Candida Factors: What leads to Candida Overgrowth

Candida (also known as yeast, fungus, mold) is ubiquitous in our environment (especially in warm and moist climates like where I am!). It is often found in homes hidden away in air conditioner ducts or behind appliances/furniture and can wreak havoc on your health.

We are all supposed to have some fungi on our skin, intestinal and reproductive tracts so it only becomes a real issue when it grows and multiplies uncontrollably.

Typically the healthy bacteria in your gut controls the levels, but certain factors make you more prone to Candida overgrowth.

Some Risk Factors for Candida Overgrowth

Some of the risk factors that can lead to Candida overgrowth include:

1. Taking antibiotics
2. A high sugar/carb diet
3. Increased alcohol (especially beer and wine which are both PACKED with yeast)
4. Birth control pills
5. Diabetes or conditions in the body for diabetes
6. An already weakened immune system
7. Highly stressed situations over any extended period of time (that is not anyone you know though, right? LOL)

What Are Some Symptoms of Candida Overgrowth

The main symptoms of candida overgrowth include

• Oral thrush (white coating on tongue)
• Bad breath
• Cravings for sweets
• Brain fog
• Joint pain
• Sinus issues
• Gas and bloating
• UTIs (Urinary Tract Infections)
• Loss in libido
• and that’s just to name a few!

How to Get Candida Overgrowth Under Control

To start getting candida overgrowth under control, first take a hard look at your diet.

If you are drinking alcohol (especially fermented options like beer and wine), eating sugar, or eating carbs excessively, you are literally FEEDING the yeast.

With those kinds of foods, you can simply imagine it multiplying.

The first time I realized I had an issue was after a single glass of wine when I felt extreme brain fog, bloating and heat intolerance almost immediately.

A ketogenic or very low carb diet will help immediately.

You should also take a good look at your gut and consider treating it with:

• specific probiotics (orthobiotic on our website is best for yeast),
• glutamine (try our GI Complete), and
• digestive enzymes – Ortho Digestzyme

There are also incredible supplements that can kill off the yeast directly—go for sf722 as my favorite option.

Just make sure that you go slowly.  When the yeast dies, you can get some symptoms like fatigue, even further increased brain fog, and achy-ness.

However, if you’re treating Candida overgrowth properly, the symptoms from treatment will pass quickly, and you can feel better than ever, in a short period of time!