So many people go through life suffering from symptoms like fatigue, weight gain, recurrent yeast infections, irritable bowel syndrome, acne,
Eczema, psoriasis dermatitis
and headaches. But as diverse as those symptoms sound, they often all have the same cause - an opportunistic fungus named Candida albicans.

Candida is often misdiagnosed, but today I'm going to explain exactly what it is, how it develops, and how to treat it. I'll list the three most common causes of Candida overgrowth, and then I'll share the three key elements that you must include in a successful Candida treatment plan.

What Is Candida?

Candida albicans is a pathogen that takes advantage of a disruption in the balance of microorganisms in your gut. This balance of 'gut flora' is a crucial part of your immune system and digestive health, but it can easily be lost during periods of stress or after a course of antibiotics. When this balance is lost, the colonies of Candida albicans are able to expand rapidly until they control a large portion of your gut.

If you're wondering why a few extra pathogens in your gut are such a big problem, let me explain. Candida albicans releases up to 79 different byproducts, including uric acid and a powerful neurotoxin named acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde causes chronic headaches and brain fog, and was recently classified as a potential carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Uric acid can cause joint pain and lead to gout if an excess builds up. Meanwhile, the change in your gut flora can lead to digestive problems, food intolerances, yeast infections, and oral thrush.

A study by Rice University found that around 70% of us have Candida Albicans in our guts. That sounds like a lot! However, the fact is that most of the time Candida is completely harmless. It exists in small colonies and is kept under control by the other microorganisms in your gut. Candida only becomes a problem when we do something to change that balance.

Three Common Causes Of Candida Overgrowth

A COURSE OF ANTIBIOTICS

Antibiotics are undoubtedly the most common cause of Candida overgrowth. They can be lifesavers, but they also come with serious side effects that should not be ignored. In fact, broad spectrum antibiotics are often prescribed for illnesses that would quickly clear up with a little rest. Unfortunately, this has some major consequences for our digestive and immune systems.

Broad spectrum antibiotics do exactly what they are designed to do - kill bacteria. But the problem is that not all the bacteria in your body are harmful. In fact, a typical healthy adult carries around 500 strains of bacteria and as many as 100 trillion individual bacteria. Many of these bacteria play important roles in digesting your food and maintaining a healthy immune system.

When antibiotics kill so many of these beneficial bacteria, there is one opportunistic fungus that is ready to take advantage. Because the colonies of Candida albicans no longer face competition for the space and nutrients in your gut, they can quickly multiply and expand. They create protective matrices named biofilms to hide from your immune system. And as they grow, the amount of toxic byproducts they release grows too. This is how those Candida symptoms like chronic headaches and fatiguebegin to develop.

EATING A HIGH-SUGAR DIET

Can diet alone lead to a Candida overgrowth? Yes it can, especially if an unhealthy high-sugar diet is eaten for a long period of time. The modern Western diet is full of sugar and high fructose corn syrup, particularly since the increase in corn subsidies in the 1970s.

Take a walk through the supermarket and sugar is everywhere you look. It appears in the most unlikely placestoo. Processed meats, tortillas, pasta sauce, salad dressings and cereals are all surprising sources of added sugar. And the sugary diet that most of us eat is exactly what Candida albicans needs to thrive.

Of course it's important to note that it takes a long term, high-sugar diet to cause a Candida overgrowth. If you have a healthy diet already, eating one chocolate bar a week won't lead to a Candida overgrowth.

A LONG PERIOD OF STRESS

Anyone who has suffered from stress will agree that it can make physical changes to your body. In fact stress may be one of the major causes of disease in today's society. And there are a couple of different ways in which stress can affect your digestive system and contribute to a Candida outbreak.

First, stress raises your blood sugar. This is the typical 'fight or flight' response - your body senses the stress and makes lots of energy available for whatever happens next. Of course stress rarely comes from physical danger these days (it's more likely to be your boss shouting at you!), but effect of the elevated blood sugar is the same. And secondly, your immune system is weakened by stress as your body's resources are diverted elsewhere, undermining your natural defenses against a Candida overgrowth.

This article on Candida is from
https://www.thecandidadiet.com/an-introduction-to-candida/

If you're struggling with gut health and or mental health problems and have recently taken antibiotics, or your diet is in high refined sugars and processed foods, or dealing with alot of stress
I strongly recommend researching more about Candida and overgrowth and gut health.

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