Candida Article
Candida: Shining Some Light On A Shady Topic
by Dr. Bryan Rade, ND
“Candida” is a term that is quite prevalent in the complimentary/alternative healthcare community; however, in my experience it is frequently overused and oftentimes misunderstood. This is in part because there is no simple laboratory test to determine if Candida overgrowth is present in a patient, and in part because the symptoms typically attributed to its overgrowth are very general (e.g. fatigue, indigestion, “just not feeling well”, etc).
Candida is a yeast that is a natural part of the digestive tract flora (“microbial ecosystem”), as well as that of the vaginal canal. As long as the amount of Candida is kept in check by beneficial bacteria and healthy immune function it cannot overgrow and cause problems. However, if either of those elements becomes impaired then overgrowth and health conditions can arise, most commonly manifesting as fatigue, headaches, indigestion, irritable bowel syndrome, skin infections and/or vaginal yeast infections.In practice, Candida is only at the top of my differential diagnosis list if a) other medical conditions have been ruled out, b) recurring yeast/fungal infections are present, c) there is a history of frequent antibiotic exposure, and d) if applicable, the patient only shows limited improvement with other interventions.
If Candida is indeed the culprit, a comprehensive plan is required to reduce its numbers to a tolerable amount. Generally speaking, one must optimize stomach and pancreatic digestion, increase beneficial bacteria in the gut, use herbs with a direct anti-Candida effect, optimize bowel function, and (most importantly) follow a diet that is low in the substances Candida needs to survive.