Candidiasis Myths by Lita Lee, PhD
I wrote an article years ago on Candidiasis and Other Parasites. It’s available on my website. There are many myths about candidiasis. Below are some of them.
Systemic candidiasis is a myth: According to Dr. Ray Peat, most of what people believe about candida is wrong, but candida can become a problem for sick people. IgA is the main type of antibody on surfaces and secretions and should protect against candidiasis. But IgA is deficient in hypothyroidism, so hypothyroid people have more susceptible membranes, and the yeasts thrive on sugar that can appear in the secretions in diabetes/stress, but they adhere to any cell with estradiol in it, thinking they have found a fertile yeast. Eating sugar and fruit is helpful, rather than harmful as the cultists say, because well nourished yeasts aren’t harmful in the intestine. But starved yeasts need sugar and so they project invasive filaments into the intestinal wall, and can get into the blood stream, at which point — if they aren’t quickly destroyed by white blood cells — they can grow and quickly kill the person. In a typical year, a few people in the world get invasive candida and quickly die, but millions of Americans will insist that they ‘have candida in the bloodstream.’ Eating sugar (fruits, fruit juices) lowers cortisol, keeping the white cells working, helps to increase thyroid, and keeps the yeast from becoming invasive. PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acids or omega-3 and -6 oils) are yeast stimulants, unlike saturated fats. The white film on grapes is a layer of yeast cells, that live there because of the PUFA in the waxy surface of the grape.” (Source: Dr. Ray Peat; http://www.raypeat.com)
The anti-candida diet is unhealthy. In fact the sugars in fruits, as indicated above by Dr. Ray Peat, the yeast in bread, and many other foods on this list have nothing to do with candidiasis. The pro-thyroid diet would be excellent for preventing candidiasis, plus the enzymes and nutritional supplements listed below. Many people who believe they have candidiasis do not really have it. Many clients who come to me believe that they have candidiasis and that it is the cause of all of their health problems. I disagree. Candidiasis isn’t the cause of illness. It is the outcome of a suppressed immune system from a bad diet, overuse of antibiotics or serious illness. Candidiasis is not quite as common as many people believe. Why? Many of the symptoms of candidiasis overlap with those of poor digestion. Also, parasites other than Candida albicans can have very similar signs and indications as those for candidiasis. These symptoms can include bloating, food and environmental allergies, gastrointestinal problems, constipation or diarrhea, itchy skin, skin rashes and so on.
References:
Lita Lee, PhD – April 2003 To Your Health; Candidiasis Myths
