What is Candida? It is one of the natural microscopic organisms that live in our intestines and mouth. Candida is a yeast-like fungus that has the role of helping to digest food. Normally the stomach has an abundance of healthy bacteria that keep Candida under control, but an overgrowth can take place if a person eats a lot of sugar or highly processed foods, takes birth control pills, drinks alcohol or takes antibiotics.
Researchers have been on the trail of natural options in order to provide people who have Candida overgrowth with some alternatives to antifungal drugs. In fact, studies have revealed several natural remedies. How can a person know if they have Candida overgrowth? Some of the signs and symptoms include trouble focusing, chronic fatigue, depression, insomnia, stomach gas, congestion, allergies, recurring yeast or urinary tract infections, headaches and joint pain.
One of the top proven remedies for Candida is Turmeric. Turmeric is frequently used in Asian dishes and curry powders and it gives these their bright yellow color. Curcumin is the active ingredient in turmeric that provides its many health benefits. One research study on turmeric comes from the Canadian Journal of Microbiology. The researchers found that turmeric is effective against fourteen different strains of Candida.
Probiotics such as the healthy bacteria found in yogurt, have been found to combat Candida. Physiology is the study of the normal functions of living organisms and their parts. A leading journal of physiology reported that probiotic therapy is successful in treating fungal colonization of the intestinal tract. More specifically, acidophilus heals fungal infection, as well as the accompanying stomach inflammation.
Coconut oil was proven in a recent animal study in Massachusetts to reduce the amount of Candida in the gut by more than 90%. The researches emphasized that antifungal drugs can be used to decrease and control Candida and prevent it from spreading to the bloodstream, but repeated use of antifungal drugs can lead to drug resistant-strains of fungal diseases. “Food can be a powerful ally in reducing the risk of disease,” said Alice Lichtenstein at Tufts University in Massachusetts.
Hippocrates, the “Father of Medicine”, sums this up the best when he said: “Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food”.
This natural health news is provided by Nutrition Breakthroughs, a publisher of nutrition articles and a supplier of effective natural remedies since 2002. Nutrition Breakthroughs makes the original calcium and magnesium based natural sleep aid Sleep Minerals II, as well as Joints and More, the natural solution for joint relief, aches and pains, stronger hair and nails, and more energy.
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References:
1. Are probiotics effective in the treatment of fungal colonization of the gastrointestinal tract? Experimental and clinical studies.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17242486
2. Curcumin as a promising anticandidal of clinical interest. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21358761
