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Candida Detoxification

• Introduction
• Etiology
• Predisposing Factors
• Pathology
• Prognosis
• Nutritional Therapies for Candida Detoxification
• Recommended Treatment Plan
• Die-Off Reaction

Introduction

Candida Albicans is yeast that normally inhabits a healthy colon in small numbers. Under normal conditions, 'friendly' digestive bacteria dynamically balance the yeast in a synergistic relationship to keep the population minimized. However, the diet of the average North American consists of food that is over processed, low in fiber, and high in refined sugar with large amounts of red meat, chicken and dairy products.

These and other factors (see Predisposing Factors section below) can cause a thick coat of mucus and impacted food residue on the walls of the large intestine. Candida prefers to live in this toxic filth where it is warm, putrid, and lacking in oxygen. In many cases, yeast becomes so prolific that it escapes the confines of the intestinal tract and causes havoc throughout the rest of the body creating a condition termed candidiasis. These microorganisms produce gas and toxic by-products which irritate and damage the target tissues, glands, or organs and severely compromise the immune system.

Candidiasis can present a wide variety of symptoms, with the exact combination and severity dependent upon the individual case. Because candidiasis can manifest itself through so many seemingly unrelated symptoms, diagnosis is very often missed. The symptoms are usually chronic and include but are not limited to the following:

• Allergies: : to foods and/or airborne chemicals, especially if these are acquired in adulthood
• Fatigue: continual, but often more noticeable after eating
• Gastrointestinal: poor digestion (constipation or diarrhea, gas, bloating, cramps, heartburn, nausea, gastritis, colitis, etc.)
• Neurological: Carbohydrate cravings, irritability, mood swings, headaches, migraines, 'fogged-in' feeling, inability to concentrate, poor memory, confusion, dizziness, MS-like symptoms (slurred speech, loss of muscle coordination, vision affected), paranoia without apparent cause, mental incompetence, a variety of other behavioral disturbances
• Genitourinary: vaginal infection, menstrual difficulties, impotence, infertility, prostatitis, rectal itch, urinary tract infection/inflammation (urgency, burning)
• Respiratory: resistance problems (easily catches anything - colds, flues), hay fever, asthma, mucus congestion, postnasal drip, bronchitis, frequent clearing of throat, habitual coughing (usually non-productive) that won’t respond to anything, sore throat, earaches
• Skin: athlete’s foot, jock itch, skin rash, hives, dry brownish patches, psoriasis, ringworm, rough skin on sides of arms which gets worse at certain times of the month or under increased stress
• Miscellaneous: cold extremities, white coating on tongue upon rising (non-fasting state), arthritis-like symptoms, feel bad all over

IMPORTANT: Not all individuals presenting some combination of the above symptoms will have a Candida problem but the likelihood of it is immense.

Etiology

Soon after birth, the microorganism Candida albicans is normally found in the intestinal tract of healthy individuals in its yeast-like 'friendly' form. However, under certain conditions, Candida may be encouraged to change its structure and metabolism to the 'unfriendly' fungal form. This entity is composed of a mycelium - a mass of filaments or long root-like structures which are able to penetrate into tissues. Because of its invasive quality, the mycelial form must be eradicated if treatment is to be successful.

Predisposing Factors

Predisposing factors that stimulate Candida to greatly increase in number and change to the hostile, invasive form include:

• Repeated or prolonged antibiotic use: wide-spectrum antibiotics destroy the healthful intestinal bacteria that control the Candida population. These bacteria also release acids that make the environment less favorable for Candida growth and they often feed off the Candida directly. When antibiotics destroy these bacteria, Candida proliferate and change to the pathogenic mycelial form. After prolonged or frequent (more than 3 times in a year) wide-spectrum antibiotic use, Candidiasis symptoms may start to appear and often linger for life if untreated, especially if one regularly consumes poultry, eggs, meats and/or milk since these usually contain antibiotics and steroids. Chemical preservatives in food also support Candida overgrowth
• Immunosuppressant factors: such as steroid drugs and certain cancer chemotherapeutic agents. Prolonged illness, stress (all forms), alcohol abuse, smoking, lack of exercise, lack of rest, and poor nutrition are also key factors that tend to weaken the immune system normally responsible for eradicating the invasive Candida
• Female gender: Women are somewhat more susceptible to Candidiasis than men for several reasons:
  1. Candida growth is stimulated by the female hormone progesterone. Its levels are elevated during pregnancy and in the second half of each menstrual cycle. Synthetic progestins are found in oral contraceptives
  2. The female anatomy lends itself to the migration of Candida from the rectum to the genito-urinary system. Vaginal yeast infections are a common result
  3. Female hormonal levels are constantly fluctuating and are subject to malfunction from a variety of causes. Sustained high levels of estrogen can occur which tends to impair immune system function
• Poor Diet: The anti-nutrient, low fiber, high refined carbohydrate diets of most Americans will, over a period of years, transform a healthy colon into a lifeless pipe caked with layers of encrusted fecal matter - the site of constant putrification, rancidification, fermentation for toxin-producing bacteria, and an excellent environment for the proliferation of the mycelial tentacles of Candida. Refined sugar is the most desirable food for Candida and the average American consumes 157 pounds of sugar each year!

Pathology

The invasive Candida filaments produce disease affecting the entire body in a number of ways:

• Destruction of the intestinal membrane, allowing for:
  1. Severe leaks of toxins from activity of undesirable microorganisms within the layers of encrusted fecal matter into the bloodstream causing a variety of symptoms and aggravating many pre-existing conditions. Under the anaerobic conditions of the colon, Candida itself will produce a number of toxins (as many as 78 are identified) by fermenting sugars
  2. Absorption of incompletely digested dietary proteins. These are extremely allergenic and may produce a large spectrum of allergic reactions. Food allergies are very common with Candidiasis, as is environmental hypersensitivity (to smoke, auto exhaust, natural gas, perfumes, air pollutants), probably due to Candida filaments infiltrating lung and sinus membranes
• Migration of Candida itself into the bloodstream. Once in the blood, it has access to all body tissues and may cause various gland or organ dysfunctions, weakening the entire system and further lowering resistance to other diseases

Prognosis

With effective treatment, most of the symptoms will significantly improve or disappear altogether. Allergies, chemical sensitivities, food intolerances and fatigue are the most common symptoms to improve. Treatment lasts anywhere from 1 to 12 months, depending on the chronicity of the illness.

Nutritional Therapies for Candida Detoxification

1. Probiotics are 'friendly' digestive bacteria necessary to balance the intestinal yeast and must be reinitiated into the digestive tract after being chronically depleted. The most effective probiotics should be freeze-dried, nondairy-derived supplements in capsule form that contain only the declared and desirable strains of the species. They should also be kept refrigerated. The most common strains found in supplements are Lactobacilllus, Bifidobacterium and Streptococcus.

• To order on-line via the Nutrition Dynamics web site:
• Probiotics – go to the Probiotics section of the product list. The Ultra Flora series are excellent quality

2. Colon Cleanse: The Attogram Program uses psyllium powder and bentonite.

The preferred psyllium consists of both seeds and husks. The seeds, even when crushed into a powder, still retain tiny granules that scrape away the accumulated encrusted fecal matter like a mild sand paper. The husks absorb water and form a gel, retarding passage for a more thorough colon cleansing action.

Bentonite is a volcanic ash, an inert mineral silicate. When processed into a very fine powder and suspended in distilled water, bentonite absorbs like a sponge all the Candida toxins and intestinal waste products without being absorbed into the body, thus eliminating these in the feces. This action also minimizes the die-off reaction by absorbing the Candida toxins before they can enter the body.

Bentonite must be in a liquid form in order to exert optimal effect. If taken in powder or tablet form, the digestive system must then convert it to liquid form, an difficult task however, since bentonite does not mix easily with water.

To order on-line via the Nutrition Dynamics web site

• Bentonite Magma – go to the Probiotic section of the product list
• Psyllium Cleanser – go to fiber or probiotic section of the product list

3. A fungicide is necessary to kill the invasive Candida. Caproyl is the initial fungicide of choice that accompanies the Attogram Program and contains liquid caprylic acid (extracted form coconut oil) and oleic acids (in olive oil). Caprylic acid is a fatty acid with broad-spectrum anti-fungal properties effective against Candida and other fungi but harmless to 'friendly' intestinal bacteria. Oleic acid hinders the conversion of the yeast form of Candida to the more injurious mycelial form. Liquid Caproyl, suspended in the psyllium gel, releases its caprylic acid at a slow, predictable rate through the entire length of the colon.

To order on-line via the Nutrition Dynamics web site:

• Caproyl (liquid form to be used in conjunction with the Attogram psyllium and bentonite colon cleanse)
• Caprylate Complex (caprylic acid in capsule form)

4. Follow-Up Protocols

• Oregano Oil and Thyme Oil both are powerful antimicrobial properties, due to their volatile oils, namely phenol, thymol and carvacrol, which can destroy parasites, worms, fungi, bacteria and many viruses.
  
  
  • To order on-line via the Nutrition Dynamics web site:
  • M106 CandiBactin-AR (contains both thyme and oregano oil)
  
  
  
• Garlic has antibiotic and anti-microbial properties. Allicin, the active antifungal component, attacks the surface of the Candida cells, alters its fat content, and oxidizes a group of its essential enzymes. Garlic has the added benefit of stimulating the immune system.
  
  
  • To order on-line via the Nutrition Dynamics web site:
  • Search product list for "garlic"
  
  
  
• Paud' Arco extract, often added to tea, has anti-fungal properties.
  • To order on-line via the Nutrition Dynamics web site:
  • Search product list for "arco"
  
  
  
• Herbs containing berberine (an alkaloid) have proven to be particularly useful for Candida. These include goldenseal, Oregon grape root and barberry.
  • To order on-line via the Nutrition Dynamics web site:
  • Search product list for "berberine"
  
  
  

5. Diet modification, especially eliminating refined sugar and yeast containing products. Sugar feeds yeast so persistent sugar in the diet defeats the purpose of the detox purge. Additionally, the goal is to purge yeast from the body so continued consumption of yeast products is counter productive. For more detailed diet recommendations, see the Basic Dietary Guidelines. Carbohydrate limiting diets (such as The South Beach Diet, Atkins, or The No Grain Diet) minimize yeast growth and offer good dietary guidelines for candida control since starchy carbohydrate-rich foods that increase blood sugar are significantly reduced. Be sure to include lots of vegetables for colon integrity.

Recommended Treatment Plan:

1. Initial Candida Purge (the Attogram program)

Just once per day on an empty stomach (1/2 hour before a meal or 2 hours after a meal):

• 8 oz. Of water
• 1-2 tablespoons of liquid bentonite
• 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of Caproyl
• 1 heaping teaspoon of psyllium powder

In the above order, combine in a jar with lid (a 1 pint canning jar works well) and shake vigorously for 10-15 seconds. Drink immediately. This can be taken a second time each day to speed the detoxification process but beware of the die-off reaction (see below). Continue this routine for 4 - 12 weeks.

On an empty stomach later in day, 1 capsule probiotic.

2. Continued Candida purge protocol

Take 1-2 times per day:

• 1 capsule probiotic
• 1 capsule of ONE (not each) of the following: Candibactin-AR, Candibactor-BR or Caprylate Complex

Die-Off Reaction

When a large number of Candida are killed off during the initial period of treatment, a great amount of toxic material is suddenly released, resulting in the die-off or Herxheimer reaction. This can produce certain uncomfortable effects such as flu symptoms (stuffiness, headache, general aches, diarrhea), skin rashes, vaginal irritation/discharge, or even something unusual such as numbness in the legs or mental confusion. The exact symptoms are neither important nor do they lend themselves to explanation. The die-off reaction normally lasts from one day to no longer than a week. One of the features of the above program is that the normal die-off reaction, if any, is minimized by the detoxification action of both the psyllium and bentonite since they absorb most of the toxins before they are unleashed into the body.

If symptoms are severe, it may be necessary to cut back the amount of Caproyl added to the mixture. When symptoms subside, gradually increase the Caproyl over the course of several weeks.