook, MD, the author of The Yeast Connection and developer of the Candida Questionnaire, reports that many physicians have used caprylic acid successfully for yeast overgrowth and that it works especially well for those patients who have adverse reactions to antifungal drugs. Coconut oil also contains two other medium-chain fatty acids, lauric and capric acid, that have been shown to kill C. albicans. A study done at the University of Iceland showed “capric acid, a 10-carbon saturated fatty acid, causes the fastest and most effective killing of all three strains of Candida albicans tested, leaving the cytoplasm disorganized and shrunken because of a disrupted or disintegrated plasma membrane. Lauric acid, a 12-carbon saturated fatty acid, was the most active at lower concentrations and after a longer incubation time.” This study makes the case that all the medium-chain fatty acids in coconut oil work together to help you get rid ofCandida albicans.(To order larger quantities of virgin coconut oil for a significant savings, see the Resources Guide.)

Assist Digestive Secretions

A major step in treating candidiasis is improving digestion. Gastric hydrochloric acid, pancreatic enzymes, and bile all inhibit the overgrowth of yeasts and prevent its penetration into the surfaces of the small intestine. Decreased secretion of any of these components can lead to a proliferation of Candida albicans. And modern society offers numerous factors that decrease HCL; stress, food excesses, over-consumption of i fats and proteins, and chemical use, along with aging (over fifty) can reduce HCL. Harmful emotions such as fear, worry, and anxiety also decrease gastric secretions. Other conditions associated with low stomach acid include malabsorption, pernicious anemia, rosacea, eczema, anemia, food allergies, thyroid dysfunction, vitiligo, atrophic gastritis, Helicobacter pylori infection of the stomach, and gastric cancer. You can take the gastric challenge test to measure the amount of stomach acid you have. Most holistic doctors have the materials to perform this test.

Supplementation with hydrochloric acid (HCL betaine), pepsin, pancreatic enzymes, and nutrients that improve bile flow are all helpful in treating chronic candidiasis. The proteases (pancreatic enzymes) are enzymes that break down proteins and are mostly responsible for keeping the small intestines free of parasites (yeasts, bacteria, protozoa, and worms). (A deficiency in pancreatic enzymes is also one of the reasons some people experience excessive hair breakage, slow growth or loss of hair, or poor fingernail growth.) Supplementation should include HCL betaine, digestive enzmes, and a lipotropic formula to promote bile flow (the formula should include choline, methionine, and/or cysteine). (See the Resources Guide for recommendations.)

Support the Immune System

A compromised immune system leads to yeast overgrowth, and Candida albicans infection promotes damage to the immune system. It’s a vicious circle. Tests can document immune dysfunction, but they are expensive. A practical (and free) evaluation is to look at your health history. A history of viral infections including colds and flu, sinus infections, outbreaks of cold sores or genital herpes, prostatitis in men, and vaginal infections in women are indicative of immune dysfunction.

Supplementation with antioxidants, which include vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, selenium, and glutathione (found in abundance in vegetables and especially their juices), along with virgin coconut oil (to control candida) can be very helpful in improving immune function.

Detoxify the Liver

Drs. Michael Murray and Joseph Pizzorno, authors of The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, say that improving liver health and promoting detoxification may be critical factors in the successful treatment of candidiasis. They note that damage to the liver is often an underlying factor in chronic candidiasis as well as in chronic fatigue. Studies with mice have shown that even slight liver damage causes Candida albicans to run rampant.

Chapter six outlines the liver-detox program. It’s best to complete a liver/gallbladder detoxification before embarking on the candida detoxification program.

Take Probiotics

Probiotics, which are strains of beneficial intestinal flora such as Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bactobacillus bifidum, promote a healthy intestinal environment. It’s very important that as you kill off the yeast, you replace the good bacteria. Choose a good probiotic supplement as part of your wellness plan.

Take an Antifungal

Compound In addition to coconut oil, you may benefit from taking a yeast-killing agent such as an herbal supplement that contains the herbs thyme, garlic, fennel, black walnut, pau d’ arco, burdock and barberry.

Drink Plenty of Purified Water

It is very important to drink plenty of purified water to flush your system as you kill off yeasts — aim for one quart of water for every fifty pounds of weight. It will help to reduce die-off symptoms (discomfort as the yeast in your system dies) and will promote weight loss and good hydration.

The Herxheimer Reaction and Candidiasis

Be aware that as yeasts die, your symptoms may worsen for a short time or you may experience some reactions such as headaches or diarrhea. Such reactions are known as the Herxheimer Reaction (die-off effect), which is the result of the rapid killing of microorganisms and absorption of large quantities of yeast toxins, cell particles, and antigens. Hang in there. Your health will improve if you stick with the program. You’ll be delighted with how you feel when you finally rid yourself of this obnoxious parasite.

The Candida Detoxification Program is in Juicing, Fasting, and Ferti Detoxing Mashine.

The Thirty-Day Heavy-Metal Detoxification Program