Download A Connection with Yeast - Women`s International Pharmacy

A Connection With Yeast
A Generalized Imbalance That May Leave You Feeling “Bad All Over”
“Of all the things I’ve lost in
life, I miss my mind the most”
is a humorous line found on
posters and refrigerator magnets. Less humorous are the real
complaints of a common yeast
organism called Candida albicans,
including mental fogging, the
inability to concentrate, a short
attention span, a feeling of general spaciness, a loss of former
alertness, and poor memory.
Candida patients often have to
read some things at least three
times, and to their despair, might
still be unable to retain it.
The symptoms affecting the
mind —added to the chronic
complaints of low energy, fatigue, depression, irritability,
angry outbursts, migraine headaches, bladder irritations and
infections, intermittent diarrhea,
constipation, bloating, indigestion, allergic reactions, chemical
intolerances to foods, skin eruptions, vaginal discharge and
itching, menstrual irregularities,
severe menstrual cramps, blurred
vision, and sinusitis—may make
you feel as if you are losing your
mind! Your healthcare practitioner may even have hinted that
“it’s all in your head” after not
being able to discover a specific
medical diagnosis to cover your
medical complaints. Thousands
of people have been labeled mentally or emotionally ill when they
indeed have a legitimate health
problem.
bacteria, within the normal flora of the gastrointestinal tract.
According to some medical
professionals, the cause of these
varied medical complaints
could be Candida albicans, a
generalized yeast infection.
In The Yeast Syndrome, John
Parks Trowbridge, MD, described Candida overgrowth as a
“medical condition … affecting
approximately one-third of the
total populations of all Western
industrialized countries.”
What Is Candida
Albicans?
Candida albicans are yeast cells
that, in normal circumstances,
are only present in the gastrointestinal tract and on the skin,
mucosa, esophagus and small
intestine. The Candida yeast cells
consume substances such as
sugar in order to survive, and
usually live in harmony with
other bacterial flora present in
and on the body. Typically, one
Candida organism lives in a concentration of millions of other
The normal balance prevents
yeast from overgrowing and
causing problems. Candida is
normally controlled by our
immune defenses. However,
when our internal environment is disrupted by taking
antibiotics, helpful bacteria
tend to be decreased. Antigens
and toxins overwhelm immune
system cells and our immunity
decreases, causing conditions
in which Candida colonization
may begin.
The Candida organism exists as
a “spore” in the gut, in a somewhat rounded form. When the
immune system is weakened,
Candida assumes a thread-like
shape and goes through the gut
(stomach and intestine) wall
releasing powerful toxins that
may be absorbed into deeper
tissues or the blood stream, and
damages the gut wall, allowing
foreign substances to enter.
Once the boundary into the
blood stream is broken down,
incompletely digested dietary
proteins may travel through
the blood stream assaulting the
immune system. The immune
system then produces antibodies, causing allergic reactions.
For example, a cerebral allergy
may cause depression, mood
swings, memory problems and
changes in behavior.
Continued on Page 2
1
When Candida multiplies in the
intestinal tract, toxins produced
find their way into other tissues,
resulting in a wide range of problems, including chronic fatigue,
headache, and depression. Candida
overgrowth can also lead to a
“leaky gut” and subsequent food
sensitivities.
According to William G. Crook,
MD, author of The Yeast Connection Handbook, there is a growing
consensus among healthcare practitioners that vulvodynia (chronic
vulvar discomfort) and a variety of
other disorders, such as fibromyalgia and endometriosis, may also be
yeast related. Most people seem to
develop these disorders as a result
of a weakened immune system,
in which viruses are activated,
yeasts multiply, food and chemical allergies become activated, and
nutritional deficiencies develop.
While Candida albicans may not be
the root cause, mounting evidence
supports the notion that people
with these disorders are helped by
a sugar-free diet and antifungal
medications.
Conditions That
Encourage Candida
Overgrowth
Conditions that encourage yeast
overgrowth include the use of antibiotics, taking cortisone, the birth
control pill, multiple pregnancies,
worry, stress, and diet.
Eating foods high in mold or yeast
content (such as bread, brewer’s
yeast, beer, and mushrooms), as
well as diets high in refined or
simple sugar carbohydrates (such
as sweets, chips, and pastas), create
an imbalance in our body, producing an environment that fosters
yeast growth.
This generalized yeast infection
grows more abundantly when our
body’s resistance has been lowered
due to nutritional deficiency, infection, or environmental toxins.
... vulvodynia (chronic vulvar discomfort)
and a variety of other disorders, such as
fibro­myalgia and endometriosis, may also
be yeast related.
When you take long-term antibiotics to control against infections
or acne, or take them repeatedly
for colds, many of the helpful
bacteria in your digestive tract are
killed. Since yeasts aren’t harmed
by these antibiotics, they spread
out and colonize.
When yeasts multiply and an
overgrowth situation occurs,
they put out toxins that circulate
throughout the body, weakening
the immune system and leaving
you “feeling bad all over.” With a
weakened immune system, you’re
more likely to develop respiratory
and digestive disorders that your
body is unable to fight.
Other factors that weaken the immune system include nutritional
deficiencies caused by inadequate
intake and/or poor absorption of
essential amino acids, essential
fatty acids, complex carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.
Excessive worry, obsession, and
burying your feelings deep within
may also play an important role
in the development of Candida
overgrowth, as these can gradually lead to a weakened immune
system.
Susceptibility
Both women and men are susceptible to chronic Candida dis­orders.
Those disorders can affect nine
different body systems: digestive,
nervous, cardiovascular, lymphatic, respiratory, reproductive,
urinary, endocrine and musculo­
skeletal. Each of these systems
may be affected, with varying degrees of severity over time.
Because Candida is always present
in our bodies, every individual
has the potential for developing
a Candida overgrowth condition
sometime during their lifetime.
However, about 60% of the yeast
syndrome cases occur in women.
Reasons for this may be that
women go to healthcare practitioners more frequently and receive
more antibiotics than men. Also,
hormonal changes associated with
the normal monthly menstrual
cycle, use of the birth control pill,
and hormonal changes during
pregnancy also contribute to yeast
growth.
Candida symptoms typically occur when a person’s immunity
becomes compromised due to
antibiotics, diet, or other factors.
This creates an environment in
which the yeasts increase in number and release toxins that weaken
the immune system. The body’s
defense system becomes ineffective, causing membranes to swell
and germs to multiply, and an
invasion of deeper tissues to take
place. This can cause throat, sinus,
bladder, and other infections. Taking antibiotics to combat these
infections further perpetuates the
yeast growth with a guarantee of
continued health problems, unless
appro­priate Candida treatment is
started.
Continued on Page 3
2
Endocrine System
Candida upsets the female hormone cycle. Candida can bind
hormones producing a deficit
within normal cells. When Candida
exhausts the endocrine system,
it can lead to the development of
other medical conditions, such
as PMS, ovaritis, hypothyroidism, thyroiditis, hypoadrenalism,
diabetes mellitus, hypoparathyroidism, pernicious anemia,
hepatitis, pemphigus, allergic
rhinitis, schizophrenia, Addison’s disease, myasthenia gravis,
alopecia, vitiligo, autism, sprue,
celiac disease, idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura, pituitary
deficiency with amenorrhea,
systemic lupus erythematosis,
rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren’s
syndrome, and Goodpasture’s
syndrome. These disorders are all
systemic autoimmune problems
that may be linked to Candida.
Premenstrual Syndrome
Many women with chronic
Candida experience PMS symptoms that could be related to yeast
overgrowth. Women with a history of feeling worse on damp
days, chemical hypersensitivities, intolerance to birth control
pills, or recurrent vaginitis—and
who have received repeated
anti­biotics—may have yeastconnected PMS. These symptoms
may be helped with anti-Candida
therapy.
Interference with
Hormone Medications
Ineffective oral hormone replacement therapies may be due to gut
wall damage caused by Candida.
When inadequate hormone blood
levels or poor resolution of PMS
or menopausal symptoms occur
with natural hormone therapies,
it may be a good idea to try other
methods of taking the hormones.
the skin absorption is good and
symptoms of hormone deprivation may be more easily relieved.
Progesterone and estrogen can also
be given sublingually, vaginally,
rectally or by injection to avoid absorption problems with the gut.
It has been demonstrated that the
Candida organism may bind estrogen, preventing it from filling
estrogen receptor sites. Women
with Candida overgrowth problems
may need more estrogen replacement to get a satisfactory response.
A patient with pre-existing yeastrelated conditions, (i.e., sinusitis,
a tendency toward vaginal infections, or stomach and intestinal
problems) may notice that the
symptoms get worse when taking
progesterone supplementation.
It may be that the Candida organism thrives in the presence of
progesterone.
Progesterone plays many roles
and can contribute to rebuilding
impaired adrenal function. When
the body converts the progesterone
to other hormones, there is less
progesterone available to fill progesterone receptors.
Ironically, estrogen side-effects
may occur when progesterone
therapy is initiated. Estrogen
Candida symptoms
typically occur
when a person’s
immunity becomes
compromised due
to antibiotics, diet,
or other factors.
In the case of steroidal (i.e., estrogen and progesterone) hormones,
symptoms such as headaches, nausea and depression sometime get
worse with progesterone replacement, particularly when the dose is
small. Progesterone stimulates estrogen receptors for estrogen. The
initial stimulation occurs and potentiates the estrogen effect. When
activity is potentiated, the amount
of non-converted progesterone may
not be enough to counter or balance these symptoms. Higher doses
of progesterone may be needed.
When a woman has a Candida overgrowth problem and a hormonal
deficit, it is important to treat both
of these problems at the same time.
It can be done successfully, as long
as it is managed properly.
In Candida: Diet Against It, Dr.
Luc De Schepper says “starve the
Candida, kill the Candida, rebuild
the immune system.” Aggressively addressing these steps with
proper diet and exercise, antifungal
measures, and immune support
should be concurrent with progesterone replacement. Begin with low
doses of progesterone and build
up on that. Eventually, a point of
renewed health can be reached.
Many patients may exhibit some
estrogen deficiency problems, such
as hot flashes. When using estrogen
supplementation, it becomes a triple management problem trying to
address the hot flashes, the Candida,
and the progesterone.
Hypoglycemia
Many Candida patients have been
diagnosed as having hypoglycemia, which can be a result of
Candida overgrowth. Patients may
be very stimulated by sugar, crave
it enormously, and then have a letdown, even to the point of falling
asleep.
In Lick the Sugar Habit, Nancy
Appleton is inclined to believe that
those metabolic problems and the
problems with Candida are created
by too much sugar in the diet to
begin with. Diets containing large
Continued on Page 4
3
A Quixotic Relationship Between Yeast and Mercury
Theories abound about the correlations between yeast overgrowth and
mercury, but it is unclear what comes first. Mercury exposure from dental amalgams and food sources can contribute to a rise in Candida. This
could be mediated through damage to the immune system.
Alternatively, Candida and other yeast organisms are known to convert
in­organic mercury into more toxic forms. Yeast organisms also store mercury, which means that aggressive yeast therapies may release more mercury into the body leading to an acute mercury toxic burden.
amounts of refined sugar
cause the pancreas to put out
extra insulin. Nervousness,
weakness, irritability, drowsiness, and other symptoms
of hypoglycemia are a result
of rapid up and down fluctuations occurring in blood
and brain sugar levels. Eating refined sugars feeds the
yeast, causing it to multiply.
The result is that toxins are
produced, which may cause
symptoms all over the body.
Cravings for sugar may also
be the result of regular monthly hormone fluctuations.
Progesterone, testosterone,
and hydrocortisone are hormones that aid in glucose
regulation. These hormones
help move sugar from cell
storage into the blood stream,
bringing up the blood sugar
level, which may encourage
the Candida organism to flare.
A hypoglycemic woman with
Candida, who also takes hormone medications, may have
more significant symptoms of
hypoglycemia from the drop
in blood sugar occurring as
the yeast growth increases.
A woman’s progesterone level
increases the week before
the beginning of menstruation. Progesterone raises the
amount of glucose or sugar
in the blood, which is exactly
what yeast cells thrive on.
It comes as no surprise that
women with Candida crave
sugar premenstrually because
that is exactly what the yeast
cells are screaming for. Then,
the increased sugar intake often leads to irritability, mood
swings and depression.
Diagnosis
If you’ve had thoughts like “I
never feel 100% healthy” or
you “just feel bad all over” at
times, discuss the possibility
of a Candida problem with
your healthcare practitioner.
This diagnosis may have been
missed previously because
you’ve never connected and/
or discussed all of your symptoms before.
A lab urinalysis that detects an
organic acid associated with
yeast is also available.
Your medical history is another
valuable diagnostic tool. If
you identify with many of the
Candida symptoms, evaluate
your personal medical history
to see if it includes some of the
following factors:
n Frequent or continuous
use of antibiotics for respiratory, urinary, or other
infections
n Use of the birth control pill
for more than six months
n Use of cortisone-type
drugs such as prednisone
or Decadron®
n Surgical intervention or
severe burns
n Cravings for breads, sugar,
or alcoholic beverages
n Mild to severe symptoms
due to exposure to perfumes, insecticides, or
clothing store odors and
other chemicals
n Symptoms worsen on
damp, muggy days, or
when you are in basements
or moldy places
Your practitioner’s laboratoryassisted diagnosis of Candida
syndrome may include:
n Athlete’s foot, ring worm,
or other chronic fungus infections of the skin or nails
n Nutritional profile
n Bothered by tobacco
smoke.
n Food hypersensitivity
profile
n Fungal hypersensitivity
profile
n Chronic fungal disease
profile, focusing on antibodies to Candida antigen
n Chronic viral disease profile, seeking evidence of
past, present, or chronic
Epstein Bar Virus, cytomegalovirus (CMV), and
herpes virus infections.
Dietary Guidelines
Dietary changes could solve
your yeast-connected health
problems. Some fundamental
guidelines include:
n Eat nutritional fresh food.
n Rotate your foods. Food
sensitivities or allergies are
more common if you eat
the same foods every day,
and this will also help you
identify any food allergies.
Continued on Page 5
4
n Avoid refined carbohydrates, including sugar,
corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, honey, maple syrup
and date syrup.
n Avoid refined, processed,
and fabricated foods; these
foods usually contain sugar,
yeasts and other hidden
ingredients that may feed
Candida.
n Try avoiding milk and
fruits. After a few weeks,
rotate them back into
your diet and monitor for
symptoms.
n Try avoiding foods that
contain yeast, such as bread,
cheese and beer. After a few
weeks, try foods with yeast
again to see if you react to
them. If not, you may add
them back in moderation.
n Eat unsweetened yogurt
and take nutritional
sup­­plements, such as
Lacto­bacillus acidophilus
(see box below), vitamins
and minerals.
n Consume foods containing
short-chain fatty acids, such
as butter and coconut oil.
n Consume aged garlic extract
(or fresh garlic cloves).
Dr. Trowbridge recommends
a four-phase “Celebration of
Healthy Eating” program. If
you follow his eating program
fully, it can eliminate or control
most Candida symptoms.
Phase One involves eating a
MEVY (meat, eggs, vegetables
and yogurt with acidophilus)
diet to counteract the Candida
symptoms.
Lactobacillus Acidophilus
Lactobacillus Acidophilus is one form of probiotic or “friendly” bacteria
that helps control yeast overgrowth by competing with Candida in the
digestive tract. This friendly bacteria is commonly killed when you use
antibiotics. Candida albicans is unaffected by the antibiotics and proliferates when the friendly bacteria is not there to keep it in balance.
Lactobacilli are considered to be the protective flora in the vagina. Lactobacilli produce lactic acid, maintaining an acidic pH of 4.0–4.5, thereby
protecting against vaginal infection. Candida is less likely to attach to
vaginal epithelial cells when the pH of the vagina is acidic. Maximal attachment occurs when the pH is neutral, at a pH of 7.3. Lactobacilli have
also been shown to inhibit other vaginal micro-organisms, including Escherichia coli, Garderella vaginalis, and Mobiluncus species.
Products that contain Lactobacillus acidophilus include yogurt, acidophilus
milk, and Lactobacillus powders and tablets. The bacteria provide essential vitamins, proteins and other nutrients for your body. When you take
prepa­rations of this friendly bacteria, they become implanted and start
multiplying, thus restoring a more normal balance among the friendly and
unfriendly germs in your digestive tract. You can purchase acidophilus
milk in most grocery or health food stores. Lactobacillus acidophilus powder or tablets are available as supplements through Women’s International
Pharmacy, or over-the-counter at most pharmacies or natural food stores.
Our newsletter titled The Promise of Probiotics discusses these friendly
bacteria in more detail.
Phase Two adds some foods
that could encourage yeast
growth if they were consumed
in excess.
Phase Three lets you add moderate amounts of fruits and
other foods with yeast or a higher sugar/carbohydrate content.
Phase Four encourages you to
choose items from many different food families. These foods
contain yeast or are foods with
an elevated sugar/carbohydrate
content that you are unable to
eat when you have a weakened
immune system from Candida
overgrowth.
Treatment
In addition to the dietary guidelines mentioned, treating a
Candida problem may involve
avoiding other things in your
environment that may be contributing to a yeast overgrowth,
such as:
n Moldy conditions in your
home, such as mold in your
refrigerator, bathroom or
basement, or mold in your
workplace
n Chemicals, such as perfumes, insecticides and
smoke
n Birth control pills, anti­
biotics and cortisone-type
medications
n Alcoholic beverages.
Other treatments include:
n Taking Nystatin or other
antifungal drugs
n Taking probiotics (see The
Promise of Probiotics for more
information) and nutritional
supplements to support
your body’s immunity
n Drinking tabebuia/
la pacho/taheebo tea
(an herbal remedy).
Continued on Page 6
5
References
Depending on the severity of the overgrowth,
eradicating Candida may prove difficult. Research
indicates that Candida organisms are able to form biofilms (a type of slime that encases colonies of mixed
organisms) that make them resistant to treatment,
and promotes frequent reinfection. Enzymes, metal
chelating agents, and probiotics such as Saccharomyces boulardii may help eradicate the biofilm, allowing
dietary changes and other treatments to be more
effective.
For more information on Candida, please refer to the
following organizations and publications:
n The Yeast Connection:
www.yeastconnection.com
n Endometriosis Association:
www.endometriosisassn.org
n Fibromyalgia Network:
www.fmnetnews.com
Treatment will require patience on your part, and it
may take some time for you to get well. In fact, once
you start treatment, you may actually feel worse for
a short time while the Candida organisms start to die
off and their toxins are released into your system.
If this happens, don’t give up entirely on your diet
and treatment plan; back off a little bit and continue
more slowly to give your body some time to adjust.
After all, your yeast overgrowth problem didn’t develop overnight, so you can’t expect it to go away
overnight.
n The Yeast Syndrome by John Parks Trowbridge,
MD, and Morton Walker, DPM; Bantam Books;
New York, NY; 1986.
n The Yeast Connection Handbook by William Crook,
MD; Professional Books, Inc.; Jackson, TN; 2002.
n Candida: Diet Against It by Luc De Schepper, MD,
PhD; Foulsham; London; 1989.
n Lick the Sugar Habit by Nancy Appleton, PhD;
Avery Publishing Group; New York, NY; 1988.
n “Transformation of Inorganic Mercury by
Candida Albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae”
by Shmuel Yannai et al; Applied and Environmental Microbiology; Jan 1991, pp. 245-247.
Note: This newsletter was originally published in
September 2004, updated in May 2011 and updated
again in October 2012.
n The Missing Diagnosis by C. Orian Truss, MD;
Self-published; 1986.
n “Candida, Fungal-Type Dysbiosis, and Chronic
Disease: Exploring the Nature of the Yeast Connection” by Stephen Olmstead, MD, et al.; in the
Townsend Letter, June 2012.
n The Promise of Probiotics published by Women’s
International Pharmacy; updated November
2012.
Connections is a publication of Women’s International Pharmacy, which is dedicated to the education and management of PMS, menopause, infertility, postpartum depression, and other hormone-related conditions and therapies.
This publication is distributed with the understanding that it does not constitute medical advice for individual problems.
Although material is intended to be accurate, please seek proper medical advice from a competent healthcare professional.
Publisher: Constance Kindschi Hegerfeld, Executive VP, Women’s International Pharmacy
Co-Editors: Julie Johnson and Carol Petersen, RPh, CNP; Women’s International Pharmacy
Writer: Nicole Resnick & Kathleen McCormick, McCormick Communications Illustrator: Amelia Janes, Midwest Educational Graphics
Copyright © October 2012, Women’s International Pharmacy. This newsletter may not be reproduced or distributed
without the permission of Women’s International Pharmacy.
®
For more information, please visit www.womensinternational.com or call (800) 279-5708.
Women’s International Pharmacy | Madison, WI 53718 | Youngtown, AZ 85363
6