Have you heard of the gut-brain axis?
It’s the link between our gut health and our brain. Gut flora can affect mood, the way someone thinks, and even mental illnesses! More and more research supports the connection between candida and mental illness.
And yet, it doesn’t seem so incredible once you understand the battle…
Candida: An Opportunistic Fungus
Candida, a fungus, is a normal part of gut flora. It’s harmless… as long as it is kept in check by beneficial bacteria.
But it’s also an “opportunistic pathogen”. It looks for opportunities to grow out of control. (Source.)
Stress, lack of sleep, poor diet, antibiotics, etc. can all upset the delicate balance of gut flora. This environment gives candida the perfect opportunity to wreak havoc.
Mycotoxins Affect The Brain
Candida releases mycotoxins (dangerous toxins produced by molds and fungus) into the body, one of the most common being acetaldehyde, which compromises brain functions and damages neurological structures. In a healthy person, the liver can easily keep up with the amount of acetaldehyde produced by converting it into a harmless substance. If your liver is already compromised, or if candida is overgrown, your liver is overwhelmed.
Excess acetaldehyde is then released into the bloodstream. It can cause symptoms such as depression, increased anxiety and panic, brain fog, and feelings of intoxication. (The Candida Cure: Yeast, Fungus & Your Health, page 9.)
Researchers from Johns Hopkins found that it was more common for men with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder to have a history of candida yeast infections (source). So too, women with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder who tested positive for candida performed worse on a standard memory test than women with the same mental illnesses who had no evidence of past candida infections (source).
How To Treat Candida Overgrowth
Treatment for candida can vary depending on how severe the overgrowth is and how a person’s body reacts to the fungus.
An article in the Delhi Psychiatry Journal states simply that an anti-fungal treatment effectively treated several cases of autism, behavior issues, and fibromyalgia (source).
However, candida solutions can also require a more intense multi-faceted approach to not only address candida, but overall gut health too. According to the Science Translation Medicine,
‘Time and time again, we hear from patients that they never felt depressed or anxious until they started experiencing problems with their gut,’ Tillisch said. ‘Our study shows that the gut-brain connection is a two-way street.’ (source)
Dr. Joseph Pizzorno, ND, states “[C]hronic candidiasis is a classic example of a ‘multifactoral’ condition” and “effective treatment involves much more than killing the yeast with anti-fungal agents, whether synthetic or natural” (Textbook of Natural Medicine, 4th edition, page 462).
Here are some suggestions to help with candida…
#1 — Boost your immune system.
A healthy immune system makes everything run more smoothly.
Drink water, get plenty of sleep, avoid sugar, and begin an exercise program.
#2 — Take care of your liver.
Your liver removes toxins. If it’s not healthy, the toxins just keep circulating through your system.
Beets are AMAZING for liver health! Add a beet smoothie to your day and check out these recipes:
- What To Do With Beets (Plus Recipe For Fermented Beets)
- How To Make Beet Kvass For Health & Wellness
- Beet and Goat Cheese Salad
- Lacto-Fermented Naturally Pickled Turnips & Beets
#3 — Stop eating carbs and sugar.
Are you trying to treat candida overgrowth and yet still eating lots of carbs and sugar? You won’t make any progress!
Replace sugar (even natural sugars like maple syrup and honey) with stevia and/or xylitol. Eat berries instead of starchy fruit like melons and bananas. Avoid breads, pasta, and grains.
Here are a few fun candida-friendly recipes for you try:
- Stevia-Sweetened Lavender Lemonade {sugar-free & THM:FP}
- Sugar-Free Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread Cookies {THM:S, grain-free, & low-carb!}
- Candida Diet Pancakes {made with coconut flour!}
- Sweet Without Sugar: A Collection Of Nourishing, Allergy-Friendly, Low-Carb Desserts {all sugar-free}
#4 — Finally, ask for help.
Extra support is so helpful. Find a coach, naturopath, or alternative doctor who has experience treating candida to walk you through a protocol.
You can learn more about herbs, oils, or other supplements that kill candida, plus recommend a quality probiotic to help rebuild your gut health.
More Candida Related Articles from TCS:
- How Staying Hydrated Can Help You Avoid Candida
- 3 Essential Oils That Fight Candida-Related Skin Problems
- Is Your Stubborn Fat Related To Candida? How Does Candida Affect Fat Loss?
- Can I Eat Fermented Foods If I Have Candida? #AskWardee 033
Do you struggle with candida overgrowth, or did you? Did you know the connection between candida and mental illness?
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My mother was recently diagnosed with Candida, and we are wanting to know more about it so that we will be able to keep her healthy. It’s good to know that one thing she can do is take care of her liver. I love how you mentioned that she can do this by eating beets to help keep harmful toxins from getting into her system. This is something that we will have to remember so that we will be able to help her the best we can.
Crazy… so if I’m understanding this correctly, carbohydrates are a big reason that candida gets out of control. And I’ve been reading a lot lately about people who have cut carbs out of their diet almost completely and seen huge beneficial changes in their bodies, symptoms of chronic illnesses, etc. Perhaps it’s not the carbs that were causing them problems per se, but the candida which feeds on those carbs? I’ve never heard anyone mention it before among all the stuff I’ve read about carnivore/low carb diets. Very fascinating…
Carbs can definitely contribute to candida – especially those white carbs we love so much: bread, potatoes, rice. . .because it turns to sugar so quickly in our bodies and it’s more the sugar that encourages candida’s growth.
Cutting back on those carbs is great, but don’t go so low-carb you end up going into ketosis because ketones also play a role in how candida thrives.
There are so many factors contributing to candida. Most often we’re told that as long as we cut back on sugar (and starches/carbs) and take anti-fungals, we can get rid of it.
But if it’s an overgrowth any you have recurring symptoms, it’s going to involve a lot more. It’s kind of like saying, I’m going to plant an apple tree and I was told all I need to keep it alive is dirt and water.
Well, yes and no. You absolutely need dirt and water, but your apple tree isn’t going to thrive it if it’s not living in the right temperature, if you don’t have adequate sunshine, if there isn’t the proper amount of minerals and nutrients in the soil, if you don’t prune it, if you don’t protect it from kids on the lawn mower. . .lol
Dirt and water are important, just like diet and anti-fungals, but they’re just pieces to a bigger puzzle.
Candida is not the cause….it is a normal part of a healthy balanced gut flora. The article refers to issues arising when Candida population densities in the digestive system are out of whack due to inappropriate diet such as excessive carbs. So it is the inappropriate diet that is the cause.
Xylitol, and the other alcohol sugars, have been shown to compromise gut flora as well. Xylitol is a popular ingredient in antibacterial toothpastes and mouthwashes, and thus will also kill bacteria in the gut.
Better off sticking with Stevia only.
Diagnosing candida can be tricky and it is recommended that one gets a variety of testing done to determine it as being responsible for their symptoms. Also seeing a nutritionist instead of a traditional doctor.
Maybe overgrown candida is an symptom. Behind this could be heavy metals in gut .