CANDIDIASIS

Millions of people of all ages and both sexes are troubled by yeast-connected disorders. The medical community has long recognized the role of Candida in health and disease. According to a number of practitioners, including the late Dr. William Crook author of The Yeast Connection, body-wide (systemic) Candidiasis can be the source of many troubling symptoms and can be frequently mis- diagnosed without specialized testing. While this remains a controversial area, it is important to rule out Candidiasis when unusual symptoms are present, or if conventional therapies fail to relieve symptoms. Complaints range from fatigue, headache sugar craving, muscle pain or depression in adults to ear problems, hyperactivity, attention deficits and autism in children. It may be surprising to learn just how many chronic health problems can be related to the common yeast Candida albicans. 

What is Candida? Candida albicans, and other strains of Candida are yeast that normally inhabit our digestive system: the mouth, throat, intestines and genitourinary tract. Candida is a normal part of the bowel flora (the organisms that naturally live inside our intestines, and are not parasitic). It has many functions inside our digestive tract, to aid in our metabolism and maintain the balance of “healthy” bacteria and also to recognize and destroy harmful bacteria. Without Candida albicans in our intestines we would be defenseless against many pathogenic bacteria. Healthy individuals can normally have a millions of Candida in their bowels. Our immune system is supposed to keep it under control, together with "friendly" bacteria (Lactobacillus acidophilus , B. bifidum, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, S.thermophilus and L. salivarius, etc.). If the number of friendly bacteria is decreased (antibiotics, pesticides, chlorine, mercury and other environmental toxins) in relation to a number of Candida, the immune systems is weakened or other conditions for yeast proliferation can occur (diet high in sugar, improper pH in the digestive system) Candida albicans can change forms from yeast to mycelial fungal form and start to invade the body. In the yeast state Candida is a non-invasive, sugar-fermenting organism, while in fungal state it is invasive and can produce rhizoids, very long root-like structures. Rhizoids have been shown to penetrate mucosa or intestinal walls, leaving microscopic holes and allowing toxins, undigested food particles and bacteria and yeast to enter the bloodstream. This condition is known as Leaky Gut Syndrome.

 Do you recognize some of those symptoms, diseases or syndromes?

If you have some combination of these symptoms/ syndromes then you may have Candidiasis.

If you:

• crave sweets                     

• feel sick all over

• have taken many antibiotics or multiple times over the   past year

• have seen a number of physicians for your symptoms, but  have not found help

• started developing food intolerances or allergies

then your health problems very well might be yeast connected.

Same of your health problems could be caused by environmental toxicities such as mercury, lead, other heavy metal or fluoride toxicity, or by the Epstein-Barr virus syndrome, or an allergy/ hypersensitivity or a glandular imbalance, or almost anything, but very likely you've got a combination of problems.  By treating and preventing Candida overgrowth, you will make your body much stronger and better able to deal with the other conditions.

Candida Books to read :

• Eat Right For Your Type by Dr. Peter J. D'Adamo  -

• The Yeast Syndrome  by Trowbridge and Walker

• Optimal Wellness  by Ralph Golan, M.D.

• Back to Health: A Comprehensive Medical and Nutritional Yeast Control Program by Dennis W. Remington, M.D.

• The Complete Candida Yeast Guidebook by Jeanne Marie Martin with Zoltan Rona, M.D.

• The Cure For All Diseases by Hulda R.Clark,Phd.,ND.

• The Yeast Syndrome, How to help your doctor identify and treat the real cause of your yeast-related illness, by John Parks Trowbridge.

• Colon Health Handbook by Robert Gray

• Treating Candida albicans, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and the  Yeast Connection by William G. Crook, M.D.

• The Yeast Connection and the Woman by William G. Crook, M.D.

• The Yeast Connection by William G. Crook, M.D.

• The Candida Control Cookbook by Gail Burton

• The Yeast Connection Cookbook by William Crook and Marjorie Hurt Jones

• The Body Ecology Diet by Donna Gates

• Ailments and Digestive Disturbances by Michael T.Murray, ND

• Digestive Wellness by Elizabeth Lipski

• Hypothyroidism: The Unsuspected Illness by Broda Barnes,M.D.

The links below are some reliable sources of information about Candidiasis:

• http://www.candida-yeast.com/ The late Dr. William G. Crook was considered an authority on candidiasis.  His web site contains a questionnaire that you can use to help determine the possibility or probability that your health problems are yeast related.  The web site is also full of information about hwo candidiasis may be treated.

• http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/candidiasis_g.htm The CDC has descriptions of symptoms and treatments for Oropharyngeal Candidiasis (OPC, thrush), Invasive Candidiasis (infection in the bloodstream and organs), and Genital Candidiasis (Vulvovaginal Candidiasis (VVC), vaginal yeast infections).

• http://www.health-truth.com/Articles/CandidaThe Biamonte Center for Clinical Nutrition