Candida Albicans
Candida albicans is a diploid fungus that grows naturally in the large intestines. Sometimes, this yeast-like fungus over-proliferates in the colon and causes symptoms such as headaches, gastritis, joint pain, yeast infections; and even autoimmune diseases (Fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, etc.). This overgrowth of candida is often caused by antibiotics, corticosteroids, poor diet, food allergies and even pollution. Fortunately, there are ways to combat this condition by tweaking your diet a bit.
What You Should Not Eat
If you have an overgrowth of candida in your system, you will need to eliminate foods that have a high gluten content. This can be difficult because most breads, pastas, pastries, crackers, cookies, milk and even beer contain an abundance of glutens. Glutens are actually proteins with a high glycemic index. Any product made from yeast or wheat usually contain high levels of glutens.
Often, a person with a weakened immune system can have an adverse reaction to these glutens. This condition is known as celiac disease. If you have this condition and continue to eat foods high in glutens, your symptoms will usually get worse. This is mainly because the extra candida in your system thrives on these glutens. Other foods you should avoid include chocolate, products that contain a lot of sugar like candy, dairy products, TV dinners, mushrooms, commercial salad dressing, ketchup, mustard, pickles, peanut butter, barbecue sauce and soy sauce. Also, avoid foods that contain sorbitol, mannitol, glycogen, monosaccarides, polysaccareides, lactose, maltose and fructose.
Foods You Can Eat
If you have a candida problem, eat foods that have low gluten levels, or are gluten-free. These include most meats, potatoes, yams, brown rice, peas, green beans, raw vegetables, egg whites, most nuts, rice and oats. Raw vegetables actually contain enzymes which can fight off the excess yeast.
Candida sufferers have two main options for their diet: They can eat more of the above foods in lieu of the foods with a high gluten content, or substitute some of the foods they like with gluten-free products. For example, if you like pasta, there are plenty of rice pastas on the market. You won't even notice the difference in taste. If you must have bread, eat spelt or rice bread. There are also gluten-free flours that you can use to bake your own bread as well. Also, there are many cookies and crackers that are gluten-free. Just look in the health aisle at the grocery store.
There are also a number of grains that are gluten-free. These include quinoa, amaranth, basmati rice, millet, buckwheat, corn flour, hominy and kamut. Many of these are available at the health food store.
Eventually, you will be able to start introducing more glutens back into your diet. It may take awhile, depending on the severity of your candida problem. But as your symptoms improve, try to introduce a few of your favorite foods back into your diet a little at a time.
Foods That Can Kill Yeast
Some foods can actually kill the excess candida or yeast in your system. One food is garlic. Try to eat several cloves of garlic a day with your meals. Also, yogurt has cultures in it. These are probiotics or "friendly" bacteria that can work with the colon's natural bacteria to fight candida overgrowth. Yogurt can also be used as a cream for external yeast infections. Virgin coconut oil is another food that will kill yeast. And licorice root can help heal any inflammation that occurs because of the excess candida.
Don't overwhelm your system with all of these foods. Try one or two of them at first. When yeast dies in the system, it produces toxins. If you kill the yeast in your system too quickly, you may experience more severe detox symptoms. These can include nausea, severe flu-like symptoms and even diarrhea.
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