Aug 02 , 2022
Dealing with Yeast Overgrowth
The following information is taken from an article shared with us by one of our customers Ann Rowland Dip ION. Ann is a Nutritional Therapist trained in London and has specialised in gut problems.
“An overgrowth of yeasts, of which the yeast candida albicans is just one of many, can cause a whole battery of extremely unpleasant symptoms. To name some: wind and bloating, diarrhoea and constipation, hormonal imbalances and PMT (the yeasts can affect the thyroid and adrenal glands), tiredness or even ME/Chronic Fatigue, poor memory, depression and migraines, acid reflux, stomach pains, joint pain and muscle ache, recurring cystitis, skin problems, chest wheeziness, hyperactivity, low blood sugar and, .... ! I have seen some very sick people over the years and have yet to find anyone with ME/Chronic fatigue who has not got an overgrowth of yeast causing some of their symptoms. When yeasts are present, they need to be brought back under control in order to see what is left. The gut needs to be healthy as it influences the whole of the system in one way or another.
The generally accepted view of candida or yeast overgrowth is thrush, vaginal or oral, or athlete's foot or fungal toenails. But because these symptoms are only the tip of the iceberg the general understanding of the full regime for clearing a yeast infestation is not fully appreciated. I have been working in this field for 30 years and from experience I know that candida will only clear if the regime is followed very carefully. There is a lot of information on the net about easy or quick cures but I have never found that they work in the long term. Time and again I have come across sufferers who followed one or other of these plans and after a year or two they are not only back to square one but often they are worse than before. You are dealing with a living organism that wants to survive. If it is not killed totally, it comes back stronger than ever in order to make sure that it does survive. To identify a yeast overgrowth most nutritionists use a questionnaire devised by Dr William Crook, who did pioneering work in America on candida during the 1970's. This questionnaire is extremely accurate in gauging the presence of yeast when taken in conjunction with a patient's general health history. (we can give you a copy of this questionnaire instore)
In my experience it is a four-stage plan. First the yeasts have to be starved by not eating the foods that feed them. Foods that feed yeasts are ALL the sugars, honeys, syrups and ingredient ending in 'ose,' e.g. glucose, lactose (milk products). Anything containing yeasts or that has been fermented i.e., vinegar, alcohol and low alcohol drinks and until you are better ALL fruit, fruit juice and dried fruit because of the fructose. You will not clear candida if you continue to eat fruit. Next good bacteria need to be reintroduced into the gut and you need a supplement that will give you a minimum of 8-10 billion bacteria a day. The immune system can also be boosted with good quality vitamin and mineral supplements (please do not buy supplements from supermarkets, chemists or catalogues as they are not of high enough quality and in the long term a waste of money). And finally a variety of antifungal supplements made from natural substances need to be used to kill off the yeasts. When these processes are followed, it can cause die off – toxins produced by the dead yeast cells; which is nothing to worry about but by taking these processes in stages it helps to ensure that the die off is not unusually severe. And it is possible you will not experience this. However if the symptoms are severe a complete break in the antifungals for a week or two will be fine while the toxins that had been produced are eliminated BUT this does NOT mean relaxing the eating regime!!
In my practice I have used a large variety of antifungals, most of which have anti-bacterial and anti-parasitical properties as well. One type of anti-fungal only will definitely not clear out all the candida. These supplements are best prescribed by a practitioner who specialises in this subject*. There are a number of books available on candida but one of the very best is Erica White's Beat Candida Cookbook, published by Thorson’s”
Ann Rowland Dip ION 2008
*Ann is available for consultations over the phone, get in touch with us for her contact details or to see another practitioner in person.
“An overgrowth of yeasts, of which the yeast candida albicans is just one of many, can cause a whole battery of extremely unpleasant symptoms. To name some: wind and bloating, diarrhoea and constipation, hormonal imbalances and PMT (the yeasts can affect the thyroid and adrenal glands), tiredness or even ME/Chronic Fatigue, poor memory, depression and migraines, acid reflux, stomach pains, joint pain and muscle ache, recurring cystitis, skin problems, chest wheeziness, hyperactivity, low blood sugar and, .... ! I have seen some very sick people over the years and have yet to find anyone with ME/Chronic fatigue who has not got an overgrowth of yeast causing some of their symptoms. When yeasts are present, they need to be brought back under control in order to see what is left. The gut needs to be healthy as it influences the whole of the system in one way or another.
The generally accepted view of candida or yeast overgrowth is thrush, vaginal or oral, or athlete's foot or fungal toenails. But because these symptoms are only the tip of the iceberg the general understanding of the full regime for clearing a yeast infestation is not fully appreciated. I have been working in this field for 30 years and from experience I know that candida will only clear if the regime is followed very carefully. There is a lot of information on the net about easy or quick cures but I have never found that they work in the long term. Time and again I have come across sufferers who followed one or other of these plans and after a year or two they are not only back to square one but often they are worse than before. You are dealing with a living organism that wants to survive. If it is not killed totally, it comes back stronger than ever in order to make sure that it does survive. To identify a yeast overgrowth most nutritionists use a questionnaire devised by Dr William Crook, who did pioneering work in America on candida during the 1970's. This questionnaire is extremely accurate in gauging the presence of yeast when taken in conjunction with a patient's general health history. (we can give you a copy of this questionnaire instore)
In my experience it is a four-stage plan. First the yeasts have to be starved by not eating the foods that feed them. Foods that feed yeasts are ALL the sugars, honeys, syrups and ingredient ending in 'ose,' e.g. glucose, lactose (milk products). Anything containing yeasts or that has been fermented i.e., vinegar, alcohol and low alcohol drinks and until you are better ALL fruit, fruit juice and dried fruit because of the fructose. You will not clear candida if you continue to eat fruit. Next good bacteria need to be reintroduced into the gut and you need a supplement that will give you a minimum of 8-10 billion bacteria a day. The immune system can also be boosted with good quality vitamin and mineral supplements (please do not buy supplements from supermarkets, chemists or catalogues as they are not of high enough quality and in the long term a waste of money). And finally a variety of antifungal supplements made from natural substances need to be used to kill off the yeasts. When these processes are followed, it can cause die off – toxins produced by the dead yeast cells; which is nothing to worry about but by taking these processes in stages it helps to ensure that the die off is not unusually severe. And it is possible you will not experience this. However if the symptoms are severe a complete break in the antifungals for a week or two will be fine while the toxins that had been produced are eliminated BUT this does NOT mean relaxing the eating regime!!
In my practice I have used a large variety of antifungals, most of which have anti-bacterial and anti-parasitical properties as well. One type of anti-fungal only will definitely not clear out all the candida. These supplements are best prescribed by a practitioner who specialises in this subject*. There are a number of books available on candida but one of the very best is Erica White's Beat Candida Cookbook, published by Thorson’s”
Ann Rowland Dip ION 2008
*Ann is available for consultations over the phone, get in touch with us for her contact details or to see another practitioner in person.