Candida (Fungal/Yeast) Infections or Fungal Infection or Yeast Infection

Transcription

1 Candida (Fungal/Yeast) Infections or Fungal Infection or Yeast Infection C andidiasis is an infection caused by a strain of yeast, Candida, the most common culprit being Candida albicans. Yeast is present throughout the gastrointestinal tract, vagina, and skin and when everything is in balance, it doesn't pose a problem. Physicians refer to bacteria and yeast that are normally found in the body as normal flora. However, when patients are placed on antibiotics and certain medications such as steroids, some of the "good" bacteria is also destroyed significantly upsetting the balance of "friendly" bacteria. Since these antibiotics typically do not destroy the yeast, it becomes more plentiful merely because there is no competition for its existence. This in turns leads to yeast infections of the bowel, vagina, penis, skin, nail beds, and mouth (thrush). Some patients seem to have recurrent yeast infections often. It is important for the physician to rule out diabetes in these patients and limit the use of antibiotics. However, many of these patients seem to have a depleted immune system, which makes them more susceptible to all sorts of bacterial infections. Our modern society with its love for processed foods and high sugar foods actualy feeds the yeast much more than the needed "friendly" bacteria. This all culminates in a problem that is being seen with more and more frequency. To make things even worse, physicians tend to rely on more and more potent antifungals like Diflucan, Sporonax, and Nizoral. These medications may offer temporary relief but for many are not the answer. Candidiasis and the Yeast Syndrome Most conventional doctors restrict the diagnosis of yeast infection to the previously discussed conditions. Dr. Crook, however, in his book, The Yeast Connection, refers to a chronic yeast infection, which presents itself with a multitude of complaints he has labeled as the Yeast Syndrome. Patients with this problem may have a constellation of problems such as fatigue, recurrent infections, allergies, skin problems, difficulty concentrating, irritability, and significant craving for sweets. I always hate to list a group of general complaints like this because many will read this and think right away that they must have this problem. Since many of the patients I see in my office experience these symptoms, they want me to make a diagnosis of systemic yeast or yeast syndrome. However, there are many other diseases that have similar presentations and a complete evaluation is necessary. This usually adds to a patient's frustration because he or she has usually seen other physicians before seeing me who simply do not believe that this is even a viable possibility. Along with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, and sub-clinical thyroid, the yeast syndrome is also highly ignored

2 or downplayed by physicians. When patients do not feel well and are suffering from these complaints, they are desperate a doctor who will listen and tell them what is wrong. When I'm suspicious that a patient may have a Yeast Syndrome, I will usually perform a simple stool test that I send to Genova Diagnostics located in Asheville, NC. ( ). This stool culture will determine the presence of yeast. If the results come back with 4-plus yeast growth, I am fairly confident the patient does have a problem with yeast. There are other studies such as yeast antibody testing as well. Treating patients who have problem with recurrent yeast or the yeast syndrome is not easy. I have found that these patients not only do not respond to potent anti-fungal medication but in some cases these drugs actually make things worse. In order to improve their symptoms and recurrent yeast problems, they must take a multi-disciplinary approach. Diet The main problem is the fact that most of us simply eat too many sugars and processed starches and carbohydrates. Most people do not realize that when you eat white bread, white flour, pasta, rice, and potatoes that you actually absorb those sugars much faster than if you were slapping table sugar on your tongue. Not only are there serious health consequences with this type of diet but it also feeds their yeast to the point they simply grow out of control. You need to strictly limit your intake of sugar and high-glycemic index foods. The details of the diet I recommend can be found by clicking on healthy diet. Patients who are suffering with recurrent yeast infections or feel they have the "Yeast Syndrome" need to totally reevaluate their diet. They MUST eliminate all sugars, high-glycemic carbohydrates, and processed foods from their diet. To have any hope of overcoming this devastating problem, they must be committed. It is a simple matter of deciding what you want to feed-your body or the yeast. Yeast thrives on sugar and high-glycemic carbohydrates quickly become sugar in the body. Consider the balance of bacteria and yeast found in your GI tract as a garden within. What you feed and nurture is what you are going to grow the most. To regain your health yeast needs to be brought back into balance. You can now begin to realize why avoiding antibiotics and protecting your GI tract if you absolutely need antibiotics is so critical. Nutritional Supplement Recommendations I recommend that all my patients take the basic nutritional support I refer to as cellular nutrition. This foundational regime provides all the necessary micronutrients to the cell at ideal levels (not RDA levels) for significant health benefits as documented in the medical literature. When the cell is given maximum support, it can then determine what it does and does not need. Over a six-month period each cell is able to not only overcome nutritional deficiencies but also to optimize ALL the nutrients, which are needed to combat oxidative stress. The synergistic affect of providing all the nutrients needed by one's body at the most

3 advantageous levels results in optimizing and rebuilding the body's natural immune system, antioxidant, and repair systems back to their fullest fighting potential against disease. Minimal support for Cellular Nutrition : My minimal recommendation for creating cellular nutrition is to simply take Usana's Essentials, which are made up of a bottle of their Mega Antioxidant and a bottle of their Chelated Minerals. I recommend taking Mega Antioxidants and Chelated Minerals in the AM with breakfast and again in the PM with your evening meal. Usana's Essentials provide all of the antioxidants, B-cofactors, and antioxidant minerals at those optimal or advanced levels that I recommend for everyone. These are the levels that have been shown to provide a health benefit in our medical literature. Again, these should be taken with food for better absorption and better tolerance. Optimal support for Cellular Nutrition : For the most favorable results for basic cellular nutrition, I also recommend adding to the Usana Essentials BiOmega-3 ( capsules daily), which provides the essential fats that are so important for optimal health. I also recommend adding Active Calcium (4 tablets daily) to provide additional calcium, magnesium, vitamin K, Boron, and vitamin D that our bodies need. Optimizers It is critical that you know the necessity of adding optimizers to your foundational cellular nutrition for optimal results. Patients who are suffering from a chronic degenerative disease or illness are under more oxidative stress than the average healthy individual. Therefore, adding potent Optimizers to the basic cellular nutrition offers you the best chance to bring this oxidative stress back under control. The synergy and increased potency created by this approach to nutritional medicine is why I'm able to get such consistent results in my patients. However, to suit each individual's unique needs, I always offer both an optimal and a minimal plan for cellular nutrition and for adding Optimizers. Obviously, one's improvement will be quicker and more consistent with the optimal recommendations; however, a minimal regime can still produce significant clinical results. Recommended Optimizers: Optimal: Proflavanol C 00-- tablets daily (May substitute tablet daily of Proflavanol C 00, which is available in My Health Pak) Coquinone 30- capsules daily Usana's Probiotic--add packet daily to any drink or Nutrimeal and consume immediately Minimal:

4 Proflavanol C 00-- tablets daily Usana's Probiotic--add packet daily to any drink or Nutrimeal and consume immediately Optimal Recommendations Nutritional Supplement Mega Antioxidant (Mega AO) Chelated Mineral (Multi Mineral) Active Calcium Proflavanol C 00 Coquinone 30 Biomega-3 Usana's Probiotic ( packet daily) Breakfast Lunch Dinner Minimal Recommendation Nutritional Supplement Mega Antioxidant (Mega AO) Chelated Mineral (Multi Mineral) Proflavanol C 00 Usana's Probiotic ( packet daily) Breakfast Lunch Dinner

5

6

7