Candida Yeast Infection Treatment

Candida Yeast Infection can cause many problems with the health. The range of symptoms resulting from a candida infection is numerous.

Digestive disturbances usually accompany candida infection. These may  include gas problems, bloated stomach, reflux,  constipation and/or loose bowel motions; irritable bowel syndrome sometimes can be the result of  candida overgrowth. Even bleeding can occur if the walls of the intestines have been damaged because of the effect of candida overgrowth.

Other symptoms which may occur are  anaemia, inability to put on weight, eating disorders and cravings, being overweight, ear infections, sinus infection, infections of the urinary tract, vaginal infections, infections in the mouth, acne and eczema,  migraines, insomnia, depression, and addictions.

It is thought that the reason so many people become addicted to alcohol is because of a sugar-craving,  out-of-hand candida culture in the intestines.

Candida infection can be difficult to treat, especially when the infection has become well established. If candida albicans have been allowed to proliferate to the extent that they have colonised the intestines, to the detriment of the ‘good’ and beneficial organisms, and caused damage to the bowel, then the candida yeast is able to travel freely to other parts of the body. When the body is invaded by candida yeast, the condition is known as systemic candidiasis.

It takes time to reverse the train of events which have led to the undermining of health through candida infection. In my experience, allopathic medicine on its own is not effective in the long term, if at all. It really is a good idea to get the help of an acupuncturist, a naturopath or chinese herbalist, an ayurvedic specialist,  or another health professional, to assist you in speeding up your recovery.

It is important that your candida yeast infection treatment be one which is going to restore you to health. It is necessary  to take all those measures to ensure that the candida infection does not return. You must work at getting your health restored so that your body is strong and able to counteract infection, and you are feeling great again.

In my experience, environmental contaminants were the main reason that my immune system was  severely undermined. Chemical poisoning  led to a rampant candida infection, or systemic candidiasis, on more than one occasion. These chronic candida infections  took more than a year to cure.

However, most people, hopefully, have not been exposed to aerial spraying of 245T, or to asbestos and heavy metal poisoning, do not have cancer, or AIDS, and do not have the chronic type of candida known as systemic candidiasis which might accompany these conditions. Recovery, then, should be only a matter of weeks for mild candida infection, given the right treatment.

If you do systemic candidiasis, then it will take some time to become well. Even with the supplementation of  beneficial bacteria, such as acidophilus, it takes time for the immune system to recover from chemical, or radiation damage. You really have to pull out all stops and be vigilant in following your candida yeast infection treatment to fully recover.

If you have an on-going mild infection and you have not been exposed to chemical sprays, or radiation, and you do not work in a hazardous toxic environment, then your system should respond more quickly to anti-candida treatments.

Many people have candida yeast infection as a result from using antibiotics and other medications. Using probiotics such as L. acidophilus and B. bifidum will help to restore your intestinal flora if this is the case.

Even if you do not use antibiotics very often, chances are that you will be ingesting them through the animal products, or dairy foods and eggs, which you eat. Unless these foods are specified as certified organic, then these foods will be contaminated with hormones, cortizones and antibiotics which will affect the functioning of your body and its immune system.

Herbicides, insecticides, antibiotics, preservatives in food, and radiation all harm the cultures of healthy organisms which we have in our intestines.  Lactobacillus acidophilus is one of the main ones which is destroyed by harmful environmental pollutants, radiation,  overuse of antibiotics, and antibiotics in our food.  Bifidobacterium bifidum is the other main one which is affected similarly.

These  beneficial organisms, known as probiotics because they assist life, are very sensitive to unusual environmental influences. Chemicals affect them, but even living near high electromagnetic forces, such as cell phone towers, or electricity transformers, or high tension electricity wires, will upset these beneficial organisms in your intestinal flora. When these two beneficial organisms become depleted in the body, then candida albicans takes over. The candida albicans organism is found naturally in the intestines, but in only in small numbers in a healthy body.

Candida yeast infection really does cause so much harm: the ‘good’ bacteria on their own will help you to digest fats and proteins, will help lower your cholesterol level, and manufacture several vitamins and enzymes in the bowel, including B vitamins. When the ratio of organisms gets upset and candida is allowed to predominate, then you do not get all these wonderful benefits which the lactobacteria normally provide for you.

So – How To Get Well From Candida Yeast Infection:

The length of your recovery time really depends on how toxic your body is, and how damaged your immune system has become as a result of accumulated poisons.

A detoxification programme is important to begin your candida yeast infection treatment. It is essential to rid the body of all those acculmulated toxins as quickly as possible, if you want to get your health and vitality back soon. Unfortunately, all those lovely sweet  fruit fasts such as the apple diet, or the grape diet, or the carrot juice fast, are often not the best to use in the early stages, as the high sugar content in fruit feeds the candida. If your infection is not too severe and you have not been exposed to chemicals, then these could still be effective, but generally, it is best to avoid all foods high in sugar, and this includes all fruits.

Detox with a High Fiber Cleanse: Do this high fiber cleanse for three days in a row. Use as necessary after that. You might find benefit in continuing the treatment every morning. The recipe: Take a teaspoon of psyllium husks, a teaspoon of flaxseed, and a teaspoon of cranberry seed or pectin. Put into two cups of water. Stir.  Take in the morning on an empty stomach, 20 minutes before breakfast. Repeat  with one more dose 20 minutes before the evening meal.

Going for a colonic irrigation at a clinic is a good idea, as this will clear all the effecte matter out of your bowel, leaving it clean so that the candida can’t proliferate so readily. This will give you a jump start in combatting the infection, and improve your digestion immediately.

Home enemas can be effective also, and if you cannot afford the professional colonic irrigation, then a home enema is recommended.

Benefits of Castor Oil on Treating  Candida: However, the most effective home treatment for quickly cleaning the intestines, and reducing candida infection, is  that old remedy – castor oil. This works extremely well, as it not only rids the intestines of the pollutants, it attacks the candida as well. Candida albicans do not like oils in the diet, especially castor oil, which has an antimicrobial effect in the intestines.  At the same time, the castor oil does not seem to affect the beneficial bacteria adversely, as they can readily multiply after the rubbish has been eliminated from the bowel.

Incidentally, a specific anti-fungus agent called Undecylenic acid can be bought at some health food shops. So -can you guess what this is derived from? – Yes – Castor Oil. The dose for treating candida is, according to one source, 200 mg three times a day. But I still think you cannot go past the original, old-fashioned, Castor oil in treating serious illness, and in treating candida infections.

So – Now you are working on revitalising your immune system. Already, the infection will be dramatically  reduced after cleansing, so that you can better digest your food. While you have a rampant candida infection, those busy candida organisms will be taking the best out of your food. They will leave you malnourished, tired, and create a whole lot of candida toxins which further poison your system.

Taking supplements of probiotics such as L. acidophilus and B. bifidum can boost the intestinal flora which helps to keep the candida yeast in check. After the initial stages of cleansing, you might try using these in a sugar-free and allergen-free supplement. If you are not sensitive to dairy products, then using a yogurt with these supplements will help to allay another candida attack, once you have first cleansed the candida overgrowth from the intestines.

Lactobacillus acidophilus has been used successfully to treat cases of candida yeast infection in the urinary tract.  It has also been used successfully, both internally and externally, to treat yeast infection of the female parts. This is because the Lactobacillus acidophilus occurs naturally in the bladder and reproductive parts, where it helps maintain the health of these organs. When antibiotics, or some other chemical or environmental factor causes the probiotic organisms to get out of balance in the bowel, this also affects their growth in other parts of the body where they are needed.

What Can I Eat? The best diet whilst on the candida yeast infection treatment is on which implements the following strategies:

• Eat more good quality protein in the diet. Beef, chicken, fish, eggs are just great. Almonds nuts and sunflower seeds are good too, but these are best left for a week or two until your condition has improved, as these foods sometimes have yeast on them which may not be helpful in combatting the candida.
• Eating oily fish is very good. Of the tinned varieties, canned tuna fish in olive oil is helpful, I have found. Sardines in oil are also good, and provide extra calium in the bones, as well as iodine: both calcium and iodine are necessary supplements for the  recovery from candida infection
• Make sure you eat good quality fats and oils in the diet. Candida thrives in diets which exclude these items, and protein. Olive oil, grapeseed oil, avocado oil and other cold pressed oils inhibit the growth of candida, and also give you Vitamin E and other nutrients which are helpful in restoring health and improving your immune system.
• Eat plenty of green vegetables in the diet.
• Plenty of fiber is essential. Not fruit, or carrots, initially, – but green vegetables.
• Add garlic to everything. Garlic works well as an anti-fungal, anti-yeast, antimicrobial agent in the body.

• Avoid all sugar. This means any kind of sugar, cane sugar, maple syrup, golden syrup, honey, malt sugars and fruit sugars.
• Avoid all fruit in the meantime, until you are better.
• Avoid all alcohol completely. Beer, wines, cider, spirits – all of these help destroy the beneficial bacteria in the bowel.
• Avoid wheat products for now. Wheat turns to sugar too quickly in the gut, and these sugars help to feed candida albicans. Avoid other processed grains.
• Eat brown rice instead of wheat products. Use a little olive oil or some other good oil on your rice, to help slow down the absorption of sugars. Eat protein and green vegetables with your rice. Have some brown rice cooked each day and left in the fridge, so that you can eat this instead of going for that wheat pastry, cookie, or bread.
• Avoid all products which have been fermented. This includes all alcohol, vinegars, and sauces such as soya sauce, tomato sauce because it contains vinegar, tempeh and tofu and miso – and breads.
• Avoid dairy products for the meantime, until you are better. Then, you might experiment with acidophilus yogurt if you do not have a sensitivity to dairy products. Some people who are lactose intolerant find that they can use moderate amounts of probiotic yogurt once they have conquered the candida infection. Some people find that, after recovery, using probiotic yogurt actually helps them digest other dairy products. Some people cannot abide it at all.
• Supplements which might be  helpful  are:    Caprylic acid. This is a fatty acid which has definite anti-candida properties. 1000mg of Caprylic acid can be taken daily; 1000mg morning and night can be taken over a brief period for people who have systemic candida infection. It is best not to take caprylic acid for long periods, though, as it can put a strain on the kidneys. If you have kidney weakness, then you might be best to avoid it, or use it for only several days.  Ask your doctor or naturopath about taking Caprylic Acid for candida.
• Benefits of Probiotics:   L. acidophilus and B. bifidum taken half an hour before each meal may prove beneficial. These probiotics are available in a non-dairy, non-gluten form in some specific health products. If you are not lactose intolerant, then yogurt enhanced with these probiotics may work for you.
• Non-acidic Vitamin C is an inhibitor of the candida yeast. This helps to detoxify the body as well, and will aid your sleep if you take a dose last thing at night. 1000mg of Ester C, or Calcium Ascorbate can be taken once, or up to four times a day in cases of chronic candidiasis. Reduce the dose once the toxins have been initially cleared.

Read merrilyn’s post entitled Probiotic Advantage for more information on the use of probiotics in treating candida and improving the immune system. Also see Foods to Eat On a Candida Cleanse Diet and Curing Candida/Chronic Poisoning.