Candida Part 1: How do you know if you have an infection?

Candida infection or overgrowth

What is Candida?

Candida or Candida Albicans is a fungal yeast that occurs naturally in your body, specifically in your mouth, intestinal tract, genitals and possibly your skin and other mucous membranes. It performs important functions like fermenting fibres that your body is not able to digest, providing nutrients for your gut. 

But this fungal yeast can grow out of balance and cause all sorts of health problems. It’s not normally a single infection, but rather the result of other imbalances and infections.

Signs and symptoms of a candida overgrowth (infection) include

  • fatigue and low energy

  • sugar cravings

  • bad breath

  • digestive issues (gas and bloating are typical, but also constipation and diarrhoea)

  • a white coating on all or part of the tongue (this is classic)

  • brain fog

  • thrush (oral and vaginal)

  • recurrent urinary tract infections

  • hormone imbalances

  • joint pain

  • a loss of sex drive

  • ongoing sinus and allergy issues

  • immune weakness

To summarise, when your good gut bacteria become compromised by any of the below factors, candida can grow like a weed.

Dietary, lifestyle and environmental factors that can lead to a candida overgrowth

  • prolonged antibiotic and drug usage

  • smoking

  • chronic stress

  • diabetes

  • oral corticosteroids (hormones)

  • hormone replacement therapy (HRT)

  • the contraceptive pill

  • alcohol

  • antacids and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs)

  • weakened immunity

  • a diet high in sugar and refined carbs

  • lack of quality sleep

  • excess heavy metals e.g. mercury fillings

  • loss of good and diverse gut bacteria

  • mouldy environment

  • drinking fluoride and chlorine

Candida Albicans release 70 different toxins when it’s alive and when it’s dying off (!), including importantly

  1. Acetaldehyde – Similar to the carbon dioxide, it can lead to oxidative stress and inflammation

  2. Gliotoxin – Suppresses the immune system and kills key immune cells. It also destroys liver cells, impairing the liver’s ability to deactivate toxins. A weak liver further reduces immunity and promotes a auto-immunity

How can you tell if you have candida?

I’ve recently realised that I have candida overgrowth in my liver, which I’m telling you about because of how tricky this infection can be. For a long time I’ve been looking for the cause of my residual systemic inflammation and immune issues post mouldy house. When my belly looked like I was 6 months pregnant after not eating much at all, it dawned on me that I could have candida. Other than that I don’t have many specific signs or symptoms, just a bit of a white coating on the very back of my tongue and an inability to lose weight along with having sugar cravings. I’d done stool testing which was negative, but as you’ll read below, this isn’t an accurate way to gauge. After just a day of my candida diet and protocol, I’m already feeling and looking better! Your body wants to heal if only help it to do so.

  1. As I mentioned above, stool testing is inaccurate as candida dies when exposed to oxygen. If it does show up on a stool test, you can be confident you have a bad infection. A more precise method is the OAT test (organic acid test)

  2. I also use a questionnaire for my clients that rates the probability of candida according to 3 separate lists of signs and symptoms. It’s never failed to detect it yet

  3. But you can also do this saliva test as an indicator (from Dr Jockers). But ensure that you’re properly hydrated and haven’t eaten dairy in the last day or two as this can cause a positive result

    1. Drink – Drink at least half to one litre of water when you wake up in the morning. Before eating, fill a clear glass with room temperature bottled or filtered water

    2. Spit – Work up a bit of saliva and spit it into the glass of water

    3. Observe – Check the water every 15 minutes or so for up to an hour, watching any movement or change

      • Your saliva should stay at the top in a cohesive blob

      • If you see strings or fibres dropping down, cloudy specks that are suspended, or cloudy saliva that sinks to the bottom of the glass, you have a candida problem

 In Part 2 I’ll be talking about what you can do to get rid of a candida infection naturally.

Gutsy by NutritionComment