Why has Candidiasis become nearly epedemic in America?

Why has Candidiasis become nearly epidemic in America?

The extensive use of broad spectrum antibiotics destroys much of the “good” bacteria in our gut that would otherwise keep candida in its place. Many women are aware that taking antibiotics for a bladder infection virtually guarantees an onset of a vaginal yeast infection. Birth control pills and estrogen replacement therapy are also thought to put women at a greater risk for Candidiasis. Yeast, a natural inhabitant of the vagina, proliferates in the presence of the estrogen in these drugs. According to Candida expert Leon Chaitow, N.D., fully 35% of women using birth control pills have associated cases of acute vaginal candidiasis.

There is no doubt that the main culprit responsible for opening the door to candida overgrowth is a poor diet, high in sugar and white flour. According to Newsweek Magazine, In Sugar We Trust (July 13, 1998), the average American now consumes 150 lbs. of sugar per year, up 28 lbs. since 1970. And we’re paying the price. Our bodies’ digestive and eliminative systems have become sluggish under the strain of our inadequate, sugar laden diet. When sugary foods remain in our intestines for two to three days (the average transit time for Americans) we become a veritable smorgasbord for all sorts of opportunistic organisms, including Candida Albicans.