What is Candida Albicans?
Candida Albicans is a parasitic yeast like fungus that inhabits everybody's gut. It gets there during the first few months of our lives when as infants we are constantly putting our hands and fingers in our mouth thus allowing bacteria to enter our bodies. It can also be contracted by an infant passing through the birth canal during labour, from a mother who has an overgrowth of Candida Albicans in the vagina or passed from mother to infant via the breast milk.
Normally this bacterium settles in our gut where it does not cause us a problem as we have billions of 'good' bacteria, which keeps all the 'bad' bacteria under control and account for 70% of our immune system. The problem starts when the 'good' bacteria are knocked out and depleted allowing the 'bad' bacteria to start to grow and over proliferate.
How do you get an overgrowth of it?
What on earth could kill off good bacteria you may ask? Well anti biotic in Latin means 'anti life' it simply kills things - and the broad spectrum anti biotic that doctors have been prescribing in abundance over the last thirty years do exactly that. They cannot differentiate between good bacteria and 'bad' so they just kill off everything. Think how many times in your life going back to early childhood that you have been treated with a course of anti biotics. Then imagine that every time you have taken one, it is killing off vital good bacteria which are there to protect the gut wall and provide us with immune defence against invading unfriendly organisms.
Another group of medicines which do the same thing are NSAIDS (non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs) things like Naprosen, Ibruprofen, Co-Codamol, Codeine - they all help knock out and kill off 'good' bacteria in the gut and thus allow the 'bad' guys a chance to take over.
To really understand the problem you have to acknowledge that when you take a drug or even a vitamin tablet for that matter, it passes through the stomach and lodges in the gut where it is broken down. The properties of that tablet are then absorbed through the gut’s semi permeable membrane directly into the blood stream, where they then travel to the site of infection or pain, and deal with the problem. Nature intended our guts to deal with nuts and seeds, vegetables, fruit, animal fats and proteins, NOT powerful chemicals in the form of drugs. So when you look back over your life and recall the times you took painkillers for headaches, migraine, period pain, sports injuries, car accidents, toothaches, etc and the times you have required anti biotics as an adult or child for ear infections, chest infections, dental work, urinary infections and skin infections, just think of the potential damage you have been doing to your intestines!
What role does diet play in getting rid of Candida?
Now if that wasn't enough, just think what could happen if you have been killing off your good bacteria over the years without replacing it, thus allowing the bad guys to start breeding and growing. Imagine providing the bad guys with a really good dietary source to keep it growing and breeding to ensure it really thrives and takes a hold. Well you will have been doing if your diet is rich in sugar, bread, soy sauce, pickles, ketchups, cake, biscuits, and fizzy drinks because Candida Albicans feeds on sugars and yeasts. If you have taken the contraceptive pill or HRT then oestrogen actually helps feed Candida too. If you have suffered with prolonged stress then the hormone adrenaline, which is a blood sugar, has been helping to feed it. When your adrenaline supply is exhausted it is replaced with the hormone cortisol which takes over in cases of prolongs stress and is also a blood sugar . There has been speculation as to scientists saying that yeast in bread is heated to such a high level that no yeast can possibly exist and thus couldn't 'react' in the gut as mentioned. Well everyone we have ever come in to contact who suffered with Candida said the moment they started eating bread the unpleasant side effects began and once they stopped it they disappeared- so judge for yourself!
When does Candida become Candidaisis?
Eventually Candida Albicans turns from a fungal form into a myceil form which means it grows root like tentacles which bury into the gut wall and penetrate through the gut lining directly into the blood stream. Now the problems really start. You have fungi passing out of the gut into the blood steam and circulating through your whole body, thus the Candida has now become systemic and is now referred to as Candidaisis. To add to your problems your gut wall is now a bit like a colander and minute particles of food and fecal matter can now pass out of the gut into the sterile blood stream causing food sensitivities and allergies. This is what the doctors call gut dysbiosis or Leaky Gut Syndrome which can lead to a vast array of disorders such as the ones mentioned in the list above.
We believe at The Medicine Shop & Clinic this is primarily why the symptoms one can suffer with as a result of Candidaisis can be so many and so varied, because if you have got this fungus circulating around your body it can set up host anywhere and start breeding and growing on or in any organ causing long term problems which can lead to drugs and invasive surgery and eventually a downwards spiral of continuous ill health. Basically it isn't hard to believe that with the over use of certain types of prescribed medication plus the very sweet and yeasty western diet that we now have, that one in three people have got it and may not even realise it!
How do I know if I have Candidaisis? Do tests help
Not really. The reason why is because Candida spores live in everyone's body and so a test to see whether or not it is exists is pointless as everyone has it. What would be helpful is a test which can measure the over proliferation of Candida and this is available in our Clinic. The only sure way to find out whether Candida is the cause of your ill health is to go on The Medicine Shop & Clinic Candida Programme and see if your symptoms improve.
We have compiled below some questions for you to try and assess whether or not Candida may be the cause of your health problems - answer yes/no
Is your ill health related to Candida?
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Have you taken prolonged or repeated courses of anti biotics for things such as sinusitis, urinary or ear infections, bronchitis, or ever taken oxytetracycline for acne.
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Are you bothered by fatigue, depression, memory loss, and lack of concentration or wake up tired in the morning?
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Are you troubled by headaches, migraine, muscle and joint pain?
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Have you taken birth control pills?
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Have you had multiple pregnancies?
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Are you bothered by continual digestive problems such as constipation, bloating, excessive wind, diarrhoea, or heartburn?
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Are you bothered by Eczema, Psoriasis, or other non-specific dermatitis?
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Do you feel generally unwell but are unable to pin point what is wrong - or suffer with many minor ailments, which are recurrent?
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Do you crave sugar or alcohol or breads?
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Have you been troubled with PMT abdominal pain, thrush, prostatitis or lack of libido?
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Do chemical smells or tobacco or perfume really bother you?
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Have you taken steroids or have a long history of using painkillers or anti-inflammatory drugs?
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Have you been troubled by recurrent athletes foot?
If you have answered yes to 3 or 4 of the questions above then you 'probably' have a Candida problem. If you have answered yes to 5 or 6 of the questions then you almost certainly have a Candida problem.
Remember, many of the symptoms associated with Candida can be caused by more sinister health issues and problems so you should always make sure that you have explored your symptoms with your GP before you commence any Candida Programme. However, if you have already been examined and studied by your GP and the cause of your symptoms has not been identified, reading this web page could change your life because it is likely that the toxins from the common yeast Candida Albicans could be undermining your health and making you sick!
Treating your Candida problem
How can I get rid of it?
Remember there is no one tablet that kills off Candida and heals up a gut wall that has had years of abuse and degeneration. Beware of any supplement or treatment that promises a quick fix - you will be wasting your time and money. There is no ‘one pot wonder’ for this condition!
For help email us at health@medicineshopandclinic.com
Other recommended treatment and therapies for Candida
Food Intolerance Testing
Advanced Body Screening
Personal Consultation
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