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Yeast
Infections, Candida, Thrush |
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Yeast, Candida & Thrush
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Some
people think that to avoid yeast infections, you should avoid
yeast. This sounds almost plausible until you think about it. As with
sharks, spiders, and snakes, yeasts come in all kinds, but only a few of them
are troublemakers. Most yeast infections are caused by one particular
species, Candida albicans. These fungal critters, which are found in any
healthy body, are normally kept in balance by your other resident flora of
"good" bacteria and other microorganisms. But a low immune system,
stress, poor nutrition, and especially antibiotic use, can bring on a Candida
overgrowth. You do not cook with
Candida when you bake bread. You do not eat Candida when you eat cheese.
And even if you did, I doubt if Candida could survive the trip through your
highly-acid stomach. I think eliminating yeast from the diet is barking up
the wrong microbial tree. For the various forms of
yeast infection, I first recommend vegetable
juicing and a near-vegetarian diet, including plenty of unsweetened yogurt. These all help
get the entire body's microbe population back into balance. Eliminating sugar is an absolute
must. Candida love sugar, so starve them. You also need to totally, and
I mean totally avoid alcoholic
beverages. This includes wine and beer. Beverage alcohol (ethanol,
C2H5OH) is a simple carbohydrate, actually an even simpler molecule than the
simplest of sugars (glucose, C6H12O6). Some people may offer the
objection that vegetable juice, such as carrot or beet juices, have a high
glycemic index, that is, contain a lot of sugar. I think this worry is
overstated. Compared to processed, starchy, sweet foods, the sugar content of
carrots is low. If you feel strongly about this, or more especially, if you
have a severe fungal outbreak, there is simple resolution at hand: juice only
vegetables with a low glycemic index, such as leaf lettuce, broccoli,
cabbage, parsley, kale, and other greens. Once you try them juiced, you may
well want to include some carrots or beets in the mix for better taste.
Don’t be a martyr: good root veggies are not going to hurt you. If they
did, every woodchuck, mouse and rabbit would have Candida overgrowths. They
don’t. Neither will you. In addition, to help
bring prompt symptomatic relief, I suggest megadoses of vitamin C. Used in sufficient quantity, I think it
is superior to nystatin, imidazoles or any other pharmaceutical you may be
offered. Drugs may indeed kill fungus, but they do not build your immune
system. Vitamin C does, and it is your immune system that is the key to a
healthy body with healthy balance. Instructions for oral
megavitamin C use, with references, written by medical doctors, will be found
at Direct application of
vitamin C can be a particularly effective antifungal treatment. Due to
where thrush is commonly found, and to the fact that ascorbic acid is, well,
acidic, it is recommended that for topical use you select sodium ascorbate,
or any other non-acidic form of vitamin C. Adding a
few drops of water to a half-teaspoon of vitamin C powder makes a nice paste
that will adhere to the skin when applied with a "Q-Tip" type of
cotton swab. Another method would be to make a vitamin C spray, using
additional water and a cheap sprayer bottle from your local dollar
store. Homeopaths frequently
recommend Borax, 3X or 6X, for thrush. VAGINAL Thrush (Candidiasis or Moniliasis) Some women have
successfully employed ascorbic acid vitamin C tablets (250 mg) as twice-daily
vaginal inserts. Acidophilus, as found in supplements or yogurt, is also very
helpful. But you should get a medical opinion before you self-treat. And if
you want to choose a drug therapy, you go right ahead. Ask around, check the
library, do an internet search, and read up on this to be comfortable with
your decision. Copyright C 2007 and previous years by Andrew W. Saul. Saul is the author of DOCTOR YOURSELF (http://www.doctoryourself.com/saulbooks.html) and FIRE YOUR DOCTOR! (http://www.doctoryourself.com/review.html).
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AN IMPORTANT NOTE: This page is not in any way offered as prescription, diagnosis nor treatment for any disease, illness, infirmity or physical condition. Any form of self-treatment or alternative health program necessarily must involve an individual's acceptance of some risk, and no one should assume otherwise. Persons needing medical care should obtain it from a physician. Consult your doctor before making any health decision. Neither the author nor the webmaster has authorized the use of their names or the use of any material contained within in connection with the sale, promotion or advertising of any product or apparatus. Single-copy reproduction for individual, non-commercial use is permitted providing no alterations of content are made, and credit is given. |
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