Are you a long-term user of antibiotics, birth control pills, cortisone, NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)? Or, are you nutrient or immune deficient?
If you are, then your chances are high that you are a victim of yeast overgrowth, as the above-factors can wipe out your microflora (“friendly” intestinal bacteria). They are called “friendly” bacteria, because they synthesize some vitamins (vitamin K); make enzymes; protect nutrients like vitamin B12; and prevent pathogens from harming the digestive tract.
While friendly bacteria create harmony and balance in the body, symbiosis, drugs, alcohol, and tobacco overuse and refined sugar and carbohydrate over-consumption tip the balance in favor of harmful bacteria, weakening the immune system and leading to digestive imbalance, dysbiosis.
The liver becomes overtaxed with toxic byproducts of bacteria, resulting in the overgrowth of harmful bacteria and yeast. The condition causes brain-fogging, depression, attention deficit disorder (ADD), weakened immunity, and aggressive behaviors as well as Leaky Gut Syndrome, Chronic Fatigue and other problems.
Candida Albicans is the leading kind of fungal infections, or candidiasis. Candida yeasts coexist naturally within the mucous membrane make-up of the digestive system, sinuses, ear canals, vagina, and genitourinary tract in small amounts. While the body is made to handle yeasts, overpopulation can affect digestive functions, weaken the immune responses, and give rise to yeast infections.
With yeast overgrowth, toxic byproducts are released and spread, precipitating bloating, gas, cramps, diarrhea, constipation, insulin resistance, and weight stagnation.
Yeast infections impact the nervous system by prompting brain-fogging, anxiety, mood swings, memory loss, depression and insomnia. Whereas in children, it causes hyperactivity, autism, ADD, quick anger, and short attention span.
The endocrine system also gets affected, causing thyroid problems, adrenal disruption, pancreatic disorder, extreme fatigue, muscle weakness, numbness in extremities, cooler body temperatures, and sugar cravings. A weakened immune system leads to repeated infections of the ears, nose, throat and respiratory and genital organs.
Women, with yeast overgrowth, develop PMS symptoms like depression, mood swings, fluid retention, uncalled-for crying, and cramps as well as repeated vaginal or bladder infections and diminished sexual desire.
Whereas, men experience chronic rectal itching, repeated prostatitis, impotence, and genital rashes.
The skin too gets its share of problems like hives, eczema, psoriasis, acne, nail fungus, over-sweating, and hypersensitivity to mold, food, and environmental allergens.
To prevent yeast infections, we need to build our immune systems by boosting our microflora with probiotics in order to keep our intestinal ecosystems healthy and effective.
Probiotics are available in the form of supplements or through dietary intake of live culture yogurt and fermented foods like miso.
The no-nos in a yeast-eliminating diet are sugars, refined, processed, and fast foods, alcohol, tobacco, antibiotics, birth control pills, cortisone, prescription drugs, and stress, which result in an overly acidic pH level, upsetting the microflora and destroying it.
To avoid a long list of disruptive diseases, we should maintain healthy lifestyles, consisting of a balanced nutrition of fresh whole foods, regular activity, and minimum stress to achieve symbiosis.
— Mariam Alireza is a holistic science specialist. Send comments to [email protected]. Log on to arabnews.com for previous articles.
