Balancing Probiotics and Candida Yeast

by Vicki Koenig, MS, RD, CDN

Candida albicans is a naturally occurring yeast organism that lives within us. It’s part of our natural bacterial makeup: found inside the mouth, throughout the intestinal tract, on moist skin, and the vagina. In a balanced state, the yeast population is controlled by friendly bacteria like Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacteria bifidum and a healthy immune system. If this balance is disrupted, the yeast multiplies, causing infections with varied ailments. Most common is a vaginal yeast infection. This may clear up with medication, but can become pervasive into the bloodstream.

There are as many as 80 million Americans who suffer from yeast-related problems. A successful resolution of Candidiasis requires a comprehensive defense.

What Causes Increased Candida Growth?
The risk factors include: compromised immunity, (like with AIDS or cancer), hormonal imbalances, (like diabetes), pregnancy, increased antibiotic use, use of oral contraceptives and diets rich in carbohydrates, especially refined carbs.

A Successful Treatment of Chronic Candidiasis Requires a Broad Approach
Along with care from a qualified health professional, consider the following:

1. Antifungal medicine to kill the yeast
   
   
2. A yeast-free diet to decrease the food supply and starve the yeast
   
   
3. Increased beneficial bacteria to compete with and crowd out the yeast in the intestine

Antifungal Treatments: Prescription and/or Natural
These include grapefruit seed extract, tea tree oil, garlic, and probiotics or prescription meds like: nystatin, clotrimazole, miconazole and diflucan.

A Yeast-free Diet decreases the food supply of Candida albicans limiting its growth

1. Eliminate simple sugars, malt products, refined carbohydrates, and high glycemic foods like bread, pasta, potato, fruit juice, carrots, and beets.
   
   
2. For sensitive individuals, all carbohydrates should be restricted during initial treatment. This means limiting even whole fruits and whole grains to not more than one or two servings per day.
   
   
3. Plain yogurt is encouraged to provide beneficial probiotics.
   
   
4. All fermented foods, yeast-containing foods, and aged foods are restricted, as these can stimulate the yeast growth. These include alcohol, condiments containing vinegar like mustard; yeast-containing foods like bread; mold-containing foods like peanuts and corn; mushrooms, and aged foods like cheeses.

Beneficial Probiotics Crowd out Yeast in the Intestine
Live Active Cultures (probiotics) like Lactobacillus acidophilus, L bulgaricus, Streptococcus thermophilus, Bifidobacteria longum, and Bifidus and L. reuteri keep the yeast population down by competing for the food that the pathogenic bacteria consume. L. reuteri also has antifungal properties. Probiotic supplements are available, but you can also get these beneficial cultures by eating Stonyfield Farm yogurt , which contains six beneficial cultures.

Maintenance and Prevention of Further Infections
A healthy intestine with a good balance of beneficial bacteria helps prevent yeast overgrowth. To accomplish this, start by reducing  risk factors and a consider incorporating yogurt with beneficial cultures into your daily diet. A yogurt a day helps keep Candida in a balanced way.

References:

1. Support and information for those with Candida.
   
   
2. Menu Suggestions from the Yeast Connection
   
   
3. G Reid and A W Bruce: Urogenital infections in women: can probiotics help? Postgraduate Medical Journal 2003;79:428-432.
   
   
4. Casas and Dobrogosz: Validation of the Probiotic Concept: Lactobacillus reuteri Confers Broad-spectrum Protection against Disease in Humans and Animals. Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease Vol. 12, (4) 247 – 285. Dec. 2000
   
   
5. GW Elmer: Probiotics: "living drugs" American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, 2001.Vol 58, Issue 12, 1101-1109