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Candida – An M.D.’s Perspective
Article excerpt from the 01-26-09 issue of First – healthy living made easy
Yeast overgrowth affects 80% of American Women.
Somewhere between putting out the recycling and setting the dinner table, it hits: a feeling of desperate tiredness. But, of course, a nap is the one “to-do” that never finds a spot on your already-long list. So, if you’re like 80 percent of women, you reach for a sugary snack to give you the energy required to power through your day.
Far from being the solution to tiredness, however, those sugar fuel-ups are a top cause of fatigue and cravings, not to mention recurrent vaginal yeast infections, gastrointestinal distress, body-wide aches, blue moods and even severe PMS or menopausal symptoms, cautions Carolyn Dean, M.D., N.D., medical health advisor to The Yeast Connection (founded by William Crook, M.D. and author of The Yeast Connection). The reason: High-sugar foods – as well as seemingly “healthy” foods like yogurt and high-fiber cereals that contain high-fructose corn syrup – create an acidic internal environment that allows candida yeast to thrive.
How yeast overgrowth sabotages health
“When yeast are growing out of control, they literally poke holes in the gut lining and secrete at least 79 toxic by-products into the bloodstream that can tax the immune system, trigger internal inflammation and cause a host of health concerns,” explains Dr. Dean. And excess yeast drags women into a vicious health-sapping cycle. “Yeast need sugar to create their preferred acidic environment, so they thrive by releasing chemicals that trick the body into thinking blood sugar is low,” says Dr. Dean. “This results in intense cravings for carbohydrates.”
Complicating matters for sufferers: “Mainstream medical schools teach doctors that yeast either manifests as a vaginal infection or a very serious blood infection – the chronic condition of yeast overgrowth that starts in the gut just doesn’t exist to the medical establishment,” maintains Dr. Dean. “As a result, women can endure a lifetime of misdiagnoses like irritable bowel syndrome and fibromyalgia. And many women are simply told their symptoms are all in their head.”
Probiotics can be a cure
Eating yogurt can build up internal stores of probiotics, beneficial bacteria that eliminate overgrowth by producing yeast-killing hydrogen peroxide. What’s more, probiotics literally plug the holes that yeast create in the gut lining to prevent symptom-triggering toxins from leaking into the bloodstream. But when it comes to using yogurt as an Rx, caution is in order: Many popular brands contain sugar or high-fructose corn syrup, both of which serve as food for yeast to thrive on, says Dr. Dean. To truly get the probiotic benefit of yogurt, opt for the plain unsweetened kind (which can be sweetened with fresh fruit). According to research in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, enjoying at least one cup a day can sometimes restore probiotic levels in two weeks. Or, for even faster relief, consider taking a probiotic supplement, since yogurt generally only provides 2 to 10 million live bacteria and probiotic supplements provide many times more than yogurt.