What is CANDIDA?

Have you ever tried to Google what exactly is Candida and see if the symptoms that you are experiencing fit the description? If the answer is Yes, then I’m sure you run into many confusing & misleading information, which ended up being a total waste of time and left you feeling helpless. 

In today’s post, you will find all of the information about candida that you need to understand and differentiate it from other digestive issues. 

Let’s start with the basics – what is Candida?

Candida is a certain type of yeast or fungi that naturally resides in and on our bodies including the mouth, skin, digestive system, gut, throat and genitals. Candida is usually harmless as our gut microbiome keeps it in check and it lives in harmony with us. When this yeast or fungi overgrows past its normal levels, it can turn into an invasive infection referred to as Candidiasis, causing a myriad of very uncomfortable symptoms. Candida is, unfortunately, not an uncommon ailment.

What are some possible symptoms of Candida?

• Persistent and recurring vaginal yeast infections. Keep in mind that Candida can be passed sexually so it’s important that you and your partner get treated.
• Oral thrush. This comes in the form of a coated white tongue.
• Intense cravings for sugar, bread or other carbs. Candida wants to be fed what it needs so you will find you are craving certain foods if you have an infection.
• Digestive complaints which may include constipation, diarrhea, bloating, gas, cramping, dysbiosis.
• Eczema
• Swollen and/or painful joints. Candida can cause systemic inflammation throughout the body and can masquerade and be mistaken for arthritis.
• Sinus infections. Candida can live in the mucous membranes in your sinuses causing stuffiness, a runny nose, constant clearing of the throat and post nasal drip
• Brain fog. Candida is capable of releasing toxins into your body creating confusion, poor memory, concentration issues, forgetfulness and poor motor skills, anxiety and mood swings.
• UTI’s.
• Malnutrition. Candida will compete and steal some of the necessary nutrients that our body needs, possibly causing malnutrition and other issues like brittle hair and nails, weight loss and temperature dysregulation.
• Leaky gut. Candida can compromise the integrity of the lining of your gut, making it semi-permeable,  allowing particles to get into your bloodstream resulting in food intolerances and allergies.

What are some of the causes of Candida?

• A poor diet high in refined sugars and carbs. These things are superfoods for Candida and should be eliminated while trying to treat yeast overgrowth as all you are doing is feeding the problem, starving the yeast is essential in resolving the issue.
• Overuse of antibiotics. While antibiotics can target and wipe out bad bacteria, they also eradicate the beneficial bacteria in our gut which are crucial for our overall good health. It is important to re-inoculate our gut microbiome with probiotics while on antibiotics, otherwise, Candida has free reign to multiply and possibly cause Candidiasis
• Having an impaired immune system. Candida is opportunistic and will take advantage of a compromised immune system. If someone sufferers from a chronic illness, leads a highly stressful life, gets into an accident, etc., this will create a favorable environment for yeast overgrowth.
• Alcoholism
• Poor hygiene
• Uncontrolled diabetes

Diet can play a huge role in either causing/contributing to yeast overgrowth or helping to eliminate it. Here are suggestions on what to remove and what to include in your diet to help battle this infection.

If you want to include more Candida-Friendly foods and remove the ones that you should be avoiding – save the graphic below to have it handy for all of your grocery trips!