8 Important Steps to Eliminate Candida for Good    By Barbara Bourke (Adv.Dip of Nutrition)

A healthy digestive tract, sound liver function and a strong immune system are vital if you want to eliminate Candida. Fundamentally, those steps are also your ticket to better health and wellbeing.  Most of us have been on some kind of detoxification program at one time or another in our lives. We might feel better for a while, but often this is short lived.

All good intensions can fall by the wayside as at times we slip back into our bad old habits. But before you take all the blame let me tell you that there is a culprit which could be sabotaging all your health efforts.

Its name is Candida. Most of us have heard about Candida or more precisely Candida albicans. Candida albicans is one of 70 different species of Candida yeast.  The term Candidiasis is applied to excessive proliferation of Candida.

Candida prefers moist and warm places to grow and at times can be found in locations like under arm pits, groin and breast and between the buttocks, resulting in itchiness, redness and inflammation.  However, Candida can affect the individual in many different ways. 

Superficial Candidiasis involves areas of the Skin and Mucous Membranes, including the toes, fingers, nail bed, groin, mouth and vagina.    

Candida Intestinal Overgrowth involves the excessive proliferation of Candida albicans in the gastrointestinal system. 

Systemic Candidiasis involves the over-proliferation of Candida albicans throughout the body. 

Mucocutaneous Candidiasis or MC is a serious condition and may be associated with a genetic malfunction. In this condition T-Lymphocytes do not respond to Candida albicans infection. MC, can affects infants and often start before the age of 3 years. Many symptoms are similar to superficial Candida, but more severe.   This type of Candida can have an effect on skin and mucous membranes, including the toes, fingers, nail bed, groin, mouth, esophagus, intestines and vagina. Thrush in the mouth, larynx, esophagus and stomach can cause a horse voice, pain when swallowing and pain in the stomach. Finger and toe nails may be reddened, inflamed and swollen.  

When Candida albicans yeast is allowed to grow and reproduce, it can change from its normal yeast-fungal form to a mycelial-fungal form that produces Rhizoids.  Rhizoids are long, root-like components that are able to pierce the walls of the digestive tract, breaking down its protective barriers and allowing many allergens to enter into the general blood circulation - causing allergic reactions. These allergens can also break through the Blood-Brain barrier causing many neurological symptoms like depression and anxiety, even Meningitis (Candida Meningitis).

Candida overgrowth in the gastrointestinal tract can cause anything from bloating, bad breath, flatulence, intestinal cramps to more serious problems like colitis.

In the Respiratory system, Systemic Candidiasis can result in Bronchocandidiasis, Asthma, Pharyngitis or Sinusitis.

Candida albicans proliferation can also be blamed for PMS or for exacerbating pre-existing PMS.

Our Excretory System is not safe either as cystitis and edema may also occur as a result of Candida albicans overgrowth.

Next time you are lacking energy, feel fatigued or have carbohydrate cravings –think Candida.

A compromised and suppressed immune system will cause over-proliferation and systemic Candidiasis as it is no longer capable of fighting the enemy – Candida. Suppressed immune function is known to be one reason for serious health issues like Cancer or AIDS. Our unhealthy lifestyle choices and diet, too much alcohol, not enough sleep and excess stress are all detrimental and lower the performance of the immune system as well. So we need to work on several aspects if we would like to rid our body of Candida and other unhealthy microorganisms.

As I said before a healthy digestive tract and liver as well as a robust immune system are essential to combat candida for good. On the other hand a little indiscretion (eating sugar and fruit as an example) can make all your good work go down the drain – and you are back on the Candia merry-go- round once again. Consequently you have to keep in mind that Candida can re-grow again, even if you do all the right things and take all the right steps.

Therefore, an effective Candida program needs to address several points.   

I have great success with a three weeks Lugol’s Solution program. However, this might need to be repeated or replaced with herbs like Olive leaf extract, Pau’D arco or wormwood etc.  What happens here is that dormant spores from the Candida might flare up once more and the whole ugly story starts again. You need to kill the Candida, replenish your digestive tract with a good probiotic while on the program and then wait. If and when the spores re-grow you need to do another course of your Candida program.  This way it may take six month or longer, even up to a year for total elimination of Candida and its spores.

If you suspect you have Candida, here are the 8 steps you might like to try:

1         Change bad lifestyle choices and diet. Certain foods, especially sugar, fruit and any foods which are converted into sugar in the body. Most carbohydrates, especially simple carbohydrates.

2         Cleanse and detox your body with Lugol’s solution, herbs or other anti-fungal medication.

3         Introduce a good probiotic or fermented food every day.

4         After the first course (about 3 weeks) introduce a detox and supporting program for the liver.

5         Watch out for re-occurring symptoms and if so begin another 3 weeks program.

6         This might need to be repeated until all Candida spores are gone and the immune system is strong enough to eliminate invading and opportunistic microorganisms like Candida.

7         Supplements like Colostrum, vitamin C  with bioflavinoids, vitamin A, beta-carotene, zinc and thymus extract, will help strengthen the immune system. For general health I would also add a good multivitamin/mineral supplement and additionally some plant based colloidal minerals as well. By including plant based colloidal minerals you are making sure you get all the required minerals. 

8         Last but not least address allergies. They will hinder your progress and add extra burden on your already compromised immune system. In my clinic the hair test I use has been very successful with many of my clients. Feel free to contact me for more information.