Candida
Albicans – Mysterious Destroyer of Good Health
“I
feel so awful, but all my tests keep coming back normal”…
“The doctor told me I’m a hypochondriac…that
it’s just stress”…
“It’s like I’ve got the flu or something
all the time and nothing’s helping”…
These
are just a few frequent comments from within the 30
million plus people who suffer from overgrowth
of candida albicans – and
that’s only the number in North America. Roughly half
the world’s population will suffer from a candida-related
condition in their lifetime.
Candida
albicans is a type of yeast fungus normally found among
the balance of “good” and “bad”
bacteria in a healthy person’s digestive system. It
is part of everyday life and doesn’t make itself known
until our immune system has been compromised in some way.
Then, watch out.
Sometimes
called a parasite, sometimes an opportunistic “vegetable
fungus” for lack of a better term, this little yeast
flourishes, grows and multiplies when our “good”
bacteria – or “gut flora” – is depleted.
But
the range of symptoms is so varied and the candida so stealthy
that the sick person is usually trapped in one or more of
these three scenarios:
- It
simply flies under the radar in the normal range of testing.
- Their
illness is discredited as “in their head”.
- They
are misdiagnosed and incorrectly treated, which complicates
their health challenges.
Meanwhile,
the candida albicans yeast is growing, blocking proper digestion
and elimination. It robs the body of vitamins, minerals and
other nutrients from both food and supplements. It spreads
from the gut to genitals, oral cavities and mucous membranes,
pouring toxins into the blood and eventually affecting various
organs in the body. In short, candida eats what you eat,
and when there is no nutrition left, it nourishes itself on
your muscles and bones. Where it can’t eat, it
causes deterioration.
Therefore,
candida albicans is tied into many of our chronic ailments
today and can create a miserable situation for its host
if not caught and treated.
What
sets our bodies up for candida albicans to “explode”?
The usual culprits causing “candidiasis” (candida
yeast overgrowth) or “systemic candida” (body
wide candida infestation) are these:
- Frequent
or high-dose antibiotics - antibiotics kill good bacteria
along with the bad, thus inviting yeast infection. Vaginal
yeast infections, oral thrush and sinus infections following
antibiotics (link to “Candida and Antibiotics”
page in this section) are quite common and
often involve candida albicans.
- Chemotherapy
kills white cells which fight infection, destroying good
bacteria along with the disease, and further suppresses
the immune system.
- Autoimmune
diseases like HIV/AIDS, severe forms of arthritis, diabetes
or deterioration diseases like MS, where the immune system
is either overactive (attacking itself), or under-active
(not responsive).
- Longtime
use of steroids or NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory
drugs) can cause gastrointestinal upsets and malfunctions,
negatively affecting normal gut flora and pH balance.
- Working
or living in highly chemical or mold-invaded environments.
- A
diet heavy in yeast, wheat, sugar and dairy with a poor
digestive system.
- High
stress and low cortisol (cortisol is the body’s
stress response secretion).
Acknowledging
Candida overgrowth in America
Physicians
in other countries are more apt to recognize candida overgrowth
than are most traditionally trained doctors in the U.S.
This is due to a more open attitude about preventive rather
than reactive medicine, and acceptance of nature-found and
alternative remedies.
Modern
American medicine has been a forerunner in many emergency
and disease solutions, but falls behind in addressing ailments
which become “chronic” – things people
must go on living with. In our conventionalism, American
doctors are often educated strictly in how to read one-fits-all
tests, to diagnose ailments by their obvious symptoms, and
then to treat those symptoms with only FDA approved pharmaceuticals
that may not solve the original cause of sickness. Plus,
our managed health care system doesn’t pay for alternative
tests or remedies, and emphasizes illness treatment rather
than preventive care. Without studying homeopathic and holistic
information, the condition often goes undiagnosed, or misdiagnosed,
and unsolved.
Hopefully
the tide is turning; as of 2003, approximately 80 percent
of medical schools in the U.S. had started courses exploring
alternative methods.
In this
Växa section on Candida, navigate the left bar to discover:
- Symptoms
of candidiasis and how it spreads, and common misdiagnoses
- How
to self-test or get professionally tested for candida
albicans infection
- Diminished
good bacteria can be replaced with “probiotics”
– supplemental good bacteria. See our all-natural
remedies, Candid-Free
for candida maintenance and ReFlora+
probiotics.
- Candida
Diet - Food Do’s and Don’t’s
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