Hiya Gorgeous,

If you’ve poked around online for answers to issues like digestive discomfort, headaches, weight gain, exhaustion, low sex drive, joint pain and the list goes on, you’ve probably read about Candida overgrowth. You may be overwhelmed and confused by all the conflicting info out there—some people are on the fence about whether it’s a real health condition or just another health fad.

That’s why my team and I (including our Crazy Sexy R.D., Jen Reilly) have reviewed the research. We’ve created a well-balanced take on this hot topic that’ll leave you feeling clear on Candida, plus what to do next if you think it’s an issue for you.

NOTE: Because Candida overgrowth is not recognized by the medical community as an official diagnosis, it falls under the “alternative medicine” category. We believe there are many natural remedies for Candida overgrowth that can be effective. However, we must advise you to seek professional medical advice before diagnosing yourself or implementing treatments.

What is Candida Albicans?

Candida Albicans is a fungus that lives on your skin, and in your mouth, intestines and nether regions. When your immune system is in tip-top shape, Candida isn’t an issue. In fact, when you’ve got a balanced amount of this friendly fungus, it can be a healthy part of the microbiome that helps your body with nutrient absorption.

Problems creep in, however, when you have a weakened immune system as a result of stress, illness, cancer, other health conditions, or when healthy bacteria have been wiped out by antibiotics. In these situations, Candida growth can reach a point where it causes the most common candida infections:

• Vaginal Candidiasis (i.e. vaginal yeast infection)
• Fingernail or toenail fungus (cutaneous candidiasis) or an infection in your intestinal tract.
• Urinary tract infections
• Bacterial vaginosis

Excess Candida can lead to problems in your gastrointestinal tract, including digestive issues like bloating and irritable bowel. Candidiasis can even permeate your gut lining and cause allergic-type inflammatory skin diseases and asthma in sensitive folks (study and study). In very, very rare situations, Candida can enter your bloodstream from your intestinal tract and affect your vital organs (study).

 

What Causes Candida Infections?

These are just a few of the things that have been linked as causes:

• Use of antibiotics
• Prescription medication (corticosteroids and antifungal medications)

• Diabetes
• High amounts of stress
• The use of oral contraceptives
• Autoimmune disorders such as Hashimoto’s or Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Hormone imbalances

What are Some of the Symptoms of a Candida Infection?

If you suffer from any of the following candida symptoms, a Candida infection could be at the root of your issues:

• Nail fungal infections (or skin infection)
• Other skin conditions
• Eczema (study) or psoriasis (study)
• Asthma (study)
• Vaginal yeast infections
• Recurrent yeast Infections
• Oral thrush (most common in infants)
• Allergy issues
• Digestive problems
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Fatigue, and even chronic fatigue syndrome (study)
• Headaches, low energy and brain fog
• Hormone imbalance
• Loss of sex drive
• Chronic sinus infections
• Joint pain and fatigue
• Exacerbation of ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease

Can You Test for Candida Overgrowth?

Skin reactions and yeast infections due to Candida overgrowth are easy to diagnose at a check-up with your doctor. If there’s no obvious infection, but you still suspect Candida is an issue, your doc can order a Comprehensive Stool Test to check for intestinal Candida overgrowth.

In addition, you can have your blood levels tested for immunoglobulin (IgG) response to a panel of Candida antigens. Please note that this may result in a false negative, especially among individuals with compromised immune systems or with very early stages of yeast infections.

How to Treat & Get Rid of Candida Overgrowth

Consider a Candida Diet

To combat candida overgrowth, you need to eliminate foods that feed Candida. That means eliminating or greatly reducing sugar, simple carbs, alcohol, and processed foods that lead to yeast growth. Sugar is Candida’s primary fuel source, so starving it from its main nourishment is crucial in preventing overgrowth and even diminishing its conversion from a benign yeast into a troublemaking fungal infection (study).

Embracing a Candida diet means ditching sugary foods, switching from simple white carbs to whole grains with fiber and eliminating—or at least seriously limiting—alcohol intake. You could take this even further by reducing your intake of whole grains and choosing gluten-free alternatives like oat bran, quinoa, millet and buckwheat.

You could also eliminate starchy veggies like potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn and carrots, as well as fruit—especially fruits high in natural sugars like bananas, mango, watermelon, pineapple, cherries and dried fruit (these are more sugary and less fibrous).

And if you have full-blown Candida symptoms, it’s probably best to avoid all sugary and carb-heavy foods for a period of time. Work with a holistic practitioner to determine how long you need to follow a specialized diet and to help you know whether or not you’ve cleared it up, at which point you can re-introduce whole grains and low-sugar fruits slowly.

Add Some Daily Probiotic Supplements to Your Diet

Daily probiotics, such as lactobacillus acidophilus, are made up of beneficial bacteria that have proven to be an effective treatment in people with fungal infections in their digestive tract, which result in gas, bloating and other symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (study). Probiotics have the added benefit of aiding your digestive system.

Probiotics may also prevent yeast overgrowth during antibiotic use (study). Choose one that’s labeled as having “enteric coating”—this means that it has a special coating to help protect good bacteria from stomach acid, which can kill them before they reach your gut.

Probiotics can also be naturally found in fermented foods (think sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, tempeh, and others).

I like Renew Life Ultimate Flora, Jarro-Dophilus EPS (Jarro-Dophilus is good for travel because it doesn’t have to be kept in a refrigerator) and Dr. Ohhira’s. Make them part of your daily routine and you may have an easier time keeping your Candida in check with the added bonus of promoting overall gut health.

Other Natural Remedies to Consider to Get Rid of Candida

There are a few other options that holistic health practitioners claim can combat candida overgrowth

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is considered a natural remedy to help balance your pH levels and can act as an anti-fungal. This limited study proved it as an effective option for treating chronic yeast infections.

Essential Oils

According to this study, Mint, basil, lavender, oregano oil, tea tree oil, and winter savory essential oils inhibited both the growth and the activity of C. albicans more efficiently than clotrimazole.

Coconut Oil

Studies have shown that coconut oil can be effective in inhibiting the growth of candida yeasts, likely because of its lauric acid content. Lauric acid has been shown to effectively inhibit the growth of C. albicans (study).

Take Your Vitamins

Vitamin C, vitamin D3, Vitamin B and others have been known to combat yeast infections.

Ginger

Ginger isn’t just good for soothing an upset stomach—it’s also good for aiding digestion and decreasing inflammation.

Some practitioners also advocate for a “candida cleanse” to fight candida.

Focus on Keeping Your Immune System in Tip-Top Shape to Prevent Candida Overgrowth

The best dietary approach to keeping Candida under control includes drinking plenty of water and eating a whole foods diet that’s low in sugary high Glycemic Index foods. This means avoiding foods that quickly turn into sugar in your bloodstream.

For example, the fruits mentioned above (number one), as well as added sugars and simple carbs. And as always, it helps to load up on leafy greens, colorful plant foods and nourishing green juices and smoothies. All of these things can promote optimal health and keep you functioning properly.

Stress reduction is a biggie too. You can start minimizing stress right away with daily meditation, 5-minute stress breaks from work throughout the day and 1-minute breathing breaks every 90 minutes.

Lastly, getting proper sleep at night lends to overall health and wellness. If you’re not sleeping properly, it can negatively impact your health and lead to more stress.

So there you have it, folks: the down and dirty on Candida. I hope you’re feeling clearer about this fungus and ready to explore it further if needed.

Your turn: Have you tried these natural candida treatments? Please share your experiences with Candida in the comments below. Everyone learns and benefits from your questions and reflections!

Peace & probiotics,