MJ HEALTH LIVING
Miss Judy Healthy Living
Candida Cleanse
Why I started it and what Candida is
In doing research on autoimmune diseases, I came across a study published in the ScienceDaily Journal
(http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120405075223.htm). It states that candida albicans was shown to cause "inflammatory and autoimmune reactions that lead to arthritis, psoriasis and other skin rashes, multiple sclerosis, and many other conditions and diseases." With this information I began researching what-in-the-world candida albicans was... Once I understood what it was and how it worked, I then began researching candida cleanses, and the herbal companies that sold them.
I think, for me, that if I can get my candida under control, my body will better be able to heal itself. So I started my candida cleanse at the end of July 2014. The candida cleanse I am on is a six week program of herbs and enzymes plus strict adherence to a no starch, no sugar and no processed food nutritional program.
First I want to talk about what candida is. Its technical name is candida albicans yeast. Candida is one of the microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, and fungi) that live in the human body. Candida is a type of yeast, which is classified as a fungus and is found primarily in the digestive system. Candida is the most common yeast and cannot thrive by itself outside the human body[1].
I also want to explain why and how candida is harmful to our bodies when it grows unimpeded. Candida is considered to be parasitic, meaning they feed on living tissue or the host. Candida, while feeding on the host, produce over 70 known toxins as a by-product of their digestive process[2], which is harmful to the host. They also feed by absorption – absorbing nutrients around them, primarily, sugars.
In a healthy person, under normal circumstances, the yeasts live in harmony with us. Our body has a powerful immune system that is designed to keep foreign organisms like candida in check. The pH of a healthy gut is also not optimal for candida to thrive[3], helping to maintain a healthy balance. In addition, if our body is healthy and has an adequate number of good bacteria the candida has a hard time competing with the good bacteria for food, often starving to death.
When our immune system weakens, our pH alters, and/or our good bacteria is killed off, it allows candida to grow quickly and significantly in number. Under these conditions candida will attempt to colonize any and all bodily tissues[4]. This is called candida overgrowth. As candida continues to grow unchecked many symptoms of the candida syndrome begin to show up.
Symptoms of candida overgrowth:
Gas and bloating
Brain fog – poor memory
Fatigue
Inability to lose weight – rapid return of any weight lost
“sick-all-over” feeling
Thrush
Nail fungus
Vaginal yeast infection or vaginitis
Jock itch
Athlete’s foot
Coated tongue
Rectal/anal itching
Diarrhea and/or constipation
Allergies of any type
Intolerances to many chemicals
Heartburn/GERD
Decreased libido/impotency
Urgency, burning, frequency of urination/UTI’s
Frequent colds
Rashes
Anxiety
Depression
Headaches
Dry, scaly skin
Acne
Joint pains and stiffness
Nasal stuffiness, congestion, runny nose
When candida overgrowth takes hold, the body’s immune function is even further weakened, making it even more difficult for our body to restore that balance.
The two major ways that candida overgrowth makes us sick, is first, the toxins produced from candida during its digestive process. Second our digestive contents leaking into the bloodstream. As candida grows and multiplies, it mutates into a fungal form that grows roots and secretes acids[5]. The roots, with the help of the acids, puncture the mucus lining of the digestive tract. This condition is referred to as intestinal permeability or leaky-gut syndrome. The digestive contents that can leak through this protective barrier into the bloodstream include bacteria, yeast, undigested particles, toxins and fecal material, causing many illnesses. Candida overgrowth/leaky-gut has been found to be the root cause of autoimmune diseases[6].
Out of the 27 symptoms listed above – I have 20! I have rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, dementia, and degenerative disk disorder. A little over two years ago the pain was so intense that I was bed-ridden. I remained in bed for about six months, until my mother-in-law took me into her home. She told me she could help my body start healing itself - so that the pain would not be so intense and I would be able to get out of bed. At that point and time I would believe anything – so we moved in with my mother-in-law. She immediately started me on an herbal regimen and healthy eating lifestyle.
Considering the fact that it took me 30 to 40 years to get my body in such an unhealthy state, it will take some time to get me healthy again – but within the year that I have been following the herbal regimen and eating healthier my pain has drastically reduced, and best of all, I am out of bed! I am almost completely free from using my walker (I do use a cane), and have significantly reduced my pain and inflammation prescriptions. I have a life now! I am so ecstatic I want to share what I have learned to help others live healthier, happier lives.
Note: Information in this blog is purely my opinion, formed from personal research (noted in the footnotes). Any recommendations given are not intended as medical advice; please consult with your medical advisor.
After researching many different herbal companies, I purchased my candida cleanse here:
http://www.naturessunshine.com/us/product/candida-clear-14-day/958/
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[1] Microbiology - Glycobiology and Extracellular Matrices. Lara West, Douglas W. Lowman, Héctor M. Mora-Montes, Sarah Grubb, Craig Murdoch, Martin H. Thornhill, Neil A.R. Gow, David Williams, and Ken Haynes. Differential Virulence of Candida glabrata Glycosylation Mutants. J. Biol. Chem. 2013 288: 22006-22018. First Published on May 28, 2013, doi:10.1074/jbc.M113.478743. http://www.jbc.org/ content/288/30/22006.full?sid=51341674-23c0-4199-85e3-686afcd8720b.web.
[2] Metabolism – Microbiology. Christian Otzen, Bettina Bardl, Ilse D. Jacobsen, Markus Nett, and Matthias Brock. Candida albicans Utilizes a Modified β-Oxidation Pathway for the Degradation of Toxic Propionyl-CoA. J. Biol. Chem. 2014 289: 8151-8169. First Published on February 4, 2014, doi:10.1074/jbc.M113.517672. http://www.jbc.org/content/289/12/8151.full?sid=51341674-23c0-4199-85e3-686afcd8720b.web.
[3] Membrane Biology – Microbiology. Cassandra Patenaude, Yongqiang Zhang, Brendan Cormack, Julia Köhler, and Rajini Rao. Essential Role for Vacuolar Acidification in Candida albicans Virulence
J. Biol. Chem. 2013 288: 26256-26264. First Published on July 24, 2013, doi:10.1074/jbc.M113.494815. http://www.jbc.org/content/288/36/26256.full?sid=51341674-23c0-4199-85e3-686afcd8720b.web.
[4] DNA and Chromosomes. Joachim M. Gerhold, Tiina Sedman, Katarina Visacka, Judita Slezakova, Lubomir Tomaska, Jozef Nosek, and Juhan Sedman. Replication Intermediates of the Linear Mitochondrial DNA of Candida parapsilosis Suggest a Common Recombination Based Mechanism for Yeast Mitochondria. J. Biol. Chem. 2014 289: 22659-22670. First Published on June 20, 2014, doi:10.1074/jbc.M114.552828. http://www.jbc.org/content/289/33/22659.full?sid=51341674-23c0-4199-85e3-686afcd8720b.web.
[5] Microbiology - Cell Biology. Jing Lin, Soon-Hwan Oh, Rhian Jones, James A. Garnett, Paula S. Salgado, Sophia Rusnakova, Steve J. Matthews, Lois L. Hoyer, and Ernesto Cota, The Peptide-binding Cavity Is Essential for Als3-mediated Adhesion of Candida albicans to Human Cells. J. Biol. Chem. 2014 289: 18401-18412. First Published on May 6, 2014, doi:10.1074/jbc.M114.547877. http://www.jbc.org/content/289/26/18401.full?sid=51341674-23c0-4199-85e3-686afcd8720b.web.
[6] Microbiology - Cell Biology. Bhawna Yadav, Shilpi Bhatnagar, Mohammad Faiz Ahmad, Priyanka Jain, Vavilala A. Pratyusha, Pravin Kumar, and Sneha Sudha Komath. First Step of Glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) Biosynthesis Cross-talks with Ergosterol Biosynthesis and Ras Signaling in Candida albicans. J. Biol. Chem. 2014 289: 3365-3382. First Published on December 19, 2013, doi:10.1074/jbc.M113.528802. http://www.jbc.org/content/289/6/3365.full?sid=51341674-23c0-4199-85e3-686afcd8720b.web.