Candida is a natural yeast species, a type of fungus living in and on the surface of the human body – in the oral cavity and digestive system – being part of the normal microflora of the body. Its role is to support the digestion and absorption of nutrients. Normally, there is a balanced state of good bacteria, together with the bad bacteria and candida that form the intestinal microbiome. When these are imbalanced, things get out of control.
Candida overgrowth is the most common form of fungal infection. There are hundreds of candida species and the most common is white candida. Albicans comes from the Latin word for ‘white’, as this yeast is white. For example, in case of oral infection caused by candida, the mouth and tongue appear to be covered by a white film.
It is important to mention that candida overgrowth is different from systemic candida, a serious illness which may endanger life and which occurs when candida infects internal organs such as kidney, heart or brain.
The causes of candida overgrowth
The good or healthy bacteria in the digestive system have the role to keep candida under control. However, the yeast fungi population can be destabilized if antibiotics kill too many good bacteria or the diet is rich in carbohydrates and sugar (which feed candida).
Excessive alcohol consumption, oral contraceptives and a number of other factors, such as stress, may also cause candida overgrowth. Even a diet rich in fermented foods, such as pickled cabbage and pickles, can feed candida.
How candida grows
Candida has the unique ability to change in order to protect itself from harsh environments. It responds to a change in temperature or acid level by transforming from a spherical, oval or cylindrical yeast cell into an elongated hyphal cell. These elongated cells have the capacity to penetrate the gut lining, causing the permeability of the intestine.
Once in blood, candida may invade other tissues. This means that the spread of candida can quickly move from a problem of the digestive system to a problem of the entire body. Candida may colonize the skin, mouth, ears, thyroid, reproductive system or other parts of the body. For this reason, symptoms of candida overgrowth may take different forms almost anywhere in the body.
The difference between SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) and candida overgrowth
SIBO is a condition involving the transit of bacteria that normally populates the large intestine into the small intestine. SIBO can also be the result of a small amount of bacteria naturally occurring in the small intestine and getting out of control.
This can be the result of diets rich carbohydrates, nerve and muscle wounds caused by diabetes, physical obstructions such as diverticula, surgery scars or Crohn disease, as well as drugs such as antibiotics, acid blocking drugs and steroids. SIBO can lead to digestive problems such as abdominal pain, diarrhoea and bloating.
Bloating is the first symptom of SIBO as bacteria feed and ferment the undigested food in the small intestine – in particular sugar, carbohydrates, starch and alcohol – they produce hydrogen, methane or both as a by-product.
Symptoms of candida overgrowth
The 10 most common symptoms include:
- Fungal infections of the skin and nails such as athlete’s foot, ringworm and fingernail fungus
2. Feeling of fatigue and exhaustion as well as chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia
3. Digestive problems – bloating, constipation or diarrhoea
4. Autoimmune diseases – Hashimoto thyroid, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, lupus, psoriasis, scleroderma or multiple sclerosis
5. Brain fog, weak memory, lack of focus, ADD, ADHD
6. Skin issues such as eczema, psoriasis, hives and rash
7. Irritability, mood swings, anxiety or depression
8. Vaginal infections, urinary tract infections, rectal or vaginal rash
9. Severe seasonal allergies or ear rash
10. Craving for sweets and carbohydrates
Tests for candida overgrowth
Blood tests check IgG, IgA and IgM candida antibodies in blood and can be done in any specialized laboratory. High levels of these antibodies indicate an overgrowth of candida in the body and how the immune system reacts to it.
Candida has the ability to suppress the immune system, so it is important to check IgG, IgA and IgM levels together with candida antibodies. Low levels of total IgG, IgA or IgM may cause a false negative response to the antibodies.
This may mean that there is candida overgrowth in the body, based on the fact that the immune system is affected, and the body is unable to produce a response, therefore the blood test is negative. For many affected people, blood tests can often be negative, even when urine or stool tests are positive.
However, the best way to determine if there is a candida overgrowth is to review symptoms that may appear unconnected and to check the full health history. Signs that indicate candida overgrowth may include:
- Birth and childhood
– The birth took place through C-section, therefore the good bacteria were lost during the birth
– Lack of breastfeed involving the absence of getting antibodies from the mother
– Frequent ear infections in childhoodDiet
– The food basis during childhood included sugar, dairy products and processed foods
– Current diet or food cravings contain carbohydrates such as bread, pasta or starch vegetables, sugar and/or alcohol
– The current diet includes fermented foods that feed candida
- Drugs
– Antibiotics can kill good bacteria in the intestine
– Steroids weaken the immune system
– High levels of estrogen resulting from contraceptives or hormone replacement therapy4. Mental state
– Chronic stress – the cortisol leads to higher levels of glucose, which feeds candida, affects the microbiome balance and suppresses the immune system
Therefore, if you have any of the symptoms listed in the article and your history includes any of the above factors, candida overgrowth may be the main cause of your health problems.
How to approach candida overgrowth
- Do not take antibiotics, steroids or hormones unless it is absolutely necessary for your medical condition.
- Choose a diet that does not feed candida in the digestive system (no sugar and refined carbohydrates).
- Use probiotics to repopulate the intestine with good bacteria.
- Identify potential toxic environmental fungi and molds in the house or at the workplace.
- Reduce stress
Diet
Simply remove from your diet yeast and mold foods for five days, and check if you crave for this type of foods; this will stop the unpleasant symptoms and then trigger them back. This can be a good tool to see if a long-term diet without yeast-based food would help. Different people with different sensitivities may require different types of food restrictions. Often, the healing process requires listening to your body and to its signals and sensitivities. Here are some recommendations that will help you to assess the problem:
- Remove from diet any food containing yeast or moldy substances.
- Try to be very strict to get the best results.
- Keep a food diary and track what you eat. You should try to vary your meals and make sure you diversify your food.
- Avoid the test foods for five days.
- On the sixth day, eat large quantities of the food you have avoided and monitor your reaction. If you have a recurrence of symptoms, you have identified the problem. If not, then candida may not be a problem.
- It is important to know that sometimes a diet change cannot reduce candida overgrowth enough to solve the symptoms. You may need to proceed to the other procedures – medication or other treatment.
In certain cases, nutrition and supplements are simply not sufficient to solve the problem of candida overgrowth. But they can help the prescription drugs and treatment recommended by the doctor based on the results of your tests.