Candida – Information and Treatment

You may have heard the word candida being thrown around but don't really understand how debilitating it can be and just how it can affect peoples lives. So, what is Candida? It's actually a yeast that lives quite happily in your intestinal tract without causing any harm, however if it starts to show signs of abnormal growth then it can penetrate the intestinal walls and once it gets into your bloodstream and your organs can cause all kinds of problems.

Candida is known to release up to 70 varying toxins into the body which results in a range of symptoms that can affect your life dramatically. Infection generally occurs when the body's defenses are low and the immune system can't function properly. This could either be a result of an illness such as AIDS or simply from an unbalanced diet, other reasons it may occur are if you consume too much sugar or take a lot of antibiotics as both destroy the balance of normal bacteria within the body.

There is a very long list of symptoms you could suffer from if you have candida. Most commonly these include headaches and migraines,feeling excessively tired all the time, depression, anxiety and mood swings. Other physical signs you may get are thrush, abdominal bloating and diarrohea, sore throat, persistent cough, vaginitis, rectal itching, and acne. Some people have cravings for sweet things or alcohol, whilst others will find they have a low sex drive, or become hyperactive.

Candida has many negative effects on most of the major systems in the body, including the brain, nervous, digestive, and reproductive, urinary and respiratory systems.

As the symptoms of candida are so numerous and wide ranging, it's no surprise that doctors find it so difficult to diagnose, and many sufferers can have it for years before eventually finding out just what exactly is causing them to feel this way. Generally the infection prefers places that are dark, warm and moist, resulting in most cases found in the mouth, feet, vagina and gastrointestinal tract. However, yeast infections can affect almost any part of your body and, although women are most prone, men and children can also get it.

Doctors will diagnose Candida using a number of different methods, from looking at your previous medical history and carrying out a physical exam, to undertaking blood tests and and wound cultures. Sometimes a tissue biopsy may be needed to establish whether you have developed invasive systemic disease.

If for some reason it's necessary to take any antibiotics then ensure you take an acidophilus supplement during the course of the treatment as this will help keep healthy bacteria present in your body and prevents yeast overgrowth.

Another way to reduce the symptoms is to follow a special diet that really involves cutting down drastically, or completely, specific foods that the yeast thrives on. This involves reducing your sugar level and restricting the amount of refined foods you normally eat. Your diet should consist of eggs, meat and low carbohydrate vegetables, and include nuts, seeds and fruit low in sugar content. A candida diet helps to remove the yeast of its food supply, without its fix of sugar and carbohydrates it can't grow.

There are a number of treatments, supplements, vitamins and minerals available on the market. Nelsons Candida is a homoeopathic medicine that stimulates natural resistance to the challenges of flora imbalance in the body, whilst Candida QuickCleanse can help to sustain the right balance of bacteria in your body by using a formula with high strength extracts of Turmeric, Oregano, Garlic and Caprylic Acid and Fructo-oligosaccharides.

Candistroy is a total, all-natural system that helps the body detox itself of fungus and tops up levels of good bacteria. The unique combination of zinc tannates, berberine-containing herbs, digestive bitters and beneficial bacteria as well as F.O.S. and NAG help increase the production of good bacteria in the small and large intestines. Candistroy is a 2-part process whereby first your body has to get rid of occurring fungus, and then replenish the good bacteria your body requires if it is to be healthy.

If you are interested in finding out more information regarding women's health then you should do some research online where there a re forums, websites, and plenty of advice and information on all kinds of issues.

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Information ON Yeast Free Diets

A yeast free diet is a diet that is followed by those who are yeast intolerant and is intended to inhibit the overgrowth of Candida yeast within the body.  The dietary restrictions are focused around promoting health and the overall well being of the person.  Although it is normal for bacteria to reside in the body, sometimes it gets out of control causing the sufferer to notice certain symptoms like abdominal pain and bloating.  

Following a yeast free diet means eliminating foods that are high in yeast like breads, rolls, cookies, pastries, pretzels and other kinds of bready foods.  Vinegar is also high in yeast and should be avoided as well as foods that contain vinegar like mayonnaise, salad dressing, barbecue sauce, mustard, pickles and pickled foods.  Plus foods that are fermented including sauerkraut or cider should be avoided plus wine, beer and spirits.  Other foods that should be avoided in a yeast free diet are moldy foods like cheese, dried, smoked or pickled meats, cured bacon, mushrooms, and some nuts like peanuts and pistachios.  Other kinds of moldy foods include soy sauce, malt, pre-packaged herbs and teas plus, canned tomatoes.  Although a person that is yeast intolerant typically will crave sugary foods, certain types should be avoided in a yeast free diet like typical processed sugar including granulated, confectioners, and brown sugar.  Foods that contain sugar should be eliminated from the diet like chocolate, honey and maple syrup plus, soft drinks and drink mixes.  High fructose corn syrup should be avoided as well as some fruits that are high in sugar like grapes, raisins, dates, prunes and figs and citrus fruits plus fruit juices and dried fruits.

Over the course of following the diet for at least three to six weeks, there will be a huge die-off of yeast within the system.  Your body will slowly adjust to the new diet and you will look and feel much healthier.  The diet flushes the toxins from your system and provides much greater short-term and long- term energy reserves.  Unfortunately, within the first few weeks of the diet the body will be dumping many yeast toxins into the intestinal and vaginal tracts which can cause flu- like fatigue, weakness and irritability. However, the body will quickly rebound.  In order to maintain good health over time and prevent yeast problems from reoccurring in the body, you should continue to avoid yeast, sugar and dairy products for the entire length of the diet.  After about six weeks you can gradually add small amounts of some of the other restricted foods back into your diet.  You should only add one new food at a time.  You need to track your body closely at this time to see if that particular food causes problems for your system.  You will then know if this is a food you should continue to avoid.  In most cases, those who are yeast intolerant will learn how to limit their bodies from the amount of yeast they eat and will learn their body's symptoms and know when they need to avoid all kinds of yeasty foods for a short time. 

For more information  about  Yeast Free Diets go to www.naturalhealthandbeautyinfo.com

 

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