Are you wondering how to get rid of Candida overgrowth? First, let’s look at what Candida overgrowth is and how it affects your body. Then, I’ll show you the three steps to get rid of it!
What Is Candida Overgrowth?
Candida albicans is a yeast that thrives on your skin and in your intestines in its normal state. Candida is normally kept in check by your “friendly” gut bacteria, but it can sometimes become out of control.
The infections that result can cause discomfort and inflammation all over the body, including the skin, the gut, and the genitals. Candida overgrowth is most commonly seen in infections of the skin, mouth, and vaginal area.
Intestinal Candida overgrowth can inflame and damage gut walls, generating toxic metabolites that can cause a variety of health problems, ranging from digestive problems to depression.
What Causes Candida?
A high-sugar diet, antibiotics, chronic stress, the contraceptive pill, chemical exposure, and diabetes can all contribute to Candida overgrowth. Several of these dietary and lifestyle factors usually work together to cause an overgrowth.
Antibiotics are probably the most common cause of Candida infection. Many of the helpful and friendly bacteria that exist in your stomach can be destroyed by only one course of antibiotics.
This can leave your body vulnerable to hazardous bacteria and fungi, such as the Candida yeast, which grows quickly.
What Are the Symptoms of Candida?
These can include fatigue, brain fog, digestive issues, sinus infections, recurring yeast infections, mild depression, joint pain, and much more. All of these can be linked to an imbalance in the gut flora.
Here are some of the most common Candida overgrowth symptoms. You may have just a handful of these, or you may have most of them.
1. Fatigue
Nutrients are broken down, digested, and absorbed in your gut. If Candida’s colonies have grown to the extent that they are interfering with this balance, your digestion may suffer.
Foods can travel through your gut unbroken, preventing you from absorbing the nutrients they contain. This might lead to weariness over time since your body isn’t getting the food it requires.
Candida overgrowth has been linked to nutrient deficits such as vital fatty acids, magnesium, iron, vitamin A, and vitamin B6. Fatigue can be caused by a deficiency in any of these minerals, particularly magnesium.
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2. Brain Fog
The metabolic processes of Candida produce a vast range of compounds, many of which are hazardous to humans.
One of them is a neurotoxin known as acetaldehyde, which is the same molecule that causes hangovers. As the liver strains to digest higher levels of acetaldehyde, it might become overworked.
The accumulation of acetaldehyde, ethanol and other toxins in your body can sluggish a variety of bodily functions, notably those of your nervous system and brain.
Confusion, memory problems, and poor attention are all common symptoms.
Related: What Is the Cause of Brain Fog?
3. Digestive Issues
A Candida overgrowth can both cause—and be caused by—poor gut flora. As well as weakening your immunity, this can really affect the way that your body digests food.
Those good bacteria that normally reside in your gut are a crucial part of your digestive system, responsible for the processing of starches, fibers, and some sugars.
When a healthy gut microbiome is overwhelmed by an opportunistic pathogen like Candida albicans, the small and large intestine can start to function suboptimally.
Digestive issues related to Candida can include diarrhea, gas, bloating, constipation, cramps, nausea, and more. Researchers have linked Candida overgrowth to Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, gastric ulcers, and duodenal ulcers.
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4. Recurring Yeast Infections
Vaginal yeast infections on a regular basis are an indication that something is amiss with your microbiota. Over 75% of women will experience a vaginal yeast infection at some point in their life, and over 40% will have two or more yeast infections.
Itching, swelling, white discharge, and pain during intercourse are some of the symptoms of a vaginal yeast infection, which vary from person to person.
5. Oral Thrush
Oral Candida infections can be caused by the same environmental factors that produce intestine overgrowth.
If you take antibiotics or consume a high-sugar diet, the ecology in your stomach and mouth will alter, making the Candida fungus more inviting in both places. Signs include white lumps or lesions on the tongue, throat, or elsewhere in the mouth.
3 Steps to Get Rid of a Candida Overgrowth
A low-sugar diet, natural antifungals, and adequate probiotics are three essential components of any Candida treatment regimen.
These three items work together to starve Candida albicans of the nutrients it requires, prevent it from invading your gut, and restore a healthy balance of beneficial microorganisms.
Foods that induce inflammation should be avoided if you want to improve your gut health.
The following are three stages to getting rid of Candida overgrowth.
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1. The Anti-Candida Diet
The Anti-Candida diet is a low-sugar, anti-inflammatory, gut-healthy diet. Non-starchy vegetables, some low-sugar fruits, non-glutinous grains, fermented foods, and healthy proteins are all part of the diet.
The diet encourages people to eat more anti-inflammatory foods in order to reduce inflammation. Vegetables, healthy proteins and fats, and fermented foods are all examples of this.
Bone broth, for example, includes gelatin, which can protect the gut wall from injury. It contains glutamine, which has been found to reduce intestinal permeability by inhibiting inflammation and oxidative stress.
Probiotic bacteria are abundant in fermented foods such as sauerkraut and yogurt. “Live cultures,” “probiotic,” and “unpasteurized” are all terms to look for on the label. This is a good indication that the product is alive with bacteria.
Unsweetened yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, kvass, pickles, olives, and apple cider vinegar are among the greatest meals.
Avoid additional sugars, high-sugar fruits, and gluten-containing cereals. Alcohol and caffeine can induce inflammation in your intestines and destabilize your blood sugar, so try to limit your intake.
Candida needs sugar to develop and change into its harmful, fungal form, which is more likely to spread throughout your gut and elsewhere.
Sugar is also used to create biofilms, which allow it to hide from your immune system. Candida albicans create biofilms as a protective layer around themselves.
2. Probiotics
Consuming excellent probiotics is the next step in getting rid of Candida overgrowth. Because your digestive tract (and the bacteria that live within it) houses more than 70% of your immune system, it plays a critical role in the prevention of infection and disease.
Your gut’s cells interact with both your innate and adaptive immune systems, making it your body’s first line of defense against external invaders.
According to studies, a healthy microbiome boosts the immune system’s efficacy and aids the body’s battle against diseases.
Probiotics have been found to protect against E. coli, reduce the frequency and duration of respiratory infections, reduce the risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs), and prevent or treat infectious diarrhea caused by illness or bacteria.
Probiotics have been proven to prevent Candida albicans from building biofilms and colonies in the stomach in persons with Candida albicans. You can boost your body’s natural defenses against Candida albicans by rebuilding your immune system with probiotics.
This is crucial not just for overcoming Candida overgrowth, but also for preventing Candida and other diseases from reoccurring in the future.
3. Antifungals
Finally, if you wish to get rid of Candida overgrowth, antifungals can help. Antifungal medicines have several unpleasant side effects, despite the fact that they are well-absorbed and have a powerful antifungal impact.
Even worse, yeasts and fungi tend to adapt to the drug and become resistant to it, which means the effect is significantly reduced.
There are several natural antifungal herbs and foods that are equally efficient in treating Candida infections, and in some cases, even better. Natural antifungals are less likely to cause resistance, and they have fewer negative effects.
Here are a few natural antifungals to consider:
Caprylic Acid
Caprylic acid is one of the active ingredients in coconut oil. It works by interfering with the cell walls of the Candida yeast.
Its short-chain fatty acids can easily penetrate the cell wall of the yeast and then inhibit its growth by causing it to rupture. This effectively destroys the yeast cell.
In fact, studies show that oral supplementation with caprylic acid reduces the symptoms of Candida more quickly and efficiently than Diflucan.
Oregano Oil
If used daily, oregano oil not only inhibits Candida albicans growth but also acts as a potent prophylactic.
Carvacrol and thymol are two naturally occurring antibacterial agents found in them. These substances react with the water in your system, effectively dehydrating and killing Candida yeast cells.
Other researchers have found that oregano’s primary terpenoids—carvacrol, thymol, and eugenol—had antifungal properties.
Not only do these crucial phenols kill planktonic cells, but they also kill Candida albicans biofilms, which are often resistant to many commercial antifungal medicines.
Garlic
Garlic contains the powerful antifungal agent ajoene, an organosulfur compound that has been found to kill off a variety of fungal infections.
Several studies have found ajoene to have potent anticandidal activity and the ability to halt the growth and spread of Candida albicans.
As with other antifungals, scientists believe that ajoene works by disrupting the cells walls of the Candida yeast cells, preventing them from functioning properly.
Final Thoughts
Candida overgrowth can be caused by a combination of lifestyle and dietary factors. It can be easily resolved at first, but it may start becoming problematic if left unattended.
Just remember these three tips on how to get rid of candidate overgrowth: have a low sugar diet, take natural antifungals, and consume good probiotics.