There’s a fungus everybody’s talking about: candida, a kind of yeast!
About 50 – 80% of all healthy persons have this yeast in their mouth and digestive system. If stool is found to contain large amount of this yeast, it is believed to disturb normal intestinal processing of water, sugar and natrium and cause diarrhea.
Healthy people live in harmony with their yeast and bacteria. How this balance works and what happens when the system gets out of balance is shown by the video on cavities.
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This balance can be upset by outer factors such as nutrition, lifestyle, lack of hygiene or medication (e.g. antibiotics treatment).
There is speculation, although not supported by scientific evidence, that consumption of simple carbohydrates (such as sugar) encourages the spread of candida albicans [2,3]. The theory behind this is that the yeast gets into the stomach via saliva or food, and being acid-resistant goes on to invade the intestinal tract [3].[5]
Although this is only a theory, the web is full of recommended treatments (such as an anti-fungus diet), as are clinics and doctor’s offices.
The main objection to this questionable low-carb diet is that it includes abstaining from fruit for long periods of time, which means you don’t get enough nutrients (vitamins, minerals, roughage, secondary vegetable ingredients). These are substances which play a vital role in keeping our immune system healthy and thus should be an integral part of our daily meal plan [4].[5]
Summing up, although cutting down on sugar is not a bad thing, you should still eat healthy foods such as fruit.
There is as yet no scientific proof that a low-carb diet truly helps to prevent “candida infection”!
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[1] Jonkers D, Stockbrügger R. Unexplained Diarrhoea, Candida in the Faeces. Aktuel
Ernaehr Med 2003;28:87-92
[2] Müller MJ. Ernährungsmedizinische Praxis, Springer Verlag, 2. Aufl. 2007; S.276
[3] Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung: „Anti-Pilz-Diät“ www.dge.de; Zugang: 26.11.2009
[4] Österreichische Gesellschaft für Ernährung: Die „Anti-Pilz-Diät“ – eine berechtigte
Therapiemaßnahme? www.oege.at; Zugang: 26.11.2009
[5] OEAIE 2009; Miklautsch M, Widhalm K
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