What Is Candida & Why Is It Important To Understand?
Candida species are a common cause of hospital-acquired bloodstream fungal infections according to the medical book “Infectious Diseases & Your Health” by Prati Pal Singh. Singh goes on to state that they are also associated with a mortality rate of about 40%, and that the majority of these infections are caused by the yeast Candida albicans (yeasts are a type of fungus).
Candida albicans is naturally found in the body in places such as the mouth, intestines and urinary and reproductive tracts so there is no need to fear its existence. However, issues arise when levels of this specific yeast grow out of control, and this is the type we will focus on today.
Signs & Symptoms Of Too Much Candida Albicans
In persons with a healthy immune system, Candida albicans does not pose an issue, but in those with a compromised immune system, Candida albicans can multiply and cause health issues in one or all the areas it is naturally found.
Here are some of the signs of Candida albicans overgrowth in the body:
- Skin and nail fungal infections,
- Feeling tired or suffering from chronic fatigue,
- Digestive issues such as bloating, constipation, or diarrhoea,
- Skin issues such as eczema, psoriasis, hives, and rashes
- Irritability, mood swings, anxiety, or depression,
- Vaginal infections, urinary tract infections, rectal itching or vaginal itching,
- Strong sugar and refined carbohydrate cravings.
If you think you have a Candida albicans overgrowth, it is important to work with an experienced healthcare provider to help detect it through a combination of testing and symptom matching.
Tackling C. Albicans Naturally
It is extremely important to get Candida albicans overgrowth back to manageable low levels so that any uncomfortable symptoms you may be living with because of it can be resolved and so you can go back to feeling good again.
An effective treatment plan involves:
- Stopping the yeast overgrowth,
- Encouraging friendly bacteria to flourish and to keep Candida albicans in check (meaning the friendly bacteria must be in higher numbers than the fungus),
- Repairing the gut to ensure Candida is no longer able to get into your bloodstream.
Using diet is a very important step to stop Candida overgrowth and changing to a low carbohydrate diet may help. However, eliminating refined sugar is most important as yeasts feed on sugar – so removing simple sugars found in table sugar, sweets, cakes, alcohol and white flour are important, at least until the Candida albicans is down to naturally low manageable levels.
To speed up the recovery from Candida albicans overgrowth, you may wish to use supplements for extra support from the following list that have all shown to have anti-fungal properties:
- Oregano oil,
- Goldenseal,
- Garlic,
- Grapefruit seed extract,
- Olive Leaf,
- Pau d’arco,
- Caprylic acid (from coconut oil),
- Horipito,
- Cinnamon,
- Wormwood.
If you are unsure if you have Candida albicans, or if you are not sure how to get it back down to manageable levels – please drop me an email to john@johnway.je and I would be happy to help you on this journey.