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Excess sugar and processed food can be a large contributing factor to yeast overgrowth (Candida albicans) but there are many others that have been recognised such as Stress, antibiotics, and prolonged use of the OCP. The gut is the body’s gatekeeper letting in helpful foods and getting rid of harmful ones. It is also home to 80% of your immune cells. When the gut is in good shape, the systems run efficiently but when it is not you may have some upset stomach symptoms and you will be at risk for weight gain or digestive problems such as heartburn or constipation. You may just be feeling unwell and out of sorts.
The gut has around 100 trillion bacteria or flora which outnumber the human cells in the boy by a ratio of 10 to 1. These are often referred to as being either “good” or “bad” because they can have either positive or negative effects on your health. There has been a lot of this in the news lately and Michael Moseley has written an excellent book about this which is called “The Clever Guts diet” and said: “Your gut is astonishingly clever. It contains millions of neurons – as many as you would find in the head of a cat. It is also home to the microbiome, trillions of microbes that influence our mood, weight and immune system”.
What are the symptoms of bad bacteria overgrowth:
1) Painful and persistent gas and bloating
2) Recurrent Yeast infections
3) Constipation or diarrhoea
4) Migraines
5) Weight gain
6) Depression or brain fog
7) Skin issues like eczema and acne
8) Food sensitivities
9) Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
The following extract is from an article that the CNN posted (14/06/2014):
“Incredibly, some bacteria might even make you fat: A recent study of twins published in “Nature,” found that when bacteria from an obese human twin were introduced into the digestive systems of lean mice the mice turned fat. When the bacteria from the thin sibling were introduced into lean mice they stayed lean. Studies also suggest that diabetic and obese patients tend to lack a diversity of bacteria and the Cleveland clinic found that some bacteria metabolise components of egg and meat and produce a compound that aids in clogging of arteries and this may explain why some unhealthy eaters get heart disease while others don’t.”
It follows that keeping “gut”flora in right balance so the correct bacteria grow is vitally important for your health and how you feel. So you may be now thinking: “how do I do that?” It is not difficult you have to STARVE the yeast overgrowth. As it thrives on sugar and processed foods you need to stop eating those. I used to recommend probiotic supplements from a company called Higher Nature and others but have come to realise that there simply is no “magic bullet”. Simply taking probiotic supplements and not changing your diet will not work. The best way though to get probiotics is to eat naturally fermented vegetables like Sauerkraut and Kimchi. An analysis found that the amount of probiotics in naturally fermented Sauerkraut is as much as 10 times greater than the commonly used supplements when they were investigated. Even better, making Sauerkraut or Kimchi is easy and cheaper than buying many supplements.
Sugar and processed food are a major cause of bad bacteria (yeast) overgrowth because processed foods and sugar are food for the yeast. This is how stop eating those foods helps to starve the yeast. As you are now putting good bacteria into your gut by eating naturally fermented foods or taking a supplement would it not make sense to fee the good bacteria so they flourish? This is where probiotics come in. Prebiotics are a probiotic food and they are a specialised plant finer that beneficially nourishes the good bacteria already present in the large bowel or colon. They body itself does not digest the plant fibers they act as a fertiliser to promote the growth of the good bacteria in the gut.
Like probiotics you can get prebiotic supplements or by eating the natural source. The following foods contain prebiotic fiber: raw chicory root, raw Artichoke, raw dandelion greens, raw garlic, raw leek, raw onion and cooked onion.