Working in the alternative
health industry, I see people almost daily who fervently believe that their
bodies are overrun with candida albicans, a form of yeast that naturally lives
in most human bodies. When the body's floral and immune balance becomes
disturbed by antibiotics, stress, or other factors, candida may overgrow,
causing a condition commonly known as candidiasis or yeast infection. While
candida overgrowth is a very real disease, its symptoms are far easier to spot than
many people assume.
Symptoms of Candida Overgrowth
Mild,
symptomatic candida overgrowth usually takes the form of vaginitis, and is very
common in pregnant women and women who have recently taken antibiotics. Vaginal
candidiasis manifests with itching, burning, stinging, odor, and discharge.
Candidiasis of the mouth, also known as thrush, usually appears as a whitish,
scum-like coating of the tongue, possibly extending to the gums and throat.
Candida
overgrowth may also occur in conjunction with dandruff, which is a form of
closely related skin yeast. Similar biological imbalances are likely to be
responsible for both. Because irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS, responds well
to treatment with probiotics (the "friendly" bacteria that kill yeast)
it is possible that some cases of chronic stomach upset are caused by mild
overgrowth of the fungus.
The Controversy of Candida Overgrowth
Dr.
William Crook, author of The Yeast Connection, popularized the notion within
alternative healing circles that candida overgrowth is responsible for dozens
of other common maladies. Crook and his many followers believe that chronic
fatigue syndrome, rhematoid arthritis, impotence, and a variety of other
ailments are caused by systemic, subclinical infection from candida albicans.
The theories are intriguing-- it's easy to blame hundreds of ailments on a
single cause-- however, most professionals find the claims unfounded.
It is
possible that some people have higher levels of candida in their colons than
others, and this may truly lead to abdominal discomfort, digestive
difficulties, sugar cravings, and fatigue. However, a truly systemic
(whole-body) yeast infection is not the subclinical "bug" that some
make it out to be: it is actually a life-threatening illness usually confined
to the severely immunocomprimised. Anyone with a systemic yeast infection would
be in a hospital's intensive care unit, not the aisles of a supplement shop.
Natural Treatment for Candida Overgrowth
Treatment
for truly systemic candida overgrowth is best left to medical professionals,
since the condition is life-threatening. However, milder manifestations of
candida overgrowth, like vaginitis, thrush, dandruff, and IBS, are generally
safe to self-treat and rarely associated with complications. Dozens of effective,
safe products are available on the market for use in treating mild cases of
candida overgrowth, and many of them are safe enough for routine, preventative
use.
Probiotics
like acidophilus, found in yogurt, are the best natural line of defense against
candidiasis. The friendly bacteria colonize the body and restore natural immune
defenses, and they may even boost resistance to other types of infection. Other
products like Candex, which safely "eats" yeast using natural
fiber-digesting enzymes, may also be effective. Skin yeasts like dandruff are
easily treated with tea tree oil and other astringent extracts.
Candida
overgrowth is very common, but it is systemic infection from the fungus is
actually relatively rare, and always manifests with very noticeable symptoms.
While very mild overgrowth in the colon may be responsible for digestive
distress, chronic candidiasis is not considered to be a fully viable or
comprehensive diagnosis. Fortunately, mild overgrowth in almost any part of the
body can be treated naturally and holistically using nutritional healing.
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