What is Candida?
What is Candida, an overview.
Candida is a scourge for many people. Until very recently there has been little recognition of Candida and even less offered by way of useful and permanent help to fight what, for many people is a condition which does quite literally ruin lives.
In simple terms , Candida in a healthy person is quite normal. When a person becomes Dysbiotic, (see Dysbiosis) Candida can morph to become a pathogenic (injurious) invasive fungus. This can come about as a result of overuse of antibiotics or steroids or in cases of severe stress on the body's defences.
Candida first grows in the gut, as a fungus, creating an environment which allows it to thrive at the expense of a number of important dietary functions. The synthesis and absorption of vitamins and minerals are prevented, the acidity of the intestine is increased and digestive enzyme production impaired. All these features allow Candida to establish itself in the intestines, while beginning to weaken the host due to the malabsorption of minerals and vitamins essential for a huge number of chemical processes in a healthy body. Have a look here to see if any of these relate to your own experiences. This would be an indication that your have damaged bacterial flora in your intestines.
deficiency related symptoms
• skin complaints
• poor appetite
• depressed immune
• loss of libido
• muscle weakness / spasms
• insomnia
• poor memory
• depression
• apathy
• confusion
• arrhythmia
• numbness / tingling
• anaemia
• reproductive problems
Once established Candida alters the pH of the intestines, creating the wrong acidity for beneficial bacteria to maintain their colonies. Crucial metabolic reactions fail to take place, while the lack of digestive enzymes lead to digestive disorders (bloating, indigestion, acidity, wind and sensitivities to food groups are indications of this).
Candida itself is made up of lipids and protein. By deactivating production of Protease and Lipase it protects itself from damage (but also prevents proper digestion of foodstuffs leading to nutrient deficiancies) It is Lipase and Protease that are the enzymes that need supplementing in order to overcome this deficiency, but at the same time you need to address the underlying cause, which is the Candida itself. Threelac or Symbion probiotics provide the most effective control for overgrowth of candida in the intestines. You can try them for up to 60 days - and if you find the above statement is untrue, you will get a full refund.
You can use the questionnaire below to see if it may be a cause of your own problems but first I need to explain a little about why it could become a problem.
Once the Candida has a digestive dominance it grows root like structures, Rhizoids, which penetrate the gut wall. This allows the Candida to establish colonies outside the gut. This is termed a systemic infection. The parasite is now able to colonise any area that the blood can reach. It thrives in anaerobic conditions (low oxygen) so its first targets include joints, sinuses, muscles and other organs where oxygen levels are low (indicators are joint pain, sinus problem, aching muscles, repeat headaches, low level or migraines). Apart from the problems caused by deficiency in minerals and vitamins, Candida can go on to physically invade areas of the body that then allow bacterial infections to take hold. Sinisitus is an example where bacteria can grow on the fungal deposits - requiring antibiotics to tempararily provide relief. (Sinusitus sufferes will understand what I mean here).
There are a host of symptoms that can give an indication of a Candida infection. Even healthy people will suffer from one or two of these during a lifetime ( which would not indicate an infection), but if you can identify a good number that have been troublesome and/or long term, then it may well indicate an infection of Candida Albicans. I have developed a questionnaire of some 55 questions which would give you an indication of whether Candida may be responsible for your ailments.