Candida Albicans

Allergic reactions are not necessarily sensitivities to particular foods, they are symptoms - signs - that the body is fighting something.

Allergic reactions are not necessarily sensitivities to particular foods, they are symptoms - signs - that the body is fighting "something", a sign that digestive processes are compromised and having a knock on effect throughout the whole body.

If it's true that Candida Albicans is present in all of us - right from not long after birth -why is it that so many people (of both sexes and all ages in the world today) are told by practitioners in alternative medicine that they are suffering the symptoms of "Candida"?

What is Candida Albicans?

Candida Albicans is a yeast like organism (bacteria) living naturally in the bowel. We all have about 4lbs of bacteria in the gut - a mixture of both "friendly" and "unfriendly" - good and bad. The body has the ability to maintain a healthy balance of both, which helps to support a strong immune system enabling the body to fight disease. If the mucous membrane of the gut becomes infected, it may produce CANDIDIASIS.

What is Candidiasis?

Candidiasis is a process involving an overgrowth of the "unfriendly" bacteria which ultimately becomes a parasite thriving in the mucous membrane of the intestines. Other mucous membranes involve the skin, nose, mouth, throat, vagina, penis, prostate, large and small bowel and anus. The end result of Candidiasis is a dysbiosis, indicating that a change or imbalance has taken place in the environment of the gut which creates inflammation, the consequences of which render the bowel "irritable".

Candida Albicans has two separate shapes and forms. It exists and breeds in these two states in the gut and has the ability to change from the yeast like organism (good/friendly bacteria) to the mycelial (fungal form - bad/unfriendly bacteria. The yeast like state is non invasive and the fungal state produces tails (root like structures) which can bore their way through the mucous membranes of the intestines.

What are the symptoms, side effects of Candida overgrowth?

- allergies which develop plus new allergies as you grow older

- tired all the time, constant fatigue, inability to sleep, sleep OK but don't feel refreshed on waking

- infertility, PMT, menstrual, post menopausal problems, mood swings, irritability

- constipation, diarrhoea, variety of tummy problems including IBS, Diverticulitis, Colitis, bloating, wind/gas, constipation, diarrhoea, poor digestion, acid reflux

- vaginal/prostate infections, thrush, recurring cystitis,

- respiratory conditions including asthma, hay fever, long term sinusitis, catarrh, habitual coughing, postnasal drip, sort throat, ear infections

- Chronic Fatigue/M.E

- kidney/bladder problems

- frequent headaches, migraines, dizziness, "foggy" brain, poor memory, Alzheimer's

- arthritis like symptoms, general aches and pains

- sugar/chocolate/alcohol cravings

- heartburn, gall bladder problems

- skin conditions, rashes, psoriasis, athlete's foot, acne, fungal infections

- generally feeling miserable, recurring depression, anxiety, panic attacks

- circulatory conditions, cold extremities

- low immune system, going from one virus/bug to another, catch cold easily

- hyperactivity, behaviour problems, ADD/ADHD and autism in children

- muscular, skeletal problems, recurring neck, shoulder and back pain

Anyone who has one or a combination of these symptoms, long term, whilst having disease ruled out by orthodox medical tests - MAY have Candidiasis.

What are the causes of Candidiasis?

Recent research in America has made considerable progress in understanding the causes of these symptoms and concludes that the candidiasis organism can increase during periods of stress and/or when the immune system is compromised. The research also reiterates the well known fact that the use of antibiotics and steroids for long periods increases the Candida population in the intestinal tract, as well as regular use of contraceptive medication and modern day high sugar diets.

The consequences of long term use of antibiotics and high sugar diets.

Anti means against. Biotic means life. Anti-biotic means AGAINST LIFE. The aims and objectives of antibiotics are to kill the bacteria and stem acute infection. Antibiotics are unable to differentiate between good and bad live bacteria. So these drugs have the ability to kill ALL bacteria in the intestines. Remembering that the purpose of a balance of BOTH good and bad bacteria, which we need in the intestines to promote and support a healthy immune system; it is obvious, even to the layman, what a negative effect, the long term use of antibiotics may have.

So, whilst antibiotics may address acute infection, too many doses of antibiotics throughout our lives will also eventually weaken the immune system. Of course antibiotics have a vital role in treating serious, acute infection but only in the short term. It's the long term "misuse" of antibiotics which creates problems by seriously reducing the levels of good bacteria. (It's also the misuse of antibiotics which is said to be the cause of MRSA in hospitals). The bacteria/bugs have got more and more clever (super bugs) in order to outwit the antibiotics. Hence the candidiasis and the symptoms of it are worsened by each dose of antibiotics. This is also one of the reasons why allergies develop and more and more allergies appear as we get older.

It is also well known that we probably ingest antibiotics and hormones (oestrogen's) through animal feed and dairy products, chemicals and oestrogens through plastic bottles and wrappers, chemicals, pesticides and herbicides are sprayed on our fruit and vegetables. There is also more and more evidence that both men and women are becoming oestrogen dominant because of the ingestion of hormones via the food chain. Hormone imbalance is now quite common in adults, both men and women and also children. There is also evidence showing that children are maturing faster as a result of overload of hormones in the food chain and excluding organic, almost all modern foods contain unnatural antibiotics.

The food we eat these days is nutritionally deficient due to modern, manufacturing and agricultural methods. GM foods and fruit and vegetables that are sprayed to ensure longer supermarket shelf life are also known to be nutritionally poor. Then there is the aspect of economics…. the amount of additives, sugar and wheat included in pre-prepared, processed foods which we eat far more of today than we did previously. Our digestive systems have not evolved fast enough to cope with the amount of wheat (which is an irritant to intestinal mucosa) currently consumed by the majority on a daily basis. Toast for breakfast, sandwich for lunch, pasta for dinner. Bread is a staple food AND candidiasis thrives on yeast. A lot of people are addicted to bread… it's part of the problem. Ask people to cut out bread from their diet and see the panic on their faces. Because they can not eat bread, they assume - there is nothing they can eat.

There are many hundreds of grains from which we could choose but on political and economical grounds manufacturers do not use them. We have become obsessed about low fat foods, fat is taken out, and sugar is added to make those foods palatable, (especially to children) …… AND candidiasis thrives on sugar.

Most people will say that they don't eat sugar. This statement is usually based upon the fact that they don't take sugar in tea and coffee. Read the list of ingredients on ALL packaged, canned or frozen products in the supermarkets and realise just how much sugar is being consumed by all of us, on a regular basis, in sweet and savour dishes.

Any food which has been processed prior to you taking it home, including take away and restaurant foods contain high amounts of sugar. Sugar always comes high up in the list of ingredients. If we like the taste - we eat more - we buy more. Because of our busy lifestyles and because we like to treat, we eat out more these days than at any other time in history but in doing so, we are educating our children's digestive systems to become addicted to sugar. Fat is not the problem - sugar is.

Then there is the pressurised life that we lead. Stress also plays a very big role in weakening our immune systems. The hormone adrenaline is pumped out on a regular basis to deal with the stress and our adrenal glands become fatigued. Lack of sleep will have an effect on the immune system also. We say that babies grow when they sleep. Adults recoup and recover from the stresses and strains of life during sleep so if we don't sleep the body is not getting a chance to do any repair work. Ever been at that point where you would give your right arm just to be able to drop off to sleep, to let go of the tension. But you are out of control. You just can't switch off ?

Immunisation programmes - though a very sensitive and emotive subject, may also take its' toll on the immune system. In normal circumstances a child would never get measles, mumps, rubella and whooping cough all at the same time. The child may become ill say with measles; the immune system would deal with it and become stronger as a result….. The child would become well again. The child may then become ill with mumps. The immune system would address it etc etc. Whilst with modern day triple vaccinations, the immune system is trying to deal with an enormous amount of work before their immune systems have had a chance to develop.

Unaddressed emotional upheavals, bereavement, divorce, relationship and work related problems, also weaken the immune system and so it goes on.

All of these things create pressure, stress and tension for our physical bodies to deal with. Add to that an immune system which is weakened by bouts of antibiotics/steroids/various other medication/oral contraceptives etc and the body gradually loses its' ability to fight and the problems escalate over time.

Is it possible for the candidiasis to move out of the gut?

The intestines are designed to retain the natural waste and toxins of the body prior to elimination. Digestive enzymes and protective processes in the gut attempt to recognise and destroy harmful bacteria and to render allergens, chemicals, additives, pesticides, herbicides, hormones etc in food, harmless to the rest of the body. When Candida overgrowth is present the ph/alkaline balance in the gut is also compromised.

If the organism penetrates and damages the walls (mucous membrane) of the intestines, those retained toxins are then able to penetrate the rest of the body via the circulatory system. This is a recognised condition "known as "Leaky Gut Syndrome".

If the digestive system is compromised in this way, undigested foods are also able to enter directly into the body via the blood stream and the body will react as it would to anything else found in the blood stream which should not be there. In other words, it will see the allergens in foods or toxins as an alien/enemy attacking the immune system…..and will fight to rid the attacker from the body. This may be expressed as an "allergic" reaction.

Once the candidiasis is in the blood stream it will be pumped around the body by the heart and in the same way it caused inflammation in the gut, now has the ability to create inflammation throughout the whole body. The brain, muscles, joints, nervous system and every other organ and structure will be assaulted by the bacteria.

This assault will generally debilitate the whole body. Because the body always fights and tries to rectify problems unaided, it can only accommodate the situation for so long. It's like drip feeding a bucket with water, eventually it overflows. This stage may well be the first time that the person becomes aware of any problem. How many times do we hear - I've always eaten this/that or done this/that and it's never been a problem before? So the mistake is made that it was a particular food or something in a new environment which has caused the problem now, when it fact it has been building up over a period of time. It is only when the body finally gives up and expresses an "allergic reaction" that we become aware or take notice.

Many people are diagnosed by their GP (sometimes self diagnosed) as suffering with IBS - Irritable Bowel Syndrome. IBS is mistakenly considered to be a recognised medical condition which it is not. IBS simply means a collection of SYMPTOMS which relate to an irritable bowel, the CAUSE of which is undiagnosed.

Are all the symptoms of candidiasis allergy related?

As allergic reaction may be the first indication to the person that something is wrong, most learn to live with it, ignore it, or guess what is causing the problem. If particular foods are suspected, most people will start by eliminating it until another "allergy" appears or another symptom presents and so it goes on until eventually (maybe years later), a more serious symptom presents and help will be sought either from a GP or from a practitioner who carries out allergy tests.

Many people find it difficult at this stage to pin point how they feel. Most have forgotten when symptoms started to appear (they've become adept at ignoring the first signs). They may feel tired all the time, continually going down with one bug, cold or virus after another. They may be feeling stressed, emotional, depressed ….. There may be a diversity of symptoms AND those symptoms can differ from person to person dependant upon the immune system and personality of the individual. This is another reason why the cause may be difficult for a GP to pin point and why there should be no standard treatment. Yes, there may be particular protocols for all, but to ensure successful outcomes, treatment programmes should be tailored to the individual. Each person may have contracted candidiasis for different reasons and therefore all aspects of their physical and emotional history should be fully assessed and treated individually.

Some difficulties expressed when visiting the GP are …. Where do we start in discussing symptoms? Or how we feel? There are so many symptoms and individually they don't seem THAT important yet overall they drag us down. We may not be ill enough to remain in bed or even stay off work, (Patrick Holford calls this "vertically ill"). If we are responsible for others we keep on going "going on"…… we say we "have to", the children have to go to school etc …. Yet we are simply not functioning 100%. We feel like we're on our knees. The GP carries out numerous tests and they all come out negative. "I've had all the blood/hospital tests etc etc" …..Where does your GP start in making a diagnosis with so many symptoms? Easy if you have an obvious infection. He can prescribe an antibiotic!!! But which other symptoms are the priorities? The answer is ….. The symptom which is the biggest problem on any particular day is where you and your GP will start. But it is only

ONE symptom of many… and if antibiotics are prescribed it may only serve to exacerbate the problem in the long run. AND you are still left with no solutions…… and feeling very unsupported. In these circumstances of misdiagnosis, reports are made on a regular basis of people being told …… it's your age ……you're a very fit person ….. It's all in your mind ….pull yourself together….. You're depressed ….. It's Chronic Fatigue/M.E …. You have a virus ….

Conversely, Chronic Fatigue/M.E is sometimes misdiagnosed as depression or stress. In these cases, there is nearly always candidiasis present. Similarly with gluten intolerance, colitis, Chrohns' disease, hyperactivity, ADHD and Autism. The candidiasis HAS to be addressed before treatment of the other conditions can be successful. It's not necessarily that candidiasis has caused those problems but whilst those conditions are weakening the immune system, candidiasis will proliferate and any treatment programme MUST take this into consideration before any healing can take place.

Misdiagnose is also the reason why so many people have "hands on" treatments which (they say) don't work. Take someone with a persistent stiff neck, shoulders or bad back. If the problem is strictly muscular or skeletal and postural problems have been addressed; chiropractic, massage, reflexology or physiotherapy should be effective. But if the candidiasis is the cause of inflammation in the muscular and skeletal system, no amount of physical treatment will fully address the symptoms. It will consistently and persistently create inflammation, un-doing all the hard work of the practitioner and the problems can not be resolved. Hence the mistaken belief that those treatments "don't work".

Mood swings and PMS(T) are often diagnosed as depression but there may well be mood swings and irritability if candidiasis is present because it will cause inflammation of the brain. Recent work in the UK and the USA suggests that if exophins are not broken down properly (in the gut) they may have endorphin like activity and are capable of changing mood, mind, memory and behaviour. Exophins are incomplete protein products manufactured outside of the normal circulatory systems of the body and introduced into the blood stream by way of absorption from the gut.

Are there tests available which would indicate Candida overgrowth?

Whilst there are a variety of tests available it should be borne in mind that no test can be 100% accurate. Stool culture tests can be arranged through private laboratories or through your GP. Some practitioners may rely on written health questionnaires; others may use hand operated or computerised tests and hair analysis is also available at some laboratories.

Can an overgrowth of the Candida bacteria be treated?

In the presence of acute (short term) infective candidiasis, the symptoms of which are itchy anus, thrush, (in the mouth, vagina or penis) fungal infections and athlete's foot - the GP may treat with antibiotics.

The antibiotics may well clear up the infection but it will not clear up the underlying candidiasis. Chronic (long term) Candida overgrowth however, is not generally well recognised by the medical profession and may not concern your GP. Worse still, it is very probable that the symptoms you present with are not even linked to candidiasis.

Whereas, practitioners in alternative and complementary medicine mostly work on the premise that long term candidiasis is the precursor to a diverse range of "21st century conditions".

Once candidiasis has taken hold it is extremely resilient and very difficult to destroy - though not impossible. If it isn't cleared up thoroughly, it has a tendency to lie low and will come back even stronger next time. Another reason why so many people have recurring problems is that the programmes they embark upon, whether they are self imposed or by a practitioner are not committed or strict enough for long enough.

So an intensive programme of cleansing is necessary (possibly, liver, kidneys, colon, parasite etc) possibly using colonic irrigation, herbs and homeopathic detoxifying remedies; it is essential to rebuild the friendly flora-fauna of the intestines; specific dietary advice to starve the candidiasis by not eating the foods it thrives upon; along with a temporary boost of the immune system through therapeutic doses of specific vitamin and mineral supplementation; It may even be necessary to consider the removal of dental amalgams and checking that past viruses, environmentals and/or vaccinations are not further debilitating an already weakened immune system.

If it is accepted that as a result of Leaky Gut Syndrome, allergens from food and other toxins have been leaching out of the gut into the body, the same logic must accept that this condition will usually bring about a severe deficiency of vitamins and minerals. To practitioners in complementary and alternative medicine, a vitamin and mineral deficiency is usually yet another clear indication of candidiasis. The body is dependent upon vitamins and minerals to function properly let alone do vital repair work as in the case of Candida overgrowth. All treatment programmes should therefore include short term therapeutic doses, as opposed to RDA's (recommended daily allowances or over the counter) of specific supplements as a most essential part of the treatment.

Though any strict dietary changes are always temporary and a very important part of the regime, diet alone will be insufficient to fully address the symptoms of Candida overgrowth. The aims and objectives of treatment programmes should be to get the patient back onto a full diet at the earliest possible opportunity. Because the diet is so restrictive (and very boring), patients should never be advised to go on a Candida diet, unless and until, a proper assessment by an appropriately trained practitioner has been made.

How long does treatment take?

Rome was not built in a day. The longer the problem has existed, the longer it will take to get rid of it. Babies and children make excellent progress and very fast, simply because they have not had the problem for very long.

It should be borne in mind that it takes 3 - 4 months to completely change the biological terrain that is our body and sometimes much longer, dependent upon how long the condition has existed. During the programme, regular eliminatory treatments like Reflexology, Manual Lymph Drainage Massage and Colonic Irrigation are effective and beneficial and have proven to speed up the recovery process.

If it is discovered that there are emotional elements contributing to the problems (which may well hold back the patients progress), advice should be given to consider other treatments like counselling/psychotherapy or hypnotherapy.

Will I have to remain on a strict diet for life?

Change in attitude to food and life in the long term is vital on the grounds that if you always do what you've always done, you'll always have what you've got. But this does not mean that you will have to remain on a strict diet for the rest of your life.

Because a Candida diet is so restrictive, it is important to get back to a full diet (though gradual) as soon as possible but changing your eating plan even on a temporary basis usually means that you become educated about what your own body needs to function optimally and what your own particular sensitivities may be.

After following a treatment programme for 8 - 12 weeks, people usually lose their "sweet tooth". They feel so much better - they choose NOT go down that path again. It gives them back control and responsibility for their lives - gives them the opportunity to make choices. If they learn through the process that a particular food is not suited to them and it happens to be one that they love, they decide, either "I will eat that food and suffer the consequences" or choose not to "because I prefer the way I feel now".

How successful are the treatment programmes?

How long is a piece of string? Treatment programmes are as successful as the patients involved are committed and how supportive, informative and empathetic the practitioner. Nobody loses any weight on a weight loss programme if they don't follow the rules of the diet. No amount of advice, information, empathy and support or even money exchanging hands can make anything work if the people concerned are not dedicated and committed to the task. Positive thinking is a MUST on the part of the patient and it's the practitioner's role to ensure that the patient understands every aspect of the treatment. When things make sense and there is a clear and concise plan of action - success will be forthcoming. Treatment programmes should not be viewed like a weight loss plan. If things go awry. The plan has not failed or been a waste of time or money. The anticipated result may take a little longer but it's really important to stick with it…. To have more resilience than the candidiasis!

There is no magic answer. It is sheer hard work. Sometimes pain and sometimes tears. Some people like to look at it as in "no gain without pain. As with any detoxifying programme sometimes things get worse before they get better, but with perseverance and dedication and the support of an empathetic practitioner, eventually the results will speak for themselves. With some people - a positive change is felt and seen within a few days. With others it takes longer. The tiredness aspect is usually the last symptom to disappear because in any detoxifying programme, the body is working harder than ever, and so it is necessary to conserve energy as much as possible. Hard workouts at the gym are not advisable during this stage. This is where the "hands on" treatments can play a vital and very positive and constructive role.

Is Candida overgrowth always responsible for the symptoms listed?

Obviously not but if the symptoms are long term and significant enough, it must be considered. In all cases, a visit to your GP should be the first port of call. Get the medical tests done. If they show up as negative and your GP has no positive or constructive advice, then consider candidiasis and seek the advice of a practitioner in alternative and complementary medicine. Even then, candidiasis may not be the cause of your problems but they may be able to suggest other tests which can help lead you to the cause of your particular problems.

If orthodox tests, including blood, saliva and stool culture tests prove that there is no disease or medical conditions, help can still be sought from practitioners who can provide a variety of alternative tests. Tests which can be carried out to check how well your body is functioning . Depending on the System used, but sometimes called Full Body Screening or Functional Medicine.

No part of your body is designed to function on its' own. As the old song says "your right foot's connected to your ankle bone, your ankle bone's connected to your knee bone etc etc etc" Clearly if any part of your body is not functioning properly it will eventually have a knock on effect on the whole system and cause a variety of confusing symptoms in the process. There may not be specific disease or medical conditions involved but if your system is sluggish or lethargic you will be aware of it and there are many things you can do about it. It is a mistake to think that anyone has to "learn to live" with pain. There is ALWAYS something which can be done to improve the quality of our lives, even if it's a change of attitude. Again, there is evidence that negative thinking contributes to pain. Ageing does not mean we have to accept aches and pains as part and parcel of the process.

Myth/Mystery or 21st Century Condition?

Candida Albicans is not a myth…..not even a mystery - it IS present in all of us, it is not parasitic - it plays a vital role in our immune system and completely harmless.

The OVERGROWTH of its' diametrically opposed ally - Candidiasis - however, IS parasitic, it is a fungal infection and in the opinion of the author, very much, a 21st Century Condition and a pre-cursor to many other medical conditions.

These are just some of the factors which go a small way towards explaining why so many people of all ages and both sexes - roughly 85% in the world today - suffer, to varying degrees, what can be, the very debilitating symptoms of chronic Candida infections/overgrowth.

Thursday, 7 March 2002

© 2002 Bromley Health Management