Candida and PCOS

There have always been thoughts that Candida is connected to either how we GET PCOS or the reason for the weight gain in PCOS.

So what is Candida?

 Candida Albanians is actually helpful and lives in our gut. Its job is to assist with digestion and nutrient absorption. Candida lives in small number in the genital tract, on the skin and in the bowels.  It’s usually kept balanced by “friendly” bacteria, digestive enzymes and other organisms in our body, but when we are eating lots of sugar and refined carbohydrates, we actually feed the yeast, it proliferates and overgrows wherever it can and causes its own set of symptoms which as you will see, are a lot like PCOS symptoms.  Once we throw off the balance in our bodies the Candida invades, they breed and crowd out the good bacteria. The yeast begins wreaking havoc inside of us. Candida also produces toxic by-products that can infiltrate the bloodstream. These toxins are then identified as foreign invaders by the body’s immune system. Eventually, this yeast can begin to turn “parasitic”, robbing our bodies of our resources for their own benefit.

How do you get Candida overgrowth?

The healthy bacteria in your gut typically keep your candida levels in check. However, several factors can cause the Candida population to get out of hand: 

·         Eating a diet high in refined carbohydrates and sugar (which feed the yeast)

·         Consuming a lot of alcohol 

·         Taking oral contraceptives 

·         Eating a diet high in beneficial fermented foods like Kombucha, sauerkraut and pickles

·         Living a high-stress lifestyle

·         Taking a round of antibiotics that killed too many of those friendly bacteria

Here are 10 common Candida symptoms

1.      Skin and nail fungal infections (such as athlete’s foot or toenail fungus) 

2.     Feeling tired and worn down or suffering from chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia

3.     Digestive issues such as bloating, constipation, or diarrhea

4.     Autoimmune disease such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Ulcerative colitis, Lupus, Psoriasis, PCOS, Scleroderma or Multiple sclerosis

5.     Difficulty concentrating, poor memory, lack of focus, ADD, ADHD and brain fog

6.     Skin issues such as eczema, psoriasis, hives, and rashes

7.     Irritability, mood swings, anxiety, or depression

8.    Vaginal infections , urinary tract infections, rectal itching or vaginal itching

9.     Severe seasonal allergies or itchy ears

10.Strong sugar and refined carbohydrate cravings

Everyone has Candida in their digestive system. The problem occurs when the number of beneficial bacteria and Candida in the gut get out of balance, and the Candida starts to take over. This imbalance can happen when you take artificial hormones such as the Pill or other hormonal birth control, If you ever taken any antibiotics (because antibiotics kill all bacteria, not just the bad ones), or if you eat a high carb, high sugar diet. It can also occur though taking immunosupressive drugs, stress, and if you consume caffeine. Also, if you are taking progesterone , Candida yeast thrive on progesterone, so you're really just making it worse if you do have Candida. If you think may have Candida, contact a naturopath or a mainstream doctor  who will listen and take your seriously. if left untreated, Candida overgrowth can lead to serious complications like leaky gut syndrome, colitis, and Crohn's disease, not to mention our PCOS Symptoms.

There are many things that can be used to control Candida/yeast. Listed below are options that you can chose to use to control it in your body.

Using a combination of two or more of the following things can increase the success of your Candida control.

1. Candex -or- NSI Candida Yeast Management

This product has enzymes that are designed to digest yeast which is supposed to prevent a die off reaction.   For anyone starting a candida control program, I would highly recommend starting with Candex, and using it in additional to anything else that they used to control yeast.  It is best to take the candex on an empty stomach right before bed, or as soon as waking up, but at least an hour before breakfast, so it digest the yeast, not your food.  Candex is made by Pure Essence Labs, and can be found at most health food stores.

Just recently found this: NSI Candida Yeast Management is almost the same as Candex, but a bit more affordable: Click here for more info.

(I used candex throughout my pregnancy with no problems.  It even knocked out my heartburn, NO MORE TUMS, yeah!!!)

2. Herbs: Pau D' Arco, Garlic, Caprylic Acid, grapefruit seed extract.

These herbs, along with pro-biotics, are often included together in many herbal yeast fighter formulas, like Yeast Defense from Nutrition Now, or Yeast Fighters from Twin Lab.  There are other individual herbs that have been used to control yeast, so you might find other things that you prefer to use.

(Pau D' Arco is a mild bood thinner, it is not recommended to take this if you become pregnant.)

3. Pro-biotics (price varies by quality)

Pro-biotics normally keep the yeast population in the intestines under control.  If you have ever taken antibiotics, the good bacteria in the intestines is also killed off, allowing the yeast to grow out of control.  Pro-biotics need to be replaced regularly, especially if you have ever taken, or are taking antibiotics.  

It is best to take pro-biotics that are "stabilized" so they will reach the intestinal tract without being killed by stomach acid.  I recommend NSI Probiotic 15-35.

I DON'T recommend yogurt as a source of probiotics because most are sweetened with high fructose corn syrup, which has been known to contribute to obesity.  The "light" yogurts are sweetened with artificial sweeteners, which are also suspected of causing a reaction in the body which leads to weight gain or retention. 

(I took probiotics throughout my pregnancy with no problems.)

4. Syclovir

Made from plankton, syclovir destroys the candida by doing damage to the cell walls.  It also absorbs toxins as well as kills candida.  Click here for more info about syclovir.

5. Colloidal or Ionic Silver Solution (price varies by quality).  

Colloidal Silver has been used for many centuries to treat infections.  Many people have also used silver solutions for yeast control.  You need to be very careful with silver, and chose a very high quality silver.  

Poor quality silvers are only 15%-65% absorbable.  They can be difficult for the body to eliminate, which could cause a heavy metal build up, resulting in blue fingernails, or skin.  I personally have seen a person with fingernails that have been turned blue because of poor quality colloidal silver use.  Poor quality silvers can also kill the probiotics in the intestinal tract.

(The effects of silver during pregnancy are unknown.  It is not recommended to take silver during pregnancy.)

6. Low-carb diet.

Yeast thrive on carbs, especially simple carbs.  Limit the carbs, and you starve the yeast.  DON'T do a no-carb diet.  It is too dangerous to eliminate all carbs from your diet, since carbs are necessary for burning fat.  

Without carbs, your body will start to use protein in place of the carbs, which leads to excess nitrogen waste in the body, which could result in gout, and other problems.  The body will use any protein source available, including breaking down the muscle tissue from skeletal muscles, and even the heart, resutling in muscle atrophy, or wasting away.

Another consequence of eliminating all carbs is ketoacidosis.  If there are no carbs available to bring the fat molecules completly through the kreb cycle as the fat is being burned, then the cycle stops with the formation of ketones.  Ketones are acidic, and if there are enough ketones in the blood, the result is ketoacidosis.  The body does everything it can to bring the blood pH back to normal.  Many things are wacked out of balance in the efforts to make the blood more alkaline.  If the ketoacidosis is not fixed in time, the result is death.

Don't risk your health, or your life by doing a No-carb diet!

If you are using any of the other methods listed here to control the yeast, then you shouldn't have to eliminate all carbs from your diet.  

It is best to eliminate, or at least reduce the amount of simple, refined carbs.  Eat whole grains instead of refined white bread, white flour, or white rice.  Avoid sugary foods like candy, sweets, sweetened drinks, or even fruit juices.  Water is the best thing to drink to keep you hydrated.  Fruits are better when eaten whole & raw.

7. Micro-current therapy-- zapping

Many people have had success keeping the candida under control by doing micro-current therapy with a device called a zapper.  It uses a small electric current to "zap" the candida.  It has also been used to zap parasites, bacteria, and viruses.

There are several different zappers on the market.  

I use the Ultimate Zapper. 

(The effect of micro-current therapy during pregnancy are unknown.  It is not recomended to continue micro-current therapy once you ovulate.  You can continue again if you don't conceive that month.)

8.  Mercury filling removal.

Mercury and other toxins in the body make an ideal environment for yeast to grow out of control.  Mercury detox begins in the mouth.  If you have any silver colored, or metal dental fillings you are constantly being exposed to mercury contamination.  Those metal fillings are 50% mercury poison!!!  Mercury vapor, is released from the fillings, and enters the body every time you chew, grind, brush, or drink hot liquids.  Mercury fillings must be removed by a dentist who is experienced with mercury removal, otherwise there is the risk of increased mercury exposure during removal.  

Click here for more information about mercury/amalgam fillings.

(Mercury is a dangerous neuro-toxin.  Fetal damage may occur in the presence of mercury.  DO NOT have ANY dental work done on existing metal fillings right before, or during pregnancy, or while breasfeeding.  Any drilling/cleaning done on existing metal fillings will greatly increase the amount of mercury in the body, and could damage a developing fetus, or infant.)

9. Mercury Detox/chelation.

After getting the mercury fillings out, or if you don't have any mercury fillings, then a heavy metal chelation program is necessary to remove the mercury that has become stored in the brain and body tissues.  There are many different things that chelate out mercury from the body.  Extreme Heath has a list of herbs and vitamins that are known to pull out heavy metals.  You can make your own chealtion formula from this list, or take their supplement which has all those ingredients in it.  

Here is another oral chelation protocol that could be used for heavy metal detox.

Oral chelation can take 6 months or more, and during chelation, because the amount of mercury circulating in the body increases, you should not try to become pregnant until after oral chelation has finished, and you are sure that there is no more mercury circulating in the body.. 

PLEASE NOTE: During mercury chelation, since the mercury is being pulled out of the tissues where it has been stored, more mercury is circulating in the body as it is in the process of being eliminated from the body.    The increase of mercury circulating in the body makes the conditions in the body ideal for yeast to over grow.  During this time, you may notice an increase in candida symptoms.  It is very important to use one or more of the things listed above to help keep the candida under control at this time.  The only one that I would not recommend using while doing heavy metal chelation is silver.  Since silver is also a heavy metal, it might be chelated out before it has the chance to work on the yeast, and it might slow down the chelation of the mercury.

Resource from: http://optimalhealth.homestead.com/Candida.html

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-8376/10-signs-you-have-candida-overgrowth-what-to-do-about-it.html