There are a number of common symptoms that can indicate a problem with yeast overgrowth. The signs from these various strains of candida including the super-fungus Candida auris include:
- headaches
- skin rashes such as acne and eczema
- mucous build up in the throat nose and lungs
- sinus infections
- Itching genital infections
- athlete’s foot
- nail fungus (usually occurring in the toenails).
If chronic, yeast overgrowth can affect the nervous system leading to many cognitive symptoms such as:
- brain fog
- poor concentration
- anxiety
- depression
- mood swings
Opportunistic yeast such as candida are organisms that normally exist harmlessly as a normal part of our internal environment. They do not cause harm until they outgrow the good bacteria that keep balance and harmony within the body, which also keeps the immune system functioning properly. At this point is when fungal overgrowth can wreak havoc, disrupting the immune system and progressively leading to one or more of the above symptoms.
What Causes Yeast Overgrowth?
Opportunistic bacteria and yeasts like Candida albicans don’t just spontaneously “take over”.
There’s a reason this happens! I prefer to group these causes into three main categories: stressful lifestyle, poor diet, and pharmaceutical drugs (not just antibiotics) have a powerful impact on our gut flora providing the opening for opportunistic strains of yeast to exert authority and overgrow with dire health consequences over time.
- Diet– A diet high in sugar, starch and processed foods is fuel for yeast to thrive and multiply. This study found that biofilms of Candida are made of 32% glucose. It was found that Candida yeast needs sugar not just to reproduce, but also to create the protection in the form of a biofilm that keeps our immune system from attacking it.
- Lifestyle- A stressful lifestyle can lower immunity and therefore lead to a decrease in beneficial gut flora. Remember 80% of immunity is located in the gut. Keeping bacteria in check is crucial to keeping symptoms and sickness at bay. Other factors that can lead to yeast overgrowth is exposure to chlorinated water, alcohol abuse, and digestive distress coming from a lack of stomach acid (hydrochloric acid) which causes undigested food to putrefy in the gut, leading to symptoms such as constipation and diarrhea.
- Drugs- Antibiotics and the birth control pill are a huge factor in candida and yeast overgrowth. These pharmaceuticals eliminate beneficial flora creating the ideal environment which allows for harmful pathogens to overgrow.
Gut Flora and the Skin
Since the majority of my focus in nutrition is with skin issues, about 95% of my clients have digestive concerns and almost always have some extent of dysbiosis (imbalance of gut bacteria), and of course yeast or other microorganisms that need to be treated. Beyond addressing the three main categories above, eradicating these critters is necessary to see lasting improvements in skin symptoms, whether it’s acne or eczema.
Biofilms: Overlooked Step in Treating Yeast Overgrowth
Much of the information regarding yeast and candida out there addresses treatment, including diet and supplements, although leaves out a very crucial step.
There’s another side of the story that rarely gets talked about that can make all the difference in an effective treatment plan.
Biofilms act as a protective shield around yeast and other microorganisms. This makes it even more challenging to attack the yeast as the antifungals that are taken by most cannot get through this matrix of a biofilm, whether it be drugs or herbal based remedies.
This is how yeast hides and protects itself from being destroyed. One study found that a group of anti-fungal drugs, including Nystatin and Diflucan, which are used to treat Candida, found that they were initially effective until the biofilm developed. At this point, they became less effective and after 72 hours of the biofilm development, the candida cells were highly resistant. This research indicates that drug resistance develops over time due to biofilm development. Now researchers are seeing more common anti-fungal drugs such as amphotericin B and fluconazole developing resistance as well.
Using Enzymes to Attack Yeast Biofilms
Common herbal antifungals (this is a comprehensive formula I use in my practice) used in yeast overgrowth treatment such as oregano oil, black walnut, uva ursi, berberine, and olive leaf can be great options, but these alone won’t do the trick. To properly get to and kill the microorganism that is causing the trouble, you first have to breakdown the biofilm that’s protecting it.
Think of it as attempting to get past a security guard, it’s possible to get through him, you just need a more comprehensive approach to ensure your game plan is effective.
Anti-fungals need to be paired with a biofilm disruptor, which is a combination of specific enzymes that are designed to eat their way through the matrix.
Candida and other types of yeasts have no resistance and are not able to build a resistance to enzymes like they may be able to do with drugs or herbs. There are no side effects, only side benefits with this type of biofilm disruptor. When looking for an enzyme formula (I like this one) make sure and find one that contains a varied number of enzymes to target the layer of the cell wall, biofilm, nucleus and fibrin.
Enzymes to look for specifically in a product are cellulase, glucoamylase, amylase, invertase, protease, and serrapeptase.
Amino Acid (NAC) an Effective Biofilms Disruptor
Another agent that has been studied to also be effective as a biofilm disruptor is N-Acetyl cysteine (NAC). This is an amino acid and a strong antioxidant but also has antibacterial properties. It has been tested on several different bacterias and shown to be effective, especially in upper respiratory infections.
Because of the number of relapses in both bacterial and yeast issues, alternative treatments as these biofilm agents provide are needed to complete eradication. I suggest working with a holistic health care practitioner who has experience treating yeast overgrowth to get an effective treatment plan. This is why an anti-yeast/candida type diet can be difficult and usually not enough. You have to get the support to address the cause effectively otherwise you may not be seeing the results you’re after.
References
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC95423/?report=reader
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16849719
https://idsa.confex.com/idsa/2010/webprogram/Paper2660.html
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2180/10/140
Pau d’Arco: The Best Herb to Beat Back Candida
Can Candida Sufferers Drink Kombucha?
How to Take Probiotics
I’m wondering whether these enzymes might also harm the good bio-film in our guts. According to Sally Fallon-Morell in an article in Wise Traditions, “We need to feed not only ourselves, we also need to feed our bio-film to make sure it’s healthy…. At the same time, we don’t want to hurt our bio-film.”
So it seems there are good and bad bio-films. How do we protect the good ones while getting rid of the bad guys?
Hi Jeanne,
When there is pathogenic bacteria or an overgrowth of yeast present, this is something that needs to be addressed. Taking the enzymes are only for a short period and from what I have researched, I haven’t found there to be any negative side effects to taking them.
Thanks for clarifying, Carla. Looking forward to trying it.
Unless you have an allergy to egg whites!!! Interfase and Interfase Plus have warning about egg allergy. Besides NAC are there other bio film disrupters? How about Bentonite Clay and Diatomacious Earth?
Is Interfase Plus okay for children?
I have had trouble with Candida, leaky gut and very many more extraneous symptoms none of which were pleasant how do I begin to clear these up? Skin issues brain fog indigestion constipation bloating headaches Etc
Will these holistic/herbal treatments control candida species other than c.albicans (which is more common)?
Can you comment on any relation to “Tinea”, the skin fungus. My 9 yo has had a rash of this type for about 6 months…
I’m confused about a paragraph under “Biofilms: Overlooked Step in Treating Yeast Overgrowth” – so nystatin/diflucan are effective until a biofilm develops?
How do you know that you have a biofilm? I was going to have my doctor prescribe one of these antifungals to help with the candida problem, but now I need to go back a step and worry about a biofilm.
It seems to me that you can take the diflucan and can get rid of the candida, but if your intestine is not properly built back up with pre/pro biotics and/or your diet is not perfect (and there are differing opinions as to the best diet for candida – some, including the author of the Perfect Health Diet, say moderate-carb is the way to go for candida), the candida could come back and you could re-manifest symptoms. Now, this COULD be biofilm, but there is no way to be sure. It could be that you didn’t take probiotics and the candida took over your system again.
These supplements can get so so expensive! I’m trying to outline a protocol for myself and will take the biofilm into account for sure. I guess when you get down to it, all of this just calls for some careful self-experimentation, record-keeping, and realization that health in this world is going to cost a lot of money!
I just wish there were easier ways of determining if we actually HAVE things like biofilm instead of assuming we do and spending a ton of money on supplements.
Thanks for your thoughts, Carla!
When I was diagnosed Celiac, my gut yeast was so high that the doctor put me on a Diflucan routine for 6 weeks. I started with one Diflucan and then two days later took another. I did this for 2 weeks. I then had to take one every seventh day for a month. It’s the only way I was able to get my body back on track. If I am contaminated with gluten, I suffer with the discomfort, etc., and I also will end up with a yeast infection. I also get them if I have refined sugar. I am now vegan and I also do not use any refined sugar. It took a little while of cutting back but then I just cut it out completely.
I hope this helps.
Very helpful article, thank you! You mentioned oregano oil, but did you know that the combination of oregano and melalueca (tea tree oil) is also incredibly effective at breaking down biofilm? There is additional information out on the web, but here is a video explaining it briefly.
I was taking something my holistic dr have me and I had to stop because after a week it made me feel incredibly nauseous and sick. I couldnt take care of my kids. Do these things have those same kind of side effects?
Nice article. I am surprised that there is no mention of colloidal silver. Colloidal Silver (CS) is known to break down biofilms, and the underlying fungus. CS stops all known pathogens that it comes in contact with. Search the web and you will find many article about colloidal silver and biofilms, candida, etc. The trick is maintaining a sufficient volume of CS until the pathogens are eliminated. There are many recommendations about how to do this, and some include CS in their GAPS diet.
One example is using a mix of CS and aloe vera juice for a couple of weeks, to enable the CS to get deeper into the digestive system, if that is your target area. Otherwise CS is absorbed into the bloodstream rather quickly. For those concerned about the impact of CS on good flora, just follow your CS intake (not immediately) with some good probiotic foods (which you are hopefully taking anyway).
If you do decide to use CS, I strongly recommend making your own. It is one of the safest, easiest, and most cost effective ways to aid our health.
Victor