by Robert Harrison 

Fueled by a fast food, high sugar diet, extensive use of antibiotics, steroids, oral contraceptives, high stress and a weakened immune system, the overgrowth of candida yeast has reached epidemic proportions in America. Knowledgeable experts estimate that 60 to 80% of all Americans, men and women, are afflicted. Many unknowingly suffer for years, with no idea that the overgrowth of this simple yeast is the source of their health problems and may set the stage for even more serious diseases.

Symptoms of a candida over-growth include fatigue, irritability, PMS, digestive disorders, muscle pain, short attention span, headaches, memory loss, vaginitis, skin problems, impotence, hyperactivity, depression, hypoglycemia, menstrual problems, urinary disorders, respiratory problems, extreme food and environmental allergies, and learning difficulties. Yeast overgrowth has been connected with psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, chronic hives, autism, arthritis, suicidal depression, sexual dysfunction etc.

WHAT EXACTLY IS CANDIDA?

It is a beneficial yeast with a Jekyl and Hyde type personality that is found in everybody. When our bodies lose their proper immune protection, and when antibiotics and other toxins kill off intestinal bacteria but leave the candida alive and well, candida overgrows and "morphs" from being a beneficial yeast into a harmful fungus. In its fungal form it develops rhizoids. (Long root-like structures that penetrate the intestinal wall.) Once this happens, the boundary between the intestinal tract and the rest of the body breaks down. The candida spreads throughout the body, and allergies, excess toxicity, and a host of problems develop as partially digested foods enter the bloodstream.

WHAT CAUSES THE CHANGE FROM GOOD CANDIDA TO A YEAST INFECTION?

There are many theories. Most naturopaths concur that the conversion happens due to some sort of attack on our immune systems such as prolonged antibiotic use, elevated mercury levels, taking steroids or oral contraceptives on a regular basis, eating a high sugar diet. (One teaspoon of sugar is proven to wipe out the immune system). It could be a combination of these. It is also conjectured that candida increases its numbers during periods of stress and lowered immune states. When you take antibiotics, the antibiotics kill the friendly bacteria in the intestines, but do not harm the candida living in the intestines. So it may overgrow and turn into a yeast infection.

WHY ARE YEAST INFECTIONS SO DIFFICULT TO REMOVE?

Yeast infections can manage to hide (sometimes for years) in parts of the body where traditional therapies don’t always reach, in our joints, for example. They thrive on foods that are a large part of the typical American diet, which in addition, alter intestinal pH unfavorably. Stress contributes to their proliferation. And, because of its adaptability, a yeast infection can be transmitted from person to person in a family.

Even for those correctly identified as having a candida yeast infection, getting rid of it is tough. Usually they are told to go on a strict, no fun allowed, diet with no sugars or yeast products, often with no dairy products or grains. And are told to eat only vegetables, fiber and protein for six to nine months (or longer). Some experts recommend never using antibiotics, removing all sources of stress, even avoiding sharing food, kissing or sleeping with anyone. Unfortunately, even for the dieters who take antifungal drugs, which have nasty side effects, or natural supplements that more safely kill yeast, all too often they find the candida keeps coming back, or never really goes away.

HOW CAN YOU TELL IF YOU HAVE A CANDIDA INFECTION?

Take the following simple test. First thing in the morning, right after you wake up, spit into a clear glass of water. Tap water is fine. Check the water every 15 minutes for up to one hour. If you have a candida yeast infection, you will see strings (like legs) traveling down into the water from the saliva floating on the top. Cloudy saliva will sink to the bottom of the glass, or cloudy specks will seem to be suspended in the water. If there are no strings and the saliva is still floating after at least one hour, you most likely do not have a candida overgrowth. This test is remarkably accurate. The amount of strings or cloudiness, and the speed at which they develop, will even give you an indication of how serious the overgrowth is. The faster it develops and the more you see, the more severe the overgrowth.

IS THERE ANY HOPE?

Yes, in 2001 a Japanese pharmaceutical company may have changed this bleak scenario. They took three types of lactic acid spore bacteria that were clinically proven to kill yeast and developed a proprietary delivery system that got these bacteria past the stomach acidity and into the intestines unharmed — where these friendly bacteria devoured the candida. A remarkable 53 million dollars worth sold that first year. It worked so well, users successfully got rid of candida without being on the dreaded diet. Recently introduced to the US, this product is called the ThreeLac Candida Defense.

In 2002 it was tested on a group of Americans to make sure it would work equally well with a Western diet. It did. Everyone in the test became candida free, without the diet.

The secret behind ThreeLac’s effectiveness is the micro-encapsulation process that gets the yeast infection fighting live bacteria safely past the acidic environment in the stomach.

Once in the intestines, these oxygen-friendly bacteria go to work "dining" on anaerobic problem organisms that may cause yeast infections. An added benefit is that ThreeLac helps balance the body’s pH.

When you use ThreeLac to fight yeast infections, there is no need to adhere to impossible dietary restrictions. For general health reasons, use common sense and avoid processed sweets. Eat sweets "raw" and enjoy a good diet rich in nutritious foods.