Controlling Candida Albicans to Restore Balance and Well-Being
By Liz Barrington, Natural Body Healing

Candida albicans overgrowth or ‘thrush’ as it’s often more commonly known can affect everyone – from babies to the elderly, and is amongst the most difficult of human ailments to treat.  In the developed world, this condition is much more prevalent nowadays than it was 100 years ago, primarily because of our imbalanced diets, lifestyles and over-use of antibiotics, and this situation seems to be worsening.  Most people aren't even aware that they have a candida problem - until they look at the list of associated symptoms below.

Naturally found in the body, the fungus Candida albicans develops soon after birth in the intestinal tract of healthy babies in its yeast-like ‘friendly’ form and is normally kept under control by good bacteria that thrives in the bowel, such as the multiple strains of acidophilus.  In a healthily balanced body Candida is not able to proliferate.  However, when Candida organisms do get out of control, they convert to a more threatening form with root-like growths that penetrate into the intestinal wall.  As a by-product of their existence, they excrete much waste and as a result they increase the levels of toxicity in the body.  This often leads to toxins being absorbed from the bowel into the bloodstream resulting in food intolerances and allergies especially to dairy, yeast, grains and sugary foods.  This condition of Candida overgrowth is known as ‘candidiasis’.

Once in the bloodstream, Candida can break down the immune system and also overload the liver and kidneys.  White blood cells therefore become over-burdened in their struggle to control the invasion, further weakening the immune system.

Normally the body will be able to deal with minor yeast infections; however yeast is extremely difficult to destroy, so when the yeast reaches the overwhelming stage whereby the immune system becomes severely undermined, it becomes almost impossible for the body to fight off overpowering infections as athlete's foot, vaginal yeast infections and nail fungal infections.

Candida is a common contributor to many diseases and conditions, such as AIDS, cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, colds, flu, and more – in fact almost all health problems are greatly aggravated by Candida.  Diabetics are therefore especially prone to this type of problem.  In addition, children with autism, ADHD and other developmental disorders are often found to be infected with Candida as well.

What are the symptoms of a yeast overgrowth?

The common symptoms of yeast infection or Candida albicans overgrowth might include any of the following:

• Recurrent or persistent thrush

• Fungal infections of the skin and nails

• Chronic fatigue

• Constant tiredness

• Poor immunity

• Food sensitivity/intolerances/allergies

• Loss of energy

• Decreased libido

• Intestinal gas and/or abdominal bloating

• Diarrhoea

• Constipation

• Menstrual problems

• Poor digestion and other digestion-related problems

• Itching in the groin/anus/vagina/scrotum and/or discharge

• Sugar cravings

• Depression

• Headaches

• Anxiety

• Mood swings

• Frequent infections of the upper respiratory tract that result in coughs, colds and sinusitis

• General irritability

• Difficulty in losing weight

So how does Candida get out of control?

There are many reasons why the amount of healthy bacteria in the bowel can be dramatically reduced resulting in an overgrowth of Candida albicans.  Much of it is down to our diet and lifestyle which affects the homeostatis – the natural balance within our bodies and subsequently, our levels of good healthy bowel flora.  Without the friendly bacteria available within the body, Candida spreads rapidly.

To be more specific, Candida overgrowth often comes about because of the use of antibiotics, steroid drugs, chemotherapeutic drugs, prolonged illness, stress, excessive or regular alcohol consumption, poor nutrition including heavy consumption of sugar, alcohol and fruit/fruit-juices, imbalanced bodily pH levels, chemical preservatives in food, lack of rest and sleep, and even birth control pills and other hormone-altering substances.

Antibiotics kill off the friendly acidophilus that destroy the healthy bacteria that actually controls the Candida population.  Antibiotics also destroy aerobic bacteria; however they have little effect on yeast.  The intestines with all its fermenting waste are the perfect breeding ground for a Candida problem.

Most yeast infections occur in people whose immune systems are compromised and/or whose intestinal flora is out of balance.  To keep yeast infections at bay, it’s important to build a strong immune system and keep your intestinal flora balanced through a good diet and healthy lifestyle.

How can you diagnose Candida and how can you control it?

Laboratory tests can often be unreliable, so it’s best to consult a natural healthcare professional who can take a blood sample from your fingertip and analyse it.

Alternatively, you can always try following a yeast-free diet avoiding certain foods for a week (refer below to the list of foods to avoid) and to see whether your symptoms improve.  Candida can sometimes be controlled by temporarily increasing the body’s acidity in the area in which the yeast is growing.  This can be done by applying apple cider vinegar mixed with water as a ‘douche’ and applying this to the problem area.

Conventional medical treatments for Candida albicans involve the use of powerful drugs that produce strong side effects; however, it’s well worth noting that these treatments are often not that effective and create much parasitism and imbalance within the body.

One of the more effective antibiotics commonly used to treat this condition is ‘Nystatin’; however, Nystatin is only marginally effective on yeast.  It’s important that you do carefully consider whether antibiotics are the best route for you as the original problem may have in fact started simply due to the use of antibiotics.

More natural approaches to treating Candida have proven to be highly effective and they have no harmful side effects unlike conventional treatment.  In fact, they bring about other health benefits, including greater immunity to infectious diseases, improved digestion, and higher energy levels.  A common treatment for a general Candida infection is a diet completely free of all sugars, including fruit and starches, however, this can be highly restrictive.

Highly-Effective Supplements That Fight Candida

We’ve found that the best way to control yeast infections of all kinds are 1) Colloidal Silver, 2) Probiotics (preferably in the form of potent supplements especially for well-entrenched Candida, or naturally ‘active’ yogurt for milder cases), and 3) Other intestinal cleansing herbs.  

Yeast is a parasite which also creates its own toxins in the form of waste by-products. Therefore, disposing of these toxins in quick succession can be a real problem, because if the intestinal infestation is killed off much too suddenly, it’s possible for the intestines to become blocked.  Also, the body tends to dispose of toxins from the blood through the skin, which can cause an itchy rash or body odour when the process becomes too fast. Toxins from dead spores can also put considerable strain on the liver and kidneys.

1) Colloidal Silver

To avoid toxins quickly flooding the bloodstream and liver, it’s best to build up the use of colloidal silver gradually, and then use it until your symptoms are relieved.  Colloidal Silver has been used for many centuries to treat infections and is said to be highly effective against up to 650 types of bacteria and other harmful micro-organisms.  Colloidal silver are very fine particles of pure silver suspended in water that have antimicrobial properties.  You do however need to be careful with colloidal silver, and you should only choose a very high quality silver otherwise it could lead to heavy metal build-up in the body, resulting in blue fingernails or even blue skin which is permanent.  Furthermore, poor quality silvers can also kill the probiotics in the intestinal tract.  It’s for this reason that we recommend Nature’s Sunshine's Colloidal Silver product called Silver Shield which is totally safe and effective in weakening these parasitic organisms and strengthening the immune system.

Research shows that colloidal silver only attacks the ‘unfriendly’ pathogens (anaerobic in nature) and will not harm the friendly bacteria (aerobic in nature).  Furthermore, colloidal silver does not attack bacteria directly, but rather destroys certain enzymes the anaerobic bacteria, viruses, yeast, and moulds require in order to survive, so there is little chance of them developing resistance to colloidal silver. The colloidal silver acts as a catalyst and is not consumed in the process.

Colloidal silver is highly effective on yeast because: 1) it kills off anaerobic bacteria and virus wherever it comes in contact with them and so it completely supports the immune system against most types of disease and infections at the same time.  2) Colloidal silver is highly effective in destroying the Candida organisms themselves.  3) Colloidal silver rapidly accelerates the healing of injured and damaged tissues which have often been attacked and consumed by the Candida organisms.

The effects of colloidal silver during pregnancy are unknown, so we currently do NOT recommend that you take colloidal silver during pregnancy.  Also, colloidal silver should only be taken for 2-3 months at a time, to also give the body’s immune system an opportunity to strengthen itself naturally, rather than just relying on the colloidal silver to destroy unwanted organisms.

2) Probiotics

Otherwise known as ‘friendly’ bacteria or ‘beneficial’ bacteria, probiotics are amongst the most effective natural treatments for Candida.  We recommend that you take as much acidophilus as you can afford. 

The colon or large intestine of a healthy adult should have an estimated 100 trillion beneficial bacteria – in other words, approximately 100,000,000,000,000 or 100,000 billion bacteria!

There are many different brands of probiotics available which typically contain between 2 billion and 5 billion which on a daily basis is actually far too little to create any significant impact.  That is why we recommend that you take Nature’s Sunshine Milk-Free Priobiotic called Bifidophilus (2 tablets, twice a day) which contain a total of 14 billion strains of lactobacillus acidophilus and bifidobacterium longum along with fructo-oligsaccharides, which support the growth and potency of these beneficial organisms.  These supplements are also enterically-coated to ensure effective release in the bowel.

If you take sufficient amounts of friendly, beneficial bacteria, and withdraw sugar and yeast from your diet, then there won't be room for Candida yeast and harmful bacteria to thrive.  It’s not harmful to take more than the recommended dose, as probiotics have no toxic effects.  Besides, any extra ‘healthy’ bacteria that the body does not need will simply be passed out in the stools, and quite often suffering from slight diarrhoea is a tell-tale sign as to when the body is consuming too much good bacteria.

3) Bentonite Clay or Charcoal

Hydrated Bentonite (available in Spain only) is a natural clay that comes from volcanic ash and contains a variety of smectite minerals and montmorillonite clay. Consuming natural ‘edible clay’ (or sometimes called ‘living clay’ or even ‘healing clay’) has been a traditional practice for thousands of years and it is highly absorptive.  Therapeutically, when taken internally, it supports the intestinal system in the elimination of toxins due to its ability to ‘adsorb’ toxins and other molecules from watery environments.  Bentonite clay will literally pull the Candida off the intestinal walls.  It readily absorbs toxins, heavy metals, bacteria, virus and fungi.  But because clay itself is not absorbed by the body – whatever unwanted organisms that it absorbs is passed out in the stools.

Similarly, Activated Charcoal (available across UK and Europe) has been used for over 2,000 years and is also well known for its absorptive ability, helping to remove toxins and other irritants in the digestive tract.  Either of these are great supplements for stomach upsets, travel sickness and food poisoning etc.

4) Psyllium Husk

Psyllium is a seed grown commercially in India, where it is also known as ‘isabgol’.  The husk is very high in fibre and widely used as a bulk-forming laxative and also as a colon cleanser. When psyllium absorbs water, it expands greatly and forms a gel, resulting in the ability to pass large, well-formed stools.

Cleansing the colon is one of the most effective ways to fight a Candida infection.  Like clay, Psyllium Hulls absorbs toxins, bacteria, fungi and other harmful substances – and then passes them out in the stools.

5) Garlic

Garlic has powerful anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties and some scientific studies have found it to be at least as effective as Nystatin in destroying Candida albicans.

The key difference between taking drugs such as antibiotics and anti-fungal medication versus taking garlic is that bacteria and fungi are not likely to develop a resistance to garlic.  This is because garlic contains many different substances with anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties, including allicin, alliin, alliinase and S-allylcysteine.

It’s best to take garlic raw in order to get the most of its ability to destroy bacteria and fungi; however, raw garlic is extremely pungent and can leave a distinct odour on the breath which tends to put individuals off from taking it.

However, Nature’s Sunshine provides the finest High-Potency Garlic on the market with a special coating that helps control the garlic’s odour.  When broken open, these tablets have a strong garlic odour unlike ‘odourless’ garlic products which are ineffective.  Because the tablet does not break down for absorption until it reaches the small intestine, you therefore receive the full nutritional value of garlic without the undesirable taste.  Moreover, comparing Total Allicin Potential (TAP) with other leading brands shows that Nature’s Sunshine leads the market and is valued above all others for its greatest potency and superb quality.  

6) Pau D’Arco

Pau D’Arco has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries by the native Indians of Brazil.  The trees are renowned for their durable timber and resistance to insect and fungal attack.  Pau D’Arco contains a chemical called lapachol and helps build blood, supports detoxification and helps maintain a healthy circulatory system.  It has depurative properties and so can also help to detoxify the blood and support the immune system.  Nature Sunshine's Pau d’Arco is commonly used for treating Candida albicans infestation.

7) Caprylic Acid

Amongst the many natural cures for Candida, caprylic acid is one of the most commonly used by nutritionists and natural health practitioners because of its anti-fungal as well as some anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties.  Caprylic acid is a medium-chain fatty acid (C⁸H¹⁶O²), also referred to as ‘octanoic acid’, and is found naturally in coconut oil, palm oil, and butter fat as well as in human breast milk.  

It nutritionally supports the needs of those who want to rebalance their friendly bacteria and reduce an overabundance of yeast in the body.  One of the difficulties with caprylic/octanoic acid is that being a medium-chain fatty acid, it’s easily digested and absorbed by the body.  Therefore, with cheaper brands, it often gets absorbed in the stomach and in the small intestines before it reaches the large intestines – the place where it’s most needed.  With Nature’s Sunshine Caprylic Acid Combination supplement, each capsule is enterically-coated so that the contents are released in the intestinal tract and not in the stomach.

Safflower oil is also high in oleic acid, another medium-chain fatty acid which, like caprylic acid, is known to have anti-fungal properties.   Similarly, coconut oil is very effective against Candida and in small quantities coconut oil is a great daily addition to any healthy diet.

8) Super Green Foods

Green algae such as Chlorella and Spirulina – sometimes called 'Super Green foods', grow in warm, alkaline fresh waters around the world, and are very rich in nutrition.  These algae are a source of all 8 essential amino acids, as well as chelated minerals, natural plant sugars, trace minerals and enzymes, and they contain potassium, calcium, zinc, magnesium, manganese, selenium, iron and phosphorus.  They are also rich in chlorophyll and so they have a strong detoxification capability.  Detoxifying the colon is important in fighting Candida because the yeast thrives in a toxic environment.

These green foods are easily assimilated by the body and also have a strong alkalinising effect, which again is crucial because Candida albicans thrives in an acidic environment.

Other effective herbs in the fight against Candida include Astragalus, reishi, black walnut, shiitake, nettles, burdock, Oregon graperoot, goldenseal, milk thistle, aloe vera juice, Echinacea, yeast-free Vitamin B complex, vitamins A and C. 

Other Useful Therapies

Micro-current therapy Parasite Zapper: Many of our clients have had great success keeping Candida under control by undertaking our micro-current ‘Parasite Zapper’ therapy, which uses a small electric current to ‘zap’ the Candida organism.

The Parasite Zapper emits a specific frequency which over a course of treatments, helps rid your body of parasites such as worms, fungi, bacteria and viruses, without the use of harmful chemicals, or drugs that can have dangerous side-effects.  Parasites not only die when subjected to the small electrical current, but they also disintegrate, and are therefore easily eliminated through normal bowel movements.

Important Dietary Considerations:

Foods to AVOID

For the first 3 - 4 weeks of your Candida-elimination diet, you should avoid the following foods:

• Sugar (including fructose, fruit juices, honey, molasses etc).

• All sugar-sweetened/sugary foods and snacks, including cakes, biscuits, confectionery, desserts, fizzy drinks, fruit cordials, fruit drinks, fruit-juice and ice-cream, unless they are made with sugar-substitutes like stevia extract, which is a natural sweetener.

• Packaged and processed foods, yeast breads and pastries, most condiments, pickles, olives in brine, sauerkraut, relishes, sauces and re-heated leftovers.

• Avoid white-starch foods and refined white bread, white flour or white rice, white pasta, potatoes without their skins, and all refined flours, noodles etc.

• Most fruits, especially very ‘sweet’ fruits such as grapes, watermelon, dates and mango, plus avoid ALL dried fruit and fruit smoothies which contain greater levels of natural fruit sugars.

• ALWAYS keep away from foods containing ‘trans-fats’ or ‘hydrogenated fats/oils’.

• Yogurt drinks as well as commercial yogurts are NOT RECOMMENDED.  These foods contain very minute amounts of good flora, yet HUGE amounts of sugar - which you’re trying to avoid!  Furthermore, commercial yogurts are pasteurised and so the good bacteria have been killed off during processing in any case!  If you can, make your own fresh yogurt at home.

• Fermented foods – vinegar and products containing vinegar, however salty fermented soy products like miso and shoyu are acceptable in very small amounts only.

• Mushrooms, all fungi, cheese containing moulds, and truffles.

• All alcohol, including beer, wine, cider and spirits.

• Yeast extracts, gravy granules, stuffing and stock cubes.

• Salad dressings – use apple juice, or lemon juice and olive oil instead.

• Considerably limit your intake of milk and dairy foods, especially cheese.

• Spicy foods (especially Asian food).

Good Foods to EAT

• Plenty of vegetables, nuts, seeds, fish, natural ‘live’ yogurt, onions, garlic, papaya, beans/bean products, sea vegetables, raw salads, tomatoes, muesli, cottage cheese, chicken, lentils, pulses, avocados and oils, mild spices, fresh herbs like oregano.

• Eat the following foods in moderation: whole grains, wholegrain flour, oats, barley, potatoes with their skins on, wholegrain brown or wild rice, wholegrain pasta, dairy products, meat, eggs, other animal products and fermented soy products such as miso and shoyu.  Also, eat only 1-2 servings of whole-fruits per day - these are better when eaten whole and raw because sugar content is lower and often it’s recommended that you peel them first, as the skin can contain yeasts.

• Water is great for keeping you hydrated.  Even better still - add ‘minty’ Liquid Chlorophyll to your water and drink this throughout the day to help alkalise the body and cleanse the blood!

• Increase your intake of essential oils, especially omega-3 oils found in fish oils, oily fish, like salmon, mackerel, tuna-in-oil, sardines-in-oil, and flax-seed, safflower oil and borage oils used as a salad-dressing or on wholegrain breads or baked potato; plus olive oil or canola oil, along with other vegetable oils that are mostly omega-6 oils, which are also good.

Avoiding Food Chemicals, Most Drugs and Medications

Over the last 50 years or so, food manufacturers have been developing products that can have a detrimental effect on our human brain power and there is considerable evidence of a clear relationship between ‘prepared foods’ that contain chemicals, additives, preservatives etc and human illness. 

This is why is it so important that YOU take responsibility for what you put into your body and find out more about the food that you are eating, do some research and check those food labels before you purchase ‘packaged’, ‘tinned’ and ‘ready-made’ processed products at the supermarket. 

Better still, only buy foods that are wholesome and as natural as possible in their ‘raw’ original state and prepare your own nutritious food at home.

If you have a Candida albicans infestation, it’s especially important to avoid antibiotics, because the overuse of antibiotics is one of the main reasons why the Candida infection has developed in the first place.   You should also look to avoid synthetic-cortisone/steroid-type prescriptions if at all possible.  Try our natural highly-effective supplement alternatives instead – they work and they have no side effects!

By the way, if you want to be extra careful about antibiotics, you should also take a closer look at the quality of the meat and meat products that you buy and perhaps look to switch to eating only organically-reared meat which is both healthier and tastier too.  In modern farming practices, farm animals are regularly given antibiotics and their meat contains antibiotic residues which can then create imbalance within our own body once we consume them.

Candida yeast infection is indeed a difficult condition to treat – and it does require a persistent multi-pronged attack.  An important part of the treatment involves changing our diets to avoid sugar, refined carbohydrates and other foods that tend to promote the growth of Candida yeast and also to consume certain foods and take nutritional supplements that truly strengthen the body’s immune system. 

Like most things concerning our well-being, the key to being successful will be your ability to restore balance and harmony back to your body which may require some considerable long-term changes on your part.

The nutritional supplement product links stated in this article can only be purchased from this website in UK and in Europe; however all other health product links stated on this page are available worldwide from Natural Body Healing.  

The above information should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional.

• Read about how to maintain a healthy bowel

• Read about how to maintain correct body pH levels

• Read more articles