By: Dr. George Stanton
Recently, more and more people are researching Candida along their health journey. Some are doing candida cleanses or diets, and even getting positive results. But what happens after they stop the cleanse or diet? Do it all come back? Let’s take a look at what Candida is, why it might be contributing to your symptoms, and why it may not be the root cause of your issue.
Candida is a type of yeast/fungus that is a part of our normal digestive tract. A common strain is candida albicans. Normally, this organism does not cause any harm to the body -- it is actually beneficial. Candida is considered an opportunistic organism, which means until the environment is right in the gut, it won’t overgrow and lead to inflammation and other symptoms. There are several things that can cause the environment in the gut to shift and be favorable for Candida to overgrow: antibiotics, gut infections (parasites, bacteria, viruses, fungal), heavy metals, stress, and environmental toxins are among the most common.
Symptoms of Candida Overgrowth:
Chronic Fatigue 1
Brain Fog. 2 (poor concentration, difficulties with memory, lack of mental clarity)
Digestive issues – bloating, belching, acid reflux, nausea, constipation/diarrhea etc
Chronic sinus infections 3
“Leaky gut” 4
Low sex drive
Sugar Cravings
Anxiety/depression
Tinea Versicolor
Jock Itch
Fungal toenails
Eczema
Thrush – white coating on the tongue
Mitochondrial Dysfunction 5
Mitochondria make energy inside our cells – they are essentially the batteries of the body. They take the breakdown from our food and turn it into energy. Without our mitochondria, we would quickly die. There are different amounts of mitochondria per cell, depending where you look in the body. The brain has the most at about 10,000/cell. A toxin called acetaldehyde that is produced by Candida overgrowth can damage the mitochondria, which overtime can cause a lot of the symptoms that Candida produces. 5
Mitochondria are also responsible for making all sex hormones, so if there is something depleting your mitochondrial function, the first thing to go will be the sex hormones. Why is that? When cells have the choice between surviving or reproducing (via sex hormones), they will choose surviving every time. It is a survival instinct. When there is not enough energy to complete all their tasks, then mitochondria have to decide where their energy is going to go. Fixing an underlying issue with mitochondria will help produce more mitochondria and energy, that will in turn help produce sex hormones. 6 Mitochondrial support is very important in any recovery process, including addressing a candida overgrowth.
On a basic level, “leaky gut” is the intestinal lining becoming permeable so that molecules pass through the walls than should be allowed into the body system (via bloodstream). The immune system sees these molecules as foreign invaders and will mount an immune attack against them, causing inflammation. Candida has been shown to contribute to this barrier dysfunction.4 This can lead to malabsorption (not getting all the nutrients from food you eat), which in turn may lead to anxiety/depression. This is because the building blocks for neurotransmitters, which help stabilize brain chemistry, are not available. As mentioned earlier, Candida is often accompanied by other infections and/or heavy metals that will also contribute to leaky gut. While it is important to treat candida, you must also identify and treat the underlying issues to fully restore the gut.
The main toxin released by candida overgrowth is called acetaldehyde. It is the same thing produced in alcohol consumption that leads to nasty hangovers. It should be no surprise that it is highly toxic to the cells of the body. There are nutrients such as molybdenum, NAC, and binders that will help grab onto it and help convert it into a non-toxic form, but when continually making it via candida overgrowth, the system is strained and will use up a lot of nutrients to address the problem. This goes back to the mitochondria only having so much energy, remember they will divert energy to completing essential tasks, which can lead to symptoms like fatigue.
What can be done to address inappropriate Candida levels?
In our office, we use the OATs test (organic acids test) from Great Plains Laboratory. It is a urine test that assesses down-stream metabolites of yeast/fungus, clostridia bacteria, mitochondrial function, certain vitamins, amino acids, and neurotransmitters. It gives our clinicians information to build a proper protocol along with a physical exam, history, and blood labs. In the meantime…
First, stop feeding the overgrowth. Sugar, high carbohydrate intake, and stress can all lead to and feed Candida. Cleaning up the diet is the foundation, and will be a staple in keeping it at bay while addressing the infection and underlying issues.
Next, ensure regular bodily functions are working properly. Examples include drainage, bowel function, liver and gallbladder function, and lymphatic function. If we are going to rid the body of toxins we need to make sure the pathway out of the body is open for passage. Constipation will clog up the pathways and cause more negative symptoms. Then, support the mitochondria so they can start multiplying and creating more energy. Using nutrients like grape fruit seed extract, oregano, or other nutrients can help start to knock down the candida overgrowth.
After that, continue to support drainage while addressing GI infections and heavy metals. Typically, some symptom flare ups will occur throughout this process as the body experiences stress when expelling infections and toxins. Once balance in the system is achieved and mitochondrial function is restored, the body will again be able to do these tasks on it’s own, from time to time needing maintenance support.
Healing is a process. It takes time, and having the right mindset at the start of treatment will go a long way to helping recover health. It is like going to the gym; going once a week will probably not elicit the desired results. Consistency over time, however, will produce a more desired effect. This is the same with detoxification – consistency over time is key to obtain the desired results.
1. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00365520701580397
2. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282267087_Acetaldehyde_effects_in_the_brain
3. https://www.thecandidadiet.com/sinus-infections-and-candida-linked/
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26752615
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?cmd=historysearch&querykey=6