Candida Diet-- anyone out there trying it?

CoachReddy

Ok, appreciated. And you are right - the typical GERD treatment - PPIs along with duo antibiotics is in fact an open invitation for a Candidas bloom, but I wasn't suggesting that - treatment of choice remains fluconzole and company (anti-fungals).

And yes, diet can have a huge impact in restoring flora and helping manage the situation, but as an actual treatment it is just less efficacious. I understand you have a bias against drugs and medicine but they aren't all snake oil.

In any case, the single most important element against this fungus is the immune system.

I should have been more clear - the treatment I'd look into isn't actually diet-based (you're right that diet is better for maintenance) but has more to do with checking on stomach acid levels and in the likely event it's found to be deficient, supplementing with HCl+pepsin to raise pH levels in the gut and thus, kill off the candida.

before doing that, though, there's a great lil product called PepZinGI that is a combination of zinc and l-carsonine that helps to repair and protect the stomach tissues and lining, which helps make sure that the HCl treatment doesn't exacerbate anything.

this is why I recommended looking into Dr. Wright's work, he breaks it all down and offers natural treatment that can cure a candida infection.

so in the spirit of asking questions. anti-fungals - how do they work and what are the general side effects? (or you can tell me to do my own research if you want)

Sqeekyjojo

'Zole drugs - so named after the noise you make when head first down the toilet puking again. Or from you saying 'my a zole really, really hurts' after the twentieth dash with diarrhoea.

Ugh. Horrid things. Thanks, MTX, for introducing them to me.


If the bf has a genuine problem, assuming his meds are well monitored then I would suggest not eating bread at all for a month, cutting out refined sugary things like sweets, drinks, that kind of thing.

Zucchini goes mouldy just as much as any other veg or fruit. I know this from growing them. You can make a fairly noxious hooch out of the things just by adding sugar, too. It might simply be that they aren't quite as sweet as squashes.

If, after a month of cutting out the obviously refined carb junk, (and notice I didn't suggest eliminating anything else, just bread and sugary crap) there is a difference, take it from there.



But eliminating huge swathes of perfectly good food is dangerously close to a fad diet and could make it harder for him to maintain eating more healthily.

TheDevastator

My fiance and I have made the decision to start trying the Candida diet because we both suffer from having too much Candida in our bodies. I was just wondering if anyone else on MFP has tried this diet and if they had suggestions, recipes etc. We aren't cutting out ALL the bad candida foods, but trying to drastically reduce it. I will still have my coffee in the morning and such-- can't go without it. Basically you are cutting out sugars because candida feeds off sugars, also fungi like mushrooms. Here is a list of good foods and bad foods for this diet.

Good foods: http://www.thecandidadiet.com/foodstoeat.htm

Bad foods: http://www.thecandidadiet.com/foodstoavoid.htm

Let me know your thoughts and if you have tried it and found an improvement in your health at all!

If you are really serious about this, there's a book called "Chronic Candidiasis" by Michael T. Murray. It's the best I've found on candida issues.

TheDevastator

Ok, appreciated. And you are right - the typical GERD treatment - PPIs along with duo antibiotics is in fact an open invitation for a Candidas bloom, but I wasn't suggesting that - treatment of choice remains fluconzole and company (anti-fungals).

And yes, diet can have a huge impact in restoring flora and helping manage the situation, but as an actual treatment it is just less efficacious. I understand you have a bias against drugs and medicine but they aren't all snake oil.

In any case, the single most important element against this fungus is the immune system.

I should have been more clear - the treatment I'd look into isn't actually diet-based (you're right that diet is better for maintenance) but has more to do with checking on stomach acid levels and in the likely event it's found to be deficient, supplementing with HCl+pepsin to raise pH levels in the gut and thus, kill off the candida.

before doing that, though, there's a great lil product called PepZinGI that is a combination of zinc and l-carsonine that helps to repair and protect the stomach tissues and lining, which helps make sure that the HCl treatment doesn't exacerbate anything.

this is why I recommended looking into Dr. Wright's work, he breaks it all down and offers natural treatment that can cure a candida infection.

so in the spirit of asking questions. anti-fungals - how do they work and what are the general side effects? (or you can tell me to do my own research if you want)

I've taken both ketoconazole (Nizoral) and fluconazole (Diflucan) for candida but my case was too severe for the candida to go away. The problem with these anti-fungals is there can be liver damage which in rare cases can be fatal. I also was on high doses of Nystatin at the time, which is a safer choice for long term use. My thrush has never gone away completely. Diet on the other hand has really helped. I've also been taking HCl and digestive enzymes, salt to help build HCl, vitamins, minerals especially zinc, raw garlic, and flaxseed oil.

The biggest thing you can do for candida is eat as many fermented foods as possible (kimchi, sauerkraut, plain yogurt, kefir).
Homemade fermented foods seem to work a lot better than store bought probiotics.

I also agree that sunlight and exercise help. Candida will die in sunlight and high vitamin D levels help the immune system and mineral absorption. Exercise oxygenates the blood which also helps to kill candida.

EvgeniZyntx

Ok, appreciated. And you are right - the typical GERD treatment - PPIs along with duo antibiotics is in fact an open invitation for a Candidas bloom, but I wasn't suggesting that - treatment of choice remains fluconzole and company (anti-fungals).

And yes, diet can have a huge impact in restoring flora and helping manage the situation, but as an actual treatment it is just less efficacious. I understand you have a bias against drugs and medicine but they aren't all snake oil.

In any case, the single most important element against this fungus is the immune system.

I should have been more clear - the treatment I'd look into isn't actually diet-based (you're right that diet is better for maintenance) but has more to do with checking on stomach acid levels and in the likely event it's found to be deficient, supplementing with HCl+pepsin to raise pH levels in the gut and thus, kill off the candida.

before doing that, though, there's a great lil product called PepZinGI that is a combination of zinc and l-carsonine that helps to repair and protect the stomach tissues and lining, which helps make sure that the HCl treatment doesn't exacerbate anything.

this is why I recommended looking into Dr. Wright's work, he breaks it all down and offers natural treatment that can cure a candida infection.

so in the spirit of asking questions. anti-fungals - how do they work and what are the general side effects? (or you can tell me to do my own research if you want)

These inhibitors block one of the metabolic steps of ergosterol - the pre cursor to some molecules used to build cell membrane by fungi. We don't have this metabolic pathway.
They do have issues; long term therapy often fails as resistance is build up by the fungus via a mutation. And unfortunately some of these drugs also inhibit the human P450 enzyme although to a lesser extent.
Severe side effects are very rare but can be deadly.

Oh, and the primary use of these drugs is topical over the counter. In topical form, severe side effects are extremely extremely rare.

If you want to learn more look up ketoconazole and fluconzole, bothe pretty standard treatments.

Full transparency: my prior company manufactured an anti fungal but none of these - I won't mention it or other products I've been involved to assure there is no confusion - in no way am I suggesting a specific drug treatment without a physician prescription.

colleen1962

its probably similar to a gluten free diet, you might want to check that out.

TheDevastator

Interesting article on it......

http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/dont-waste-your-time-why-the-candida-diet-doesnt-work/

Thanks for this. I'll be looking into the GAPS diet since gut health is the most important issue. I've tried the candida diet for a while and it didn't get rid of the problem. It has been healing now that I'm eating more fruits and vegetables, meat, nuts and seeds and no breads or grains.

helenrs87

I've been on the diet for two weeks. Unfortunately yeast overgrowth is not a condition recognised by many western communities (depending on where you live) and can therefore cost a lot of money on private testing, supplements etc. There is a 'spit test' (google it) to determine if you have yeast overgrowth but I don't know how accurate it is.

I came across it as I was looking to get rid of my eczema and found a condition called 'leaky gut syndrome'. Another condition not well recognised by western doctors. This can lead to things such as skin conditions, depression, allergies etc. One of the main causes of LGS is yeast overgrowth (especially in women). It seems you are likely to have a yeast overgrowth if you have used antibiotics/birth control pills for a long time, and/or have a high starch/sugar diet. Unfortunately in severe cases it can take years to get rid of candidiasis. The longer you have it the worse it gets, so you're doing the right thing by addressing it now.

Basically the diet consists of a short term strict candida diet, no sugar, very low starch, low carb, no mushrooms, soy sauce, vinegar, alcohol, grains, fruit (for 2-3 weeks). Then a longer term diet that is more manageable (no white flour, sugar, artificial sweeteners, processed foods, limited startchy veg and fruit, limited grains, no yeast). This is actually a healthy diet for anyone to follow so I'm not understanding the hate on these forums! Also it's recommended that you take probiotics and anti fungals (rotate the antifungals weekly as the yeast can mutate and become immune), but for the love of god, don't buy into this 'colloidal silver' BS. Unfortunately all you have to go on is anecdotal evidence, and although some alternative health practitioners are fantastic, some are absolute quacks. So just use some common sense.. stop eating donuts? OK, start drinking silver nanoparticles? NO!

I'm 2 weeks in and I went through a 'die off' phase where I had a fever, the itch has gone from my eczema but it hasn't disappeared, early days yet though. My sugar and caffeine cravings have really reduced. Whether any of this is due to candida, I don't know! But worth a try I thought. Let me know how you get on and good luck

GrannyGwen1

Food and Nutrition
Topic: Candida Diet-- anyone out there trying it?

PERSONAL NOTES FOR RESEARCH

http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/dont-waste-your-time-why-the-candida-diet-doesnt-work/
BOOK; CHRONIC CANDIDIASIS BY MICHAEL T. MURRAY
BOOK/WORKS: BY DR JOHNATHAN WRIGHT

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A FEW MFP'S WITH GOOD FEED BACK CONCIDER AS MFP FRIENDS
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