Candida and allergies

Naturally and Holistically Curing Allergies By Eliminating Candida

Written by Sarah C. Corriher

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A typical allergy-prone individual has to take a pill every twelve hours endlessly if he trusts orthodox medicine to treat him, and this merely suppresses the symptoms temporarily. What we call "allergies" are actually just symptoms of a body trying to defend itself from perceived threats, so allergies are incurable until the aggravating factors are removed, or the irate immune system is calmed. It is impossible to completely stop the histamine reactions for perceived threats, because these reactions stem from the immune system reacting appropriately. Completely stopping these reactions using standard symptom suppression techniques would mean totally halting the immune system, and it would mean death. It is why most established therapies are ultimately so futile, and why there is no sign of a pharmaceutical cure. Conversely, alternative medicine deals with the root cause of the problems, instead of merely symptom suppression, so there are vastly better options available with holistic methods.
Chronic allergies are caused by the overgrowth of candida albicans. This is a type of yeast that thrives in the gastrointestinal tract. There will always be some of this yeast in every human being, but it is ideally balanced by beneficial bacteria. The beneficial bacteria is commonly referred to as intestinal flora. Intestinal flora helps in the digestion process, and it furthermore aids in removing toxic materials. Conversely, candida is a parasitic yeast, which robs the body of nutrients, and it increases the toxic waste products that a body must eliminate. These two groups of organisms are two warring armies.
With ideal health, the flora bacteria vastly outnumbers and persistently overwhelms the candida yeast; in a similar way to how grass on a healthy lawn will crowd-out weeds. Flora provides immune system support to the dirtiest parts of the human body, where the normal immune system can otherwise become overwhelmed if it is unaided, and it aids with proper assimilation of nutrients. Our lives depend on those little guys protecting our bodies. If all of the flora dies, then the result is sepsis and death; which has become surprisingly common for patients who get too much medical 'help'. Statistics show this to be an alarming reality.
Whenever an overgrowth of yeast overwhelms the flora, it causes various health issues. Excessive yeast creates a toxic state for the digestive system from its generated waste products, which ultimately trickle into the rest of the body to cause a snowballing effect. Allergies are most often triggered by an immune system that has already been made hyperactive by the rapid growth of the fungal invaders. The impaired absorption of nutrients combined with an onslaught of candida waste products (and the related immune responses) begins the vicious cycle of declining health and opportunistic infections. The aftermath can include fatigue, headaches, mood swings, depression, poor memory, lack of concentration, sweet cravings, carbohydrate cravings, and a further weakening of an already compromised immune system as the issues snowball. This sad and sickly state is called "normal" in the Western world.
Candida usually undergoes a massive growth spurt following antibiotic use. This is partly due to antibiotics being more fatal to the good bacteria, which would normally keep candida in check. It has been known for over seventy years that antibiotics are more harmful to the beneficial bacteria than to harmful pathogens, and this rule generally includes even the all-natural antibiotics, such as colloidal silver. Whenever antibiotics are discontinued, the immune system remains weakened for a lengthy period (sometimes years for pharmaceuticals), which places candida in a position of advantage. For someone who has just stopped taking antibiotics, the best thing that he could do for his body is to eat large amounts of plain yogurt (preferably organic) as a natural probiotic. Flavored yogurts contain lots of processed sugars, which will actually feed the yeast, and therefore make the condition worse. Some of the flavored yogurts even contain high fructose corn syrup. Yogurt is made with homogenized milk, so also supplement with vitamin C and folate (or the inferior folic acid) to protect against inflammation and arterial damage.
People who eat diets emphasizing carbohydrates tend to experience more allergies and other immune system problems, because processed sugars feed candida. The worst of the sugars are the bleached-white, refined sugars and high fructose corn syrup. The toxicity of these unnatural sugar-like products is enough to massively kill beneficial bacteria, but it feeds pathogenic life forms. These products also aid the fermentation process that keeps yeast thriving. Processed sugar is like fertilizer for the fungal invaders.
The same sugar-loving yeast is the main cause of both dental cavities and bad breath. People who have flora winning the war (who have unimpaired immune systems) rarely get cavities or bad breath. If you ever wondered why bad breath often smells like rotting mushrooms, then you should now understand why. The so-called "breath freshener" products contain ingredients that aggravate the immune system further, which makes the problems worse over an extended period. All of these factors combine in the Western lifestyle to make the common cold so very common. For most people, their immune systems are always weakened, aggravated, and overdriven. Unchecked fermentation is how cancer begins in most cases; once all of these factors shift a person's pH too much into the acidic range that cells must themselves begin deriving their energy from a fermentation process too.
Curing Candida
Curing candida through diet is surprisingly easy. It involves the avoidance of foods which are based on yeast and refined simple carbohydrates, such as white flour, white rice, processed "white" sugars, table salt, mushrooms and beer. These foods are never white in nature, and some of them never existed until the 1950's, when the chemical industry decided to enhance and enrich our foods with chemical processing; including the use of chlorine bleaches that leave behind traces of dioxin compounds. The food remnants of bleaching are incredibly bad for the body, as well as being especially toxic to flora.
For any person wishing to cure his generalized allergies, the reduction of his simple and processed carbohydrates is the first step. The recommended dietary improvements will make a person's life significantly easier, and it will completely eliminate the depressions of some individuals. The elimination of unhealthy carbohydrates is the basis of the very successful Atkin's diet for weight loss, so it will have a double benefit for some. Note that whole wheat foods and brown rice are fine in moderation, because real foods are wholesome until they have been 'enhanced'. However, be aware that commercial whole wheat breads often contain worse chemical additives than white breads.
Eliminate all refined sugars, and replace with fruits whenever cravings for sweets occur. Honey is a great sugar substitute that has compounds to help balance blood sugar levels, and it contains naturally occurring anti-histamines that are produced by bees to protect themselves from pollen, since they spend most of their lives being covered in it. Local honey is ideal, because the anti-histamines in it are designed to counteract local pollens.
Avoid all soft drinks, and this is the most important of all the suggestions. Soft drinks massively lower a body's pH and thereby its oxygen content. They even release carbon dioxide (from carbonation) into the body, further flushing out the body's critical oxygen. Combining these factors with the artificial sugars and high fructose corn syrup that are found in soft drinks produces an abomination so bad that it would require a separate article just to detail. Both the sugars and the carbon dioxide from soft drinks feed the fermentation process that candida uses.
Especially avoid soft drinks with sodium benzoate, because sodium benzoate itself triggers allergies. This substance is in most soft drinks. Tests conducted in 2005, and paid for by a soft drink industry whistle-blower, showed that certain sodas and juices had benzene levels up to ten times higher than the U.S. drinking water limit of five parts per billion. Benzene is classified as a known carcinogen by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and it is directly linked to leukemia. Benzene can form in beverages that contain either sodium benzoate or potassium benzoate, when combined with ascorbic acid (erythorbic acid or vitamin C) according to the F.D.A. (Leave it to them to find a way to make vitamin C dangerous.) Heat and light exacerbate the benzene formation in sodas. The benzene limit for drinking water does not apply to soft drinks, which have much less stringent quality standards than municipal water supplies. Sodas with obscenely high benzene content are perfectly legal in the U.S.

"Environmental factors can also be big supporters of candida albicans [yeast] proliferation. Exposure to pollutants such as pesticide residues, car exhaust, industrial chemicals and heavy metals (particularly those found in mercury/silver amalgam dental fillings) may encourage the growth of these 'bad' bacteria."

-- Leigh Erin Connealy, M.D.

Eat plenty of protein, with an emphasis on white meats (preferably free-range and organic), nuts, and beans. As always, include as many vegetables in the diet as possible. They provide core nutrients that are needed by the body in order to fully recover, and vitamins are not a substitute for vegetables. Vitamins can sometimes make things worse, because many of the vitamins are now being extracted using genetically-engineered yeasts, or they contain impurities. These problems are especially likely to occur with vitamins made in China. Most of the vitamins now come from China, and they are deceptively re-branded by domestic companies. Try to obtain vitamins with the fewest non-vitamin ingredients. Most people will need multiple supplements, because finding a trustworthy multivitamin is exceedingly difficult.
For sugar cravings, it is okay to cheat with fruits and pure fruit juices without guilt, because the body can handle natural sugars much more efficiently than the engineered sugars. Fruit sugars do not generally fuel candida growth significantly. Avoid juice cocktails and juices from concentrate because they contain toxic additives, tap water, and sweeteners. One general rule of thumb is that if an ingredient is made in a chemical laboratory, then it is toxic.
The protective and anti-inflammatory properties of omega-3 fatty acids help with allergy problems. We recommend taking flax seed oil supplements daily for overall health. We can find omega-6 throughout Western diets, but there is very little omega-3 in comparison. Much more omega-3 was in our foods before chemical fertilizers depleted the farm lands; and again, it is yet another problem caused by a chemical industry 'solution'. For in-depth information about supplementation with flax oil, read the article about it.

"Over time, candida grows from a yeast form into a fungal form and starts creating waste products known as mycotoxins. Among the mycotoxins produced is acetaldehyde, a poison that is converted by the liver into alcohol. As alcohol builds up in the system, symptoms associated with alcohol intoxication develop. This is why one of the most common symptoms of candida is brain fog... In its fungal form, candida also grows long roots called rhizoids that puncture the intestinal lining, leading to a condition called leaky gut syndrome. This creates holes in the digestive tract, allowing candida to pass through into the bloodstream."

-- Brenda Watson, N.D.

Chamomile is an effective natural anti-histamine that can be used alongside these therapies. It can also have a sedative effect. Although this seems to vary greatly between individuals. Do not use chamomile if you have a ragweed allergy. Its anti-histamine properties yield almost instant relief from itchy insect bites, when used transdermally.
A diet with sea salt (not table salt) will help to prevent candida overgrowth. For millenia, diets have been high in mineral-rich salt, and it was glorified for being the life-giving substance that it really is. In modern times, politically correct doctors have labeled salt as a villain, instead of placing the blame on the high-sodium artificial additives that are present in processed foods, which really do cause disease. Table salt has the same toxicity problem that other processed foods do, because all useful minerals are removed. Remember that it is not natural if it is brilliant white. The healthiest sea salts usually have a grayish color, because they are darkened by important trace minerals.
A little coconut oil every day will speed the metabolism, provide an energy boost, be a tonic for the thyroid, and attack yeast in both the mouth (e.g. plaque) and in the gastrointestinal tract (e.g. candida). Everyone should supplement with a small amount of cold-pressed organic coconut oil every day; and of course, it can be added to foods too. Be wary of its inability to withstand high heat; lest it will become rancid and unhealthy. Due to the issues with heating oils, we recommend cold pressed olive oil for low to medium heat cooking, and peanut oil for high heat cooking. Olive oil will provide lots of omega-3, and the peanut oil will resist becoming rancid at even high temperatures.
Most allergy problems can be eliminated with a healthy diet that is low in processed sugars, simple carbohydrates, and chemicals. These therapies, in addition to common sense remedies, such as using higher quality air filters, will yield very favorable results in the long term. Allergies are not really normal for the human body, and neither should routine illnesses be. The problems are almost entirely man-made. We have been trained to believe that both are normal, and this has been great for the medical business. The germ theory behind modern medicine has convinced us, and the establishment, that illnesses are more-or-less random events that may strike anyone at anytime, so that the causes of illnesses are either never fully explainable, or as is becoming the belief nowadays, that sickness results from genetic defects. There is a reason for everything that happens, and this rule includes events of the human body. Illness symptoms are a body's way of telling us that someone is doing something terribly wrong; and most often, it is the diet that is the most wrong. Most allergies and illnesses are a result of weakened immune systems, and the problems can usually be corrected without drugs. Following the recommendations cited herein will also help a person to remove toxins, and therefore eliminate other health conditions. The alternative for most people is to continue forever on an expensive treadmill of drugs that suppress the symptoms and the immune system; awhile increasing their overall toxicity, so that disease problems only worsen in time.