Why 'The Candida Diet' may not be working for you
One of the most common issues I see in clinical practice is recurring Candida overgrowth or gut dysbiosis/IBS. Most clinicians will run a stool test if a patient is presenting with digestive health symptoms. Sometimes they will just run a stool test because they don’t know where else to start. Whilst this can be a useful insight into someone’s gut microbes, it’s not necessarily going to be helpful in guiding treatment and ultimately help them feel well long term. Using antifungals/antibiotics/herbs to eradicate microbes like Candida/Klebsiella/Pylori etc often doesn’t work or will temporarily reduce symptoms, only for it to reappear a few weeks/months later after treatment stops. The reason this type of approach often doesn’t work is because the patient has a compromised and dysfunctional immune system. This can be due to many reasons. e.g. Vitamin D status, low Vitamin A, poor sleep, low energy, mitochondrial dysfunction, chronic viruses, poor methylation/genetic factors, stress, environmental toxicity (mould, heavy metals, toxic chemical burden) are the most common reasons. Many people are sensitive to mould from their environment yet most don't realise they have a problem as mould isn't always visible and doesn't necessarily have an odour. Mould toxicity (from mycotoxins) is one, if not the, biggest 'hidden' obstacle to regaining optimal health. In fact mould produces toxins like Mycophenolic Acid which are strong immune suppressants. It's so strong that it's used as an immunosuppressant drug. Before I consider the use of antimicrobials or antibiotics and going on a strict diet, I spend time assessing how strong a patient’s immune system is through the use of subjective analysis and lab work. As I tell my client’s, dysbiosis/IBS is merely a symptom of a greater underlying problem in the body. True healing will only occur when the immune system is fully functional.
