VERIFIED CONTENTAuthor: Dominika Wilk
Candidiasis most often appears when immunity decreases. Therefore, a diet to combat yeast overgrowth should strengthen the immune system and eliminate the food that is the main nutrient for the mushrooms. What to eat and what to avoid in case of candidiasis?
Candidiasis is an overgrowth of yeasts, most often of the Candida albicans species, which occurs when the intestinal microbiota is disturbed and the human immune system is weakened. Although Candida albicans lives naturally in the human body and is not a problem in a he althy person, in the case of decreased immunity it can overgrow, causing a number of adverse symptoms.
What are the symptoms of candidiasis?
The most common symptoms of candidiasis include:
- formation of mouth ulcers and erosions,
- white coating on the tongue,
- pain when swallowing,
- flatulence,
- burning of the vulva.
Due to the severity of symptoms and the fact that it disturbs the proper functioning of the body, and can also lead to a severe form of candidiasis called candidemia (it is a systemic bloodstream infection that requires hospitalization), it is necessary to prevent the growth of yeasts at the slightest symptoms. For this purpose, pharmacological treatment, appropriate diet and supplementation are used.
Diet supporting the elimination of candidiasis
Although it is not possible to cure candidiasis with diet alone, it can limit the growth of yeasts. They usually eat simple sugars, so you need to eliminate most of the products containing them from your diet. They mainly include:
- sweets,
- sweet drinks,
- but also breakfast cereals,
- ketchup,
- ready-made sauces,
- muesli.
Completely simple sugars from the diet can not be excluded, because you need to be aware that even eating complex carbohydrates such as groats, whole grain bread, they will eventually be broken down into glucose. For this reason, it is worth reducing the amount of carbohydrates in the diet, but certainly not completely eliminating it.
Also, a diet based solely on meat and fat is not a remedy for Candida. The yeasts will then go into the spore form, but whenwill return to the old diet - richer in carbohydrates, the problem may reappear.
How to permanently recover from Candida?
You need to take care of the proper condition of the intestinal microbiota and strengthen the body so that it can cope with the excess of candida on its own. In some cases, pharmacological intervention is also important, which will help you deal with the problem at a given moment.
Products beneficial in the elimination of candidiasis
Garlic
Eating raw garlic is definitely a good idea if you want to inhibit the development of candidiasis. However, it is even better to use water extracts and extracts made of it, because they have a strong antifungal effect.
Research conducted by Motsei et al. Has shown that the aqueous extract of this plant can inhibit Candida albicans, both those that appear in the body of infants and adults.
It's also interesting that some studies find garlic to be effective even after it has been subjected to higher temperatures and also after freeze-drying. Such freeze-dried garlic, as proved by Shams-Ggahfrokli et al., Is able to inhibit the growth of up to 55 different species of yeast-like fungi.
The action of garlic is based primarily on inhibiting the development and respiration of yeasts, which effectively prevents their further overgrowth. Therefore, it is worth eating a pressed clove of garlic and crushed with s alt to the cottage cheese or adding it to salads, because this will help you get rid of Candida symptoms faster.
Onion
Onion is another vegetable that can inhibit the growth of yeasts. The first reports on this topic come from 1857, when Louis Pasteur noticed that onion juice was able to inhibit the growth of baker's yeast. It was later found to be able to block the growth of Candida albicans.
Onions should be added to vegetable salads and salads, thus speeding up the healing process.
Other productsrecommended in the diet against candidiasis are those that include:
- omega-3 fatty acids (fatty fish such as: salmon, halibut, mackerel; fish oil),
- zinc (pumpkin seeds, nuts, liver),
- vitamin C (sea buckthorn, parsley, currants, strawberries, raspberries),
- antioxidants, especially polyphenols (berries),
- vitamins A, D and E (vegetable oils: linseed oil, olive oil, hemp oil, blackcurrant seed oil).
Products to avoid for candidiasis
The following products are not indicated for yeast growth:
- white sugar, brown sugar,
- jams, marmalades, preserves,
- molasses,
- breakfast cereals,
- yeast-based bread and confectionery,
- alcohol,
- fruit juices,
- fruit in syrup,
- yellow cheeses, blue cheeses,
- white rice, noodles,
- fruits with a lot of fructose: bananas, grapes,
- dried fruits, especially candied ones.
Supplements supporting the fight against candidiasis
Caraway oil
Research on Kędzis carried out on 33 strains of the Candida species showed that caraway oil is able to effectively inhibit the growth of yeasts. The species tested include strains belonging to:
- C. glabarata (3 strains),
- C. krusei (4 strains),
- Candida albicans (10 strains),
- C. kefyr (2 strains),
- C. guilliermondi (2 strains),
- C. lusitaniae (2 strains),
- C. parapsilosis (3 strains),
- C. tropicalis (5 strains),
- C. utilis (2 strains)
- and 5 reference strains from different species.
The strains of Candida utilis and C. glabrata showed the highest sensitivity to the oil.
C. parapsilosis and C. tropicalis responded equally well.
Candida albicans needed higher concentrations than other species to inhibit growth. Nevertheless, studies have shown that caraway oil used in low concentrations shows high activity against the above-mentioned yeasts.
Oregano oil
Oregano oil, due to the content of thymol and carvacrol, has a strong antifungal effect. In studies conducted, for example, on 16 Candida isolates, it was proved that each of them was sensitive to this essential oil. Therefore, it has been found that this oil can be a good alternative for the treatment of candidiasis.
It should be remembered, however, that people with irritated mucosa of the digestive system and stomach ulcers should not take this preparation, as it can strongly irritate the mucosa. For the same reason, even he althy people should not use it for too long.
It is important to emphasize that undiluted oregano oil should always be taken after dissolving it in another oil, not in water (because in the latter case it will not be diluted). In addition, it is always better absorbed in the presence of food than when drunk between meals.
Thyme essential oil
Thyme oil can be a weapon against Candida strains as it destroys ergosterol in the yeast cell membrane. Medicines work in a similar wayantifungal agents that impair the fungus membrane function, preventing it from growing further.
The thymol contained in thyme has long been used as an antimicrobial agent, but also as an antifungal agent in dentistry. It inhibits pathogens in the oral cavity, and when combined with other essential oils, it can even inhibit dental caries.
Research by de Castro et al. Shows that thyme oil in combination with nystatin is an effective weapon against Candida fungi.
Probiotics
Intestinal dysbiosis combined with weakened immunity is the main cause of Candida growth. Therefore, if we want to permanently get rid of yeast overgrowth, we need to bring the gut microbiota into balance. Probiotics containing strains of bacteria of the genus Lactobacillus, which show antifungal activity, are very helpful in this regard.
Antagonistic action against Candida is possible thanks to the produced by them hydroxylated fatty acids, compounds with low molecular weight or cyclic dipeptides.
Bacteria of the Lactobacillus genus, by producing metabolites and organic acids that are unfavorable for Candida, make the environment in which they live unfavorable for the growth of yeasts.
Grapefruit seed extract
As the research of Krajewska-Kułak et al. Shows, grapefruit extract shows high activity against Candida albicans strains (50 strains were tested).
Similar results were obtained by the results of Kędza research. It is worth emphasizing that grapefruit extract can act on those yeast strains that are resistant to drugs, so it can cope with this candidiasis in which pharmacology does not give good results.
Grapefruit extracts are available at every pharmacy, and the method of their use is provided on the leaflet. It is important, however, that products obtained from citrus fruits should not be taken with medications (you need to keep an appropriate time interval), because they can enhance the effects of some medications (up to 15 times) and thus pose a serious threat to he alth.