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Guard against bacteria and fungi with THIS natural defender

Reproduced from original article:
https://www.naturalhealth365.com/guard-against-bacteria-and-fungi-with-this-natural-defender.html


by: |

oil-of-oregano(NaturalHealth365)  As you know, Western medicine relies heavily on antibiotics to treat infections – and sometimes, these drugs are truly needed. But the rise of antibiotic-resistant “superbugs” – along with the unwanted side effects that can accompany antibiotic use – has triggered an urgent search for naturally sourced substances, oregano oil, to kill pathogens safely and effectively.

In fact, recently published research reveals the potential of a familiar Mediterranean cooking herb to do just that, and the results are stunning.

Oregano oil has potent effects against Candida albicans

A member of the mint family, oregano is scientifically known as origanum vulgare L.  The name “oregano” derives from the Greek words for “mountain” and “joy” – and oregano certainly seems to be bringing joy to researchers when it comes to its surprising antimicrobial properties.

In a study conducted at Georgetown University Medical Center and published in Molecular and Cellular Biology, the research team investigated the ability of oregano essential oil to kill Candida albicans.  This fungal yeast overgrowth can cause joint pain, exhaustion, and digestive problems.

They found amazing results: at concentrations of .25 mg/ml, wild oregano oil – a blend known as P73 – completely inhibited both the germination and the mycelial growth of C. albicans in cultures.

The team credited the oil with “potent’ antifungal effects against C. albicans.

Defend against dangerous bacteria and viruses

In a 2012 study, researchers found that oregano essential oil inhibited the growth of 20 different clinical bacterial strains of E. coli – which can cause severe gastrointestinal problems, anemia, and even kidney failure – and 20 strains of P. aeruginosa, which can cause ear infections, skin rashes, and pneumonia.

The encouraging results led researchers to call for further study on oregano oil as an alternative antibacterial remedy – and to explore its use as an “effective means for the prevention of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.”

And there’s more.

Additional studies have shown that oregano oil kills at least 30 different strains of disease-causing bacteria, including staphylococcus aureus, the leading cause of skin and soft tissue infections, and coronavirus, a primary cause of the common cold, pneumonia, and other respiratory infections.

In addition, oil of oregano kills the H. pylori bacterium – a contributory factor in 90 percent of all duodenal ulcers and 80 percent of all gastric ulcers.

What makes this all-natural oil so potent?

Oregano’s two most formidable weapons are a pair of volatile oils, thymol and carvacrol. Carvacrol has also been studied for its therapeutic effects, and a 2016 study published in the European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences showed that carvacrol from oregano oil protected against methotrexate toxicity.

Other constituents of oregano include various flavonoids, essential vitamins, and minerals, including iron, manganese, vitamin E, tryptophan, and omega-3 fatty acids. Oregano also contains ursolic acid, a powerful antioxidant and antibacterial agent.

Even MRSA is no match for this potent essential oil

Did you know that the World Health Organization (WHO) has classified the advent of “superbugs” as a global public health crisis?  Currently, methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus – or MRSA – strikes 80,000 people and claims over 11,000 lives worldwide every year.  Just don’t expect any organization – like WHO – to tell you the health benefits of a substance like, oregano oil.

By the way, the news about oregano oil just keeps getting better. A team of British and Indian researchers reports that the essential oil of Himalayan oregano – simply, origanum vulgare, which happens to grow in the Himalayas – is effective against the MRSA pathogen.

According to researcher Professor Vyv Salisbury, the essential oil kills MRSA at a dilution of 1 to 1,000. The oil kills MRSA both as a liquid and a vapor, and its antimicrobial ability is undiminished by heating in boiling water.

Plans are underway to develop an oregano-based soap for use in hospitals, both for washing hands and disinfecting surfaces.

How should I take this powerful essential oil?

P73 oil of oregano is available in capsule form.

Natural healthcare providers will often advise the use of oregano essential oil for colds, flu, sinusitis, and other respiratory illnesses, as well as for candida and yeast infections.

It can also be used for duodenal and gastric ulcers – in conjunction with other medications that target H. pylori – and, when mixed with coconut oil, can be used topically for athletes’ foot and ringworm.

Because oregano oil is so potent, you should only use it under the guidance of your trusted holistic physician, who can advise you on the correct amount.  Some experts say oil of oregano should be diluted with water or mixed with coconut oil and not taken internally for more than two weeks.

Because oregano oil is such an effective antibacterial agent, long-term use can deplete levels of friendly gut bacteria. So it’s wise to make sure you consume sufficient amounts of probiotic foods – such as live-cultured yogurt, miso soup, or raw sauerkraut – along with prebiotic foods such as organic garlic, onion, and asparagus.

Sources for this article include:

NIH.gov
NIH.gov
NIH.gov
Medicalnewstoday.com
Medicalnewstoday.com

 

Are We Heading Toward a Tsunami of Antimicrobial Resistance?


Reproduced from original article:
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2022/08/03/tsunami-of-antimicrobial-resistance.aspx
The original Mercola article may not remain on the original site, but I will endeavor to keep it on this site as long as I deem it to be appropriate, and will not be bullied into removing it.


Analysis by Tessa Lena     
August 03, 2022

tsunami of antimicrobial resistance

STORY AT-A-GLANCE

  • Health authorities and the World Economic Forum predict that millions of people will be dying from superbugs every year by 2050
  • According to the WEF, antimicrobial resistance is a “looming health catastrophe that could be more deadly than COVID-19”
  • They are calling for a new “subscription model” as a solution and a “political intervention to reconstruct the market and make the development, production of and marketing antibiotics profitable again”
  • While there is no reason to believe the WEF on anything, antimicrobial resistance is on the rise due to overuse of antibiotics in medicine and agriculture, antibiotics into water supply, overuse of antibacterial household products, and weekend immunity due to stress and toxins
  • Superbug infections are particularly alarming in hospital settings

This story is about antimicrobial resistance, a real and potentially serious medical issue, as well as a new scarecrow and cash cow of the pharmaceutical and biochemical industries and their investors.

Let’s Start With the Foundations

Human body is mysterious and amazing, made with wisdom and care. It is simply amazing how well we are designed to deal with natural dangers, and how many healing foods and medicines nature has for us when we need a lift in our defenses. As a species, all we have to do is to be humble, curious, balanced, and grateful, and to live in harmony with nature as opposed to try to fight it. So much love and beauty!

Sadly, there is an ongoing attack on our ability to live in harmony with nature. As it often goes, we tend to not think about those things early on due to constant brainwashing and manufactured distractions — but sooner or later, the laws of nature catch up to us, and many develop health issues — and then start on a journey of rediscovering the basic things about health and life.

Many people are forced to figure it out the hard way due to developing a chronic disease. Others, otherwise healthy, are very sensitive to environmental toxins, and their bodies react to pollution dramatically and immediately (and of course, those two conditions are often interrelated).

In a way, we, the modern people at the mercy of the Rockefeller food and medicine, are like innocent puppies in a lab. Our handlers feed us poisons in food, water, air, clothes, furniture, homes, drugs, and vaccines — and we take them because by default, we don’t expect such “surround” treachery.

But sooner or later, we start noticing problems, and we learn, and the abuse becomes apparent to our eyes. And once we learn, we try to warn others who are still oblivious to the poisoning process — and then they think we are crazy because they are still not at a point where they feel it or make the connection.

In a sense, living in today’s world is extremely confusing and abusive — but we don’t think about it as kids because this broken world of ours is the only world we know, it’s the world of our parents and grandparents, it’s the default — and we only start to think about it when our bodies react to abuse in a visible way.

We, the people of today, are born into a giant abusive experiment made from scraps of incredible beauty. And yes, we pay the price for the imbalance. But as we pay the price, as we walk the journey and rediscover the basics, as we cry and scream and wonder why we’ve duped so badly — we remember our souls at last, and then there is no stopping us. Once we remember our souls, there is no stopping us. There is no stopping us.

The World Economic Forum on Antimicrobial Resistance

What do our “masters” have to say about antimicrobial resistance? The World Economic Forum, for example, has a lot to say! They have pages and pages of search results on the topic.

According to this WEF article, tellingly titled, “This is how to fight antibiotic-resistant superbugs with a simple subscription payment model,” people are now dying from infections that had been previously treatable.

There’s not a peep by the WEF about the fact that superbugs are a prime demonstration of what happens when people get arrogant and start fighting nature without understanding all the intricate connections, while pursuing mainly profit. There’s not a peep about how the Rockefeller medicine model is outright toxic.

The WEF’s “solution” to the problem of antimicrobial resistance is of course to love pharma companies a little more, give them more money in a guaranteed manner, and that’ll solve it. In other words, it’s the “new normal” for us peasant — and business as usual for pharma, with more sass.

What I find alarming is that various WEF articles about antimicrobial resistance talk about how currently, there is “no market” for new antibiotics, and it’s a problem, and so we need to develop a market, and drum up the funding (taxpayer money, without a doubt), etc. etc.

It makes me think about that one time when Peter Daszak lamented that there was no perceived need for pan-influenza and pan-coronavirus vaccines — and then we got COVID! A quote from the WEF article:

“The solution requires political intervention to reconstruct the market and make the development, production of and marketing antibiotics profitable again. We need to change the way we value antibiotics — by paying for reliable and sustainable access to these lifesaving drugs.”

Notably, they say that millions of people may be dying from superbugs every year by 2050. That prediction is based on models. So just to be clear, they are touting this “prediction,” but they also have a lot of public and industry figures captured, and their predictions are a bit like business goals that are worked on by an impressive staff, consisting of world and industry leaders.

In that light, I find the prediction alarming, especially given that certain safe and effective medical products seem to mess with people’s immune systems, and that there is a war on natural immunity altogether.

Plus, antimicrobial resistance is genuinely on the rise, and people innate immunity is on the overall decline due to a wide range of poisons, as well as lockdowns and other “health” measures, including mad spaying of antibacterial products on everything, to save us all from COVID. The use of antibacterial products and sanitizers from here to horizon can’t be good for us in the context of antimicrobial resistance, can it?

And here’s more from the WEF article called, “The looming health catastrophe that could be more deadly than COVID-19”:

“Superbugs. You’ve probably heard of them, but did you know they’re one of the biggest threats to global public health? Left unchecked, these drug-resistant bugs could kill millions of people every year with the damage to health potentially dwarfing that of COVID-19, according to the AMR action fund.”

“That makes antimicrobial resistance, or AMR, a top 10 global public health threat, according to the World Health Organization, which is raising awareness and promoting ways forward with World Antimicrobial Awareness Week.”

“Tackling resistance matters because the problem has the potential to spiral, with the AMR Action Fund estimating that deaths from antibiotic-resistant infections could rise to around 10 million a year by 2050, up from around 700,000 in 2019. And it could cost the global economy as much as $100 trillion between now and 2050.”

Projected AMR deaths by 2050

Image: AMR Action Fund

And here is a quote that reveals their thinking. And while in general, it makes sense that R&D requires funding, the comment about no current market makes it a little alarming, in the light of the general trends.

“‘There is currently no viable market for the development of new antibiotics,’ says Kasim Kutay, CEO of Novo Holdings, which administers the investment in the AMR Action Fund on behalf of the Novo Nordisk Foundation. ‘As a result, antibiotics that are in the early stages of development never reach patients because of a lack of funding for the later stages of clinical research. The AMR Action Fund is an important part of the solution to this.'”

And here is another WEF article from 2021, titled “Optimism despite COVID-19 impact on antimicrobial resistance”:

“The pipeline of new antibiotics is running dry, because the market for antibiotics is broken. The development costs for newly approved antibiotics cannot be covered through sales. Most of the major pharmaceutical companies have stopped developing new antibiotics, and many smaller enterprises have folded due to the lack of a sustainable economic model.

The main reason is that newly developed, effective antibiotics are being used as a ‘last resort’ in the hospital sector: they are sensibly kept locked away in the medical cabinet, only to be used if the cheap generics fail. Of course, this is damaging to the manufacturers’ incentive, as it undermines the possibility to make revenues from new antibiotics. [emphasis mine]

They even a paraphrase of the same “call for action” for the politicians. So it seems like the World Economic Forum people are really drumming their fingers, demanding a political interference into the market (do we have a free market?):

“The solution requires political intervention to reconstruct the market and make the development and production of antibiotics profitable again. We need to change the way we value antibiotics to make-up for costly development.”

Me, a peasant at heart, is thinking, maybe there is no market because people aren’t that scared? And maybe, the real danger for the “market” is that the Rockefeller medicine model is visibly failing on so many fronts, and the orchestrated destructive “COVID response” has opened many eyes, and now the “masters” are worried that people will turn to “alternative” treatments that could potentially treat the bugs that have developed a residence to pharmaceutical products — and stop contributing the pharma industry pockets?

So they want to scare us senseless to ensure that we refrain from acting in our best interests and continue being enchanted? Maybe that’s what’s happening?

And by the way, I think that there can be different ways to treat a disease, and it’s good to be open-minded and generally use common sense and discretion. And modern medicine can be life-saving when used in balance, even though our ancestors probably didn’t need many of the treatments that we use today because they were exposed to more nature and less pollution, and weren’t being constantly poisoned.

There are medicines for different times and different circumstances and different people — but what is certain is that our medical system at large is very broken, and there is no reason to trust it blindly. I am being very diplomatic with this statement.

Asymptomatic Transmission of Superbugs?

Another trend that I find potentially alarming in the aftermath of the COVID “health response” and the conversation about the asymptomatic transmission of superbugs.

Even if it may be wise to keep in mind the possibility of asymptomatic carrying and potential transmission of some bacterial or fungal infections — and we do carry a lot of bugs at all times, and can typically handle them just fine, unless our body is broken or poisoned — if the “COVID testing principle” is applied, then all citizens might be asked to perpetually test for everything “so as not to kill the grandma.,” etc. And that would be ugly. Profitable to the masters but ugly.

Plus, quite a few of those superbug infections come from the hospital settings and medical devices — so using more devices to protect us from superbugs is hardly a useful solution. Here’s from Healthline:

“For some people, being infected with a superbug causes no symptoms at all. When healthy people carry germs without being symptomatic, they can infect vulnerable people without even realizing it.”

Like I said, it really depends on where they take this. More from Healthline:

“According to the 2019 Antibiotic Resistance Threat Report, published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 2.8 million drug-resistant infections happen every year in the United States, and more than 35,000 of them are fatal.”

“The CDC’s report lists 18 bacteria and fungi that endanger human health, classifying them as either: urgent, serious, concerning threats.”

Urgent threats

Serious threats

Concerning threats

What Does the Most Trustworthy Health Authority in the World, the World Health Organization, Have to Say About Antimicrobial Resistance?

The World Health Organization (or their social media person) wants us to “unite to preserve antimicrobials,” which kind of gives away the focus of the WHO on the pharmaceutical industry as opposed to people:

Here is another tweet by the WHO in which they instruct the people on how to fight against the danger of AMR (never mind the extensive use of antibiotics in agriculture and all sorts of chemical pollution that messes with our immunity).

Interestingly, the list includes “preventing infections.” I don’t know, after all we’ve been through, a call to “prevent infections” makes me nervous. Are they developing new experimental medical products to shove down our throats, or will they ask us all to wear butt plugs to prevent potentially infectious … I am not going to say it? It’s 2022, nothing is off the table!

And here’s the WHO on One Health Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance (I guess, there are so many words in the English language, and it’s hard to avoid the phrase “global leaders”):

The Directors General described the rapid rise of antimicrobial resistance as one of the world’s most urgent threats to human, animal, plant and environmental health – endangering food security, international trade, economic development and undermining progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Antimicrobial resistance also leads to increased health care costs, hospital admissions, treatment failure, severe illness and death.

Pasteur Act in the U.S.

In June 2021, Pasteur Act was introduced into Senate, and it does exactly what the World Economic Forum has been drumming its fingers about:

“This bill authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to enter into subscription contracts for critical-need antimicrobial drugs, provides $11 billion in appropriations for activities under the bill, and contains other related provisions.”

It seems like according to the bill, the definition of an “antimicrobial drug” does not include “vaccines” (although the new official definition of vaccines is so broad that it includes therapeutics, so honestly we don’t know at this point).

WEF on the Pasteur Act and the Recent Developments in AMR

The WEB lists the following developments on the AMR front:

  • Introduction in the US of the PASTEUR Act, which aims to kick-start the development of urgently needed new antibiotics by changing the way the US government pays for them.
  • Progress on Swedish and UK government models implementing new AMR payment structures targeted at rebooting the broken marketplace.
  • The EU is to address several AMR challenges, including the lack of investment in antimicrobials and inappropriate use of antibiotics, as appears from the recent Pharmaceutical Strategy for Europe adopted by the Commission in November 2020.
  • The AMR Action Fund has raised US$1 billion from major pharmaceutical companies and foundations to invest in biotech. The aim is to bring as many as four new antibiotics to patients by 2030.

Resistant Candida Species

Fungi, and in particular Candida species, are among the resistant bugs that are on the rise. As a side note, a lot of the symptoms of systemic Candida infection overlap with the symptoms of “long COVID,” and this is food for thought. Here is the CDC on resistant Candida species.

“Antifungal resistance is an increasing problem with the fungus Candida, a yeast. Candida infections may resist antifungal drugs, making them difficult to treat.

About 7% of all Candida blood samples tested at CDC are resistant to the antifungal drug fluconazole. Although one Candida species, Candida albicans, is the most common cause of severe Candida infections, resistance is most common in other species, particularly Candida auris, Candida glabrata, and Candida parapsilosis.1

Concern is rising over the emerging fungus Candida auris,2 which is rare in most areas of the United States but is a growing threat. Resistance rates for C. auris are much higher than for other Candida species, with:

  • About 90% of U.S. C. auris samples being resistant to fluconazole, and
  • Up to one-third are resistant to the antifungal drug amphotericin B”

By the way, here is a Newsweek article titled, “Drug-Resistant Candida auris Fungus Found in Louisiana for First Time, Weeks After Oregon”:

Candida auris is an emerging fungus in the U.S., with cases mostly occurring after mid-2015, according to the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists in 2018. It has been reported from over 30 countries overall … Candida auris presents a serious global health threat with most cases of infection resulting from local spread within health care facilities. There have been over 1,150 clinical cases in the U.S. since 2013.”

“In some patients it can cause severe illness and death, entering the bloodstream and spreading throughout the body. Patients who have been hospitalized for a long time, have lines or tubes entering the body, or who have previously received antibiotics or antifungal medicines appear to be at highest risk of infection.”

“The CDC states that based on information from a limited number of patients, 30 to 60 percent of people infected with the fungus have died. However, many of these patients have had other serious illnesses as well.”

“Part of the concern surrounding Candida auris is that it is resistant to multiple antifungal drugs. Some strains are resistant to all three available classes of antifungals, the CDC states, making infection with these strains even more difficult to treat.”

Nature to the Rescue

Interestingly, there is a number of studies showing the effectiveness of various plants and natural antifungals against various species of Candida. Since I am an artist and a journalist, not a doctor, and since I don’t want to get anything accidentally banned once the censors sense a new danger to the profits of their masters, I am just going to point to this study, published at the NIH website, titled, “Plants’ Natural Products as Alternative Promising Anti-Candida Drugs.”

All in all, I think that given where the wind is blowing, now is a very good time to learn about natural antifungals, as well is to really invest into boosting (sorry not that kind of boosting) our immunity and developing good habits that support a healthy microbiome, since a healthy microbiome is very important for our health, including the immune system.

I think we might be heading toward a tsunami of toxicity-driven health issues that are related to a disrupted microbial balance, and we better be in our best shape as much as we can, and in high spirits as well.

Microbiome and COVID

It is amazing how complex the human body is, and how little the scientists really know about it. The importance of maintaining a wholesome microbiome is rarely (if at all) talked about in the mainstream but it turns out that there is a direct correlation between the diversity of the gut microbiome and even the severity of COVID symptoms!

For example, this study by Dr. Sabine Hazan et al. is an eye-opener. According to the study, severely symptomatic patients had “less bacterial diversity,” and “positive patients overall had lower relative abundances of Bifidobacterium, Faecalibacterium, and Roseburium, while having increased Bacteroides.” There was an “inverse association between disease severity and abundance of the same bacteria.”

On the positive role of Bifidobacteria, here is another study by Dr. Sabine, titled, “Pre-Existing Microbiome Signature in a SARS-CoV-2 Discordant Family,” in which she looks at the differences in gut microbiomes of the index patient and his mother. (And yes, the question of the intrinsic reliability of the PCR test is another matter, but the study is very interesting.)

“Our index patient is a 19-year-old man with Crohn’s disease. After developing symptoms consistent with COVID-19, he, his 62-year-old father, and 14-year-old sister tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in May 2020. Despite a shared household, his 50-year-old mother with a history of asthma and his healthy brother and sister-in-law (a married couple) remained negative.

The index patient and his mother had undergone microbiome analysis in May 2019, following his brother and his sister-in-law in November 2020. We observed significant differences between the fecal microbiota of the SARS-CoV-2-positive son and those of his healthy family.

There were differences in the bacterial phylum, class, order, family, and genus level with the increased relative abundance of Bacteroidetes and reductions or deletions in bacterial diversity, particularly of the Bifidobacterium family. This unique study may signal a new exploratory avenue for the prevention or treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infections.”

Notably, it’s been shown that probiotics tend to improve long COVD.

Microbiome and Parasites

Here is an interesting preliminary observation regarding the tight relationship between gut microbiome and parasite infections. The authors don’t claim to know whether the difference in microbiome determined the susceptibility to parasite infection or whether it could be attributed to the parasite infection itself. But the research is definitely interesting.

“In Genome Biology, a study led by University of Pennsylvania scientists investigated the links between parasite infection and the gut microbiome.

Using genetic methods to characterize the gastrointestinal microbiome of 575 ethnically diverse Cameroonian people representing populations from nine villages with meaningful differences in lifestyle, the researchers discovered that the presence of parasites was strongly associated with the overall composition of the microbiome.”

Conclusion

In conclusion, I would like to say that we are in a phase of history where the limitations and the “side effects” of the algorithmic, pharma-driven model of medicine are getting obvious to more people, and that is the reason for all the bullying. What I think will happen is that a lot of people will flee the toxic, trap-setting Rockefeller medicine, and no threats and no temptation will be able to stop the exodus.

May we re-discover the joy of living in good health, the joy of being in harmony with our soul and with nature. We know what’s good for us, and there is no stopping us.

About the Author

To find more of Tessa Lena’s work, be sure to check out her bio, Tessa Fights Robots.

Could Candida be causing your health problems? Studies link multiple diseases to this pesky yeast

Reproduced from original article:
www.naturalhealth365.com/candida-toxic-chemicals-3753.html

by:  | March 7, 2021

candida-toxic-chemicals(NaturalHealth365) Check your tongue – is it white?  You may have Candida albicans which produces about 180 chemical toxins.  These harmful substances are capable of causing any number of ‘unexplainable‘ health problems.

A white tongue, lack of energy, or irritability are early warning signs of poor health.  In fact, I would suggest that most people with chronic degenerative diseases like IBS, fibromyalgia, or autoimmune conditions suffer from Candida.  Don’t ignore the signs.

Why has Candida become a modern-day problem?

Candida is one of the 400 organisms that live in our mouth, digestive tract, and skin.  Candida albicans is the main yeast in the human body and is normally kept in check by the beneficial bacteria within the intestines.

In a healthy digestive system – Candida lives in approximately one Candida cell for every million bacteria.  When the number of yeast cells grow out of the 1 in 1,000,000 ratio, a person is said to have a flora or yeast imbalance.

It is estimated that over 80% of United States citizens have a problem with Candida.  Naturally, the foods we consume – especially those loaded with overly-processed sugars – encourage yeast overgrowth.

Let’s not forget the issue of chronic stress – which releases cortisol (the ‘stress hormone’) continually.  Too much cortisol can turn off the immune system, raises blood sugar levels, and will kill off friendly bacteria within the gut.

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A prescription for sickness and premature death

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), ‘skyrocketing rates of antibiotic prescriptions now suggest that as many as four out of five Americans may be getting antibiotics annually.’  You may be wondering – what’s this got to do with Candida?

The overuse of antibiotics is clearly linked to the overgrowth of yeast in our digestive tract.  Many natural health experts would agree that taking too many antibiotics is a major reason for this epidemic.

I only wish more conventionally-trained physicians would consider that antibiotics wipe out most of the good bacteria leaving yeast unharmed.  At the very least – they should all push their patients to consume probiotics – when being prescribed antibiotics.  In the absence of any competition, yeast colonies grow into all the empty nooks and crannies of the small and large intestine, causing many unwanted health problems.

What else promotes Candida overgrowth?

I’m glad you asked. Birth control pills, cortisone, steroids, and chemotherapy also kill friendly bacteria, such as street and pharmaceutical drugs, alcohol, and lack of oxygenation through a sedentary lifestyle.  Keep in mind that friendly bacteria actually feed on Candida, so anything diminishing their numbers can cause Candida to grow out of control.

What are the symptoms of Candida?

The typical Candida symptoms include jock itch, depression, anxiety, mood swings, heartburn, indigestion, fatigue, food allergies, joint pain, acne, migraine headaches, recurring cystitis, vaginal infections, premenstrual symptoms, foggy thinking, dandruff, athlete’s foot, ear infections, and eczema.

Candida has been implicated in the impairment of the immune system along with the central nervous system.  It has been investigated as the underlying cause of most conditions, including heart, bowel, thyroid disease, and arthritic and autoimmune conditions.

Candida is known to be intimately involved in weight gain, Epstein-Barr, asthma, allergies, cancer, hyperactivity, attention deficit disorders, periodontal disease, and even autism.

How can we test for Candida overgrowth?

A simple blood test can help.  You’ll want to check your levels for IgG, IgA, and IgM Candida antibodies.  These can be checked through most labs.  High levels indicate an overgrowth of Candida.

Stool testing can check for Candida in the colon.  The lab can usually determine the species of yeast as well as which treatment will be most effective.  Just make sure that your doctor orders a ‘comprehensive stool test’ rather than the standard variety.

The urine Organix Dysbiosis test detects a waste product of Candida yeast overgrowth known as D-Arabinitol.  An elevated test indicates an overgrowth.  This test will determine if the problem is in your upper gut or small intestines.

The spit test can be done at home.  The first thing, when you wake up in the morning, is to put some saliva into a glass of water before you put anything into your mouth.

If the saliva floats, it is fine, but if within 15 minutes you notice projections extending down into the water, it is said to be a sign that you are harboring the invasive form of Candida.  If the water turns cloudy, your spit sinks to the bottom of the glass, or you see strings – you are looking at a Candida problem.

What’s the best way to treat Candida?

Effectively treating Candida involves stopping the yeast overgrowth, restoring the friendly bacteria that usually keep them in check, and healing the gut.

Addressing this overgrowth primarily requires a low sugar diet.  Sugar is what feeds yeast, so eliminating sugar in all of its simple forms is a must.  Cut out pasta, bread, baked cookies, muffins, bagels, and most, if not all, processed foods.

Generally speaking, overeating creates a high residue of undigested food – which feeds opportunistic organisms such as Candida.  And, don’t eat fast.  Therefore, chew your food at least 30 times to produce the saliva that prepares the body for healthy digestion. The idea is to allow friendly microbes to breakdown all the food you eat.

Obviously, using diet alone not only takes months for results but isn’t as effective as using a protocol – which includes herbs, probiotics, and natural antifungals such as caprylic acid in coconut oil.

Here are some ‘Candida killers’

Candida overgrowth has been tied, in part, to a lack of omega-3 fatty acids.  There are plenty of omega-3 fatty acids to be found in flaxseed oil and walnut oil.  In addition, you may want to take oregano oil, garlic, olive leaf, colloidal silver, raw apple cider vinegar, spirulina, grapefruit seed extract, neem oil, Pau D’Arco, and burdock root for its antifungal effect.

Never forget – your first line of defense is always a strong immune system.  This can only be achieved through a healthy lifestyle, which includes organic whole foods, fresh air, stress reduction, and exercise.  Talk to an experienced healthcare provider and eliminate the threat of Candida – naturally.

Sources for this article include:

NIH.gov
NIH.gov
NIH.gov
NIH.gov

Candida

Written by Brenton Wight, Health Researcher, LeanMachine
Copyright [c] 1999-[y] Brenton Wight. All Rights Reserved.
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Updated 22nd July 2022

Candida albicans, also known as Yeast infections, Fungal infections, Mycosis and Thrush

Almost everyone has Candida in their bodies. For most of us, it causes no problems.
But if our immune system is compromised by antibiotics, poor diet, sleep deprivation or other factors, candida can grow uncontrollably.
Each of us has about 70 to 100 or more trillion bacteria in our bodies, weighing between 1 and 2kg, or over 3% of our total body weight.
Most of them good, but some are bad – really bad, like yeast, parasites, fungi and other organisms, and most of the time we don’t know they are even there.
If we are healthy with a good diet, our immune system and the good bugs keeps the bad bugs under control. We can never eliminate them, but we can keep them at levels where they can’t do too much harm.
75% of our immune system is in the gut – our trillions of good bacteria is our second, but most important line of defense against unwelcome invaders.
Our first line of defense is in the mouth, and this is where our good bacteria first start to knock out the bad guys, and this is why sugar should be banned from our diet, as sugar keeps the bad bugs fed well.
Healthy gut flora keeps candida under control, because in it’s normal state, Candida is a relatively weak fungal type bug.
Unfortunately, under some conditions, Candida can transform into dangerous mutations, changing to an aggressive bug which can cause systemic (throughout the entire body) destruction.
Candida is very common, and very dangerous.
75% of women, and many men, suffer from Candida in some form at some stage, from minor symptoms including rashes, increased PMS issues and bad breath, to severe conditions like IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), depression, joint pain, and chronic fatigue syndrome.
A Candida problem can be a host of apparently unrelated chronic symptoms which refuse to go away, regardless of treatments, and a course of antibiotics only makes things much worse.

Mainstream Medicine Mistakes

In the 1980’s links were found between candida, chronic fatigue, chronic pain problems and fibromyalgia-type symptoms.
Mainstream health professionals have little idea how to diagnose, let alone treat Candida issues, and those who do attempt to treat Candida use dangerous medications which often exacerbate the situation by destroying our good bacteria, leaving us defenseless against the bad guys.
Creams, oils, lotions, etc are only marginally effective on the skin where applied, and cannot resolve systemic, body-wide infestations.
The “nuke it” approach, with powerful anti-fungal prescription medications, can work temporarily, but Candida is smart enough to disguise itself and eventually develop resistance to the medication.
Drugs used for other purposes such as antibiotics, cortisone therapy, immune-suppressants, even birth control pills can start a Candida infestation explosion.
Candida critters are very smart.
Classified as a fungus, but are in fact part plant, part animal, part bacteria, part parasite, and able to reproduce themselves either sexually (with a mate) or asexually (by themselves), and by re-arranging their own chromosomes, can alter their shape and forms to adapt to the environment and ensure survival.
No surprise that with these attributes, it can be very difficult to dispose of yeast infections!

How Candida Works

In the normal, relatively harmless yeast form, under the microscope, Candida looks like a small white egg, with a smooth and consistent shape and living in our gut.
Candida feeds on the food we eat and normally keeps to itself, but under some conditions, it mutates into a monster super-fungus, multiplying rapidly to colonise in every possible part of the body.
In some areas it can double the colony size every hour, so before long it runs rampant, destroying everything in it’s path.
The best way to start this happening is to feed it it’s favourite food – sugar!

Candida Symptoms

  • White coating on the tongue
  • Development of food sensitivities
  • Aches and pains without a known cause
  • Bloating, constipation or diarrhea
  • Persistent fatigue
  • Dry or other skin problems
  • Vaginitis (inflammation of the female genital area)
  • Breathing problems

Mutated Forms

The mutated form (mycelial-form) of Candida grows rhixoids, which are elongated, finger-like tentacles that tunnel, bore and burrow their way through our gut walls, where they enter the blood vessels, to be transported everywhere in the body, blooming to a systemic infection.
They now appear anywhere – heart, eyes, kidneys, liver, lungs and even the brain. A yeast infection is not just a minor annoyance causing a little itching – this is a warning sign that some insidious thing is happening.
Like tree roots which can crack, lift and eventually destroy pavement, Candida does the same thing to our bodies as it mutates into the dangerous super-fungus form. Apart from entering the blood through the cracks in our gut and spreading, another opportunity is now “opened up” – many other undesirable things now enter our blood stream through these cracks; things which should normally stay in our gut: Bacteria, toxins, undigested food, milk, etc.

A short note about Milk

This is a good reason why no-one should ever drink homogenised milk, as the fat globules in homogenised milk are ten times smaller than non-homogenised milk, easily entering the blood through the tiniest holes in the gut.
When undigested milk enters the bloodstream directly through a “leaky gut”, the body’s own immune system recognises this as a unwanted invader and attempts to destroy it. From that time on, the immune system remembers this pattern, and we then have a milk allergy.
Leaky gut is the main culprit for the rapid rise in allergies we have seen in the last few decades, as we are now allergic to every food that passes directly into the blood.
We can find non-homogenised milk at all good supermarkets if we look hard enough, but few of the major brands make it.
Of course we have to shake the container to mix the cream, but that is a small price to pay for our better health, and I should also mention that we should never buy low-fat or skim milk, as all of the good nutrients, including CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) and Omega-7, have been lost with the cream.
The “Low Fat” advertising is a gimmick. We lose weight more effectively with full-cream milk compared to low-fat milk because we tend to eat/drink more less-satisfying low-fat milk than satisfying full-cream milk drink.
Milk also contains lactose. Like most other things ending in “ose”, lactose is a sugar, and sugar feeds candida (and cancers).
Again, milk fills a complete chapter in my upcoming book, so I’ll leave a summary: Most people do better without milk, have less allergies without milk, lose more weight without milk, have stronger bones without milk, but if you have to have milk, FULL-CREAM and UN-HOMOGENISED milk is the only reasonably healthy milk to buy, and if you can get it straight from the cow (NON-PASTEURISED), even better.

Candida Waste Products

Candida overgrowth can make us feel sick, tired, plain lousy, and can make us drunk from inside out!
As yeast dies as part of it’s natural life cycle, acetaldehyde is released. This is a toxin which the liver converts to ethanol, the same hangover-causing chemical produced by high consumption of alcohol, so Candida sufferers often feel like they have a hangover without drinking a drop of alcohol, because they have an alcohol factory in their own body.
Another problem, as if we don’t have enough problems already, is “Candida Poo”, which is the 79 distinct toxins and waste by-products released as part of the Candida lifecycle. It’s bad enough that we feed all parasites, but we have to clean up and dispose of their waste and toxic elements as well as recover from the damage and disease they cause!
Candida infestation can continue growing, producing more acetaldehyde, causing our blood alcohol level to rise enough to cause symptoms such as impaired thinking, lack of concentration, irritability, depression, brain fog, slowed reflexes, fatigue and other signs of excess alcohol.
In this state, red blood cells have trouble flowing into small capillaries, aggravating migraine headaches, fatigue, muscle aches, slowing healing.
At the same time, white blood cells have reduced ability to fight infection, often causing allergies, rashes, acne and even further inhibiting of healing processes.
Like the way bread rises from yeast because of carbon dioxide released from carbohydrate fermentation, Candida builds up carbon dioxide in the intestine, resulting in excess gas, bloating, and yet another waste product for the over-taxed body to dispose of.

The Real Candida Cause

Can we defeat this little terror? Of course we can, but we must get back to basics to eliminate problems once and for all.
Why do we get Candida in the first place? Everyone has Candida, because we can’t help consuming it from food, water and the environment, but the reason it develops is because our body gets out of balance, and our immune system gets compromised, allowing immediate, almost uncontrollable flourishing of Candida.
We cannot destroy Candida completely without killing ourselves, so our only real, long-lasting solution is to re-balance the body, restore the immune system, and let the body’s own natural defenses do their job.
If we have bad breath, rashes, fatigue, trouble concentrating, brain fog, strange allergies, weird pains or anything we can’t explain, it could be a sign that something is out of whack, allowing Candida to get out of control, and even if the problem is not Candida, correcting the balance and immune system of the body is the first step to recovery from any sickness.

Candida and Cancer

New research is now finding a link between Candida infections and Cancer. While billions of dollars are being spent on cancer research, cancer cases are increasing, now overtaking cardiovascular issues as a leading cause of death. LeanMachine suggests that staying Candida free is the first step in staying Cancer free. Like most modern diseases, prevention is the key, then requiring no cure.

The Spit Test

The spit test may indicate signs of a yeast overgrowth.
Take this test on waking in the morning, preferably before getting out of bed.
– Gather as much spit as possible in the mouth.
– Spit into a clear glass with filtered water at room temperature.
– Watch and wait.
Normally, saliva floats at first. Watch for about 15 minutes, and look for any thin projections like hairs or strings, extending down  into the water. This occurrence indicates a possible candida overgrowth issue.
If the saliva:
– Appears cloudy, and sinks to the bottom in a few minutes, or:
– Parts of saliva slowly sink, yeast overgrowth is a possibility.
These parts may be yeast colonies that band together.
If the spit still floats normally after an hour or so, any yeast infections are probably under control.

The Cure

We must create an environment which is good for nourishment of the body, but bad for Candida. By following these guidelines, we will remain Candida free, and also reduce the risk of Cancer, Diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and most other “modern” diseases.

  • Eliminate all sugar from the diet. The natural sweetener Xylitol is OK as it is a 5-carbon sugar alcohol, and despite it’s misleading name (it is technically neither a sugar, nor an alcohol), it will not feed Candida, and has far less insulin-spiking effect. Other alternatives are Erythritol and Stevia, with virtually zero insulin spiking.
  • Avoid all artificial sweeteners. They are as bad or worse than sugar in many ways. In the long term, lose the sweet-tooth altogether
  • Change to an alkaline-forming diet, as acids cause Candida and other parasites to thrive
  • Avoid yeast in all forms. All grain/flour based products will acidify and aggravate our bodies, and are usually made with yeast, the best food for Candida. No more bread, cakes, biscuits, muffins, etc. Tough for some people but you will thank me a few weeks! Excess weight will slowly disappear, while digestion, health and energy will all improve, and the holes in the gut caused by flour products will begin to heal
  • Keep cool and dry, wear well-ventilated clothing and live in a well-ventilated house. Candida loves sugar, warmth and moisture. Avoid artificial fibres in clothing. Keep to natural fibres like cotton, bamboo or wool. Before buying any clothing, give it a sniff. Any trace of a chemical smell? Leave it in the store
  • Never take antibiotics unless there is a severe, life-threatening situation. Antibiotics encourage Candida and other harmful organisms by destroying their natural enemies (the good bacteria)
  • Reduce carbohydrate intake, as all carbs feed Candida. This means potatoes, pasta, grains, cereals, breads, cakes, etc. A healthy body requires NONE of these “foods”. There is NO medical condition such as “Carbohydrate Deficiency” as the body can make all the carbs it needs from breaking down protein
  • Take liver detox supplements such as Milk Thistle
  • Add some parsley to each meal. Easy to grow yourself in a pot, and available at the greengrocer or supermarket
  • Take a supplement containing Pau D’Arco or Candida Support
  • The main ingredient in Pau d’Arco is beta-lapachone, also a potent catalyst for NADH (Reduced Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide, or NAD+ or CoEnzyme E1), important for mitochondria, the energy components of every cell in the body and as a sensor for stress and disease
  • Also consider Pumpkin Seed Oil for more parasite protection
  • Most kitchens have Cloves in the spice rack. Add them to everything to help control Candida and other parasites, and add a great flavour at the same time
  • Berberine has anti-inflammatory, immune-enhancing, anti-microbial properties against bacteria, protozoa, and fungi. Berberine’s action against Candida pathogens is stronger than prescription antibiotics commonly used
  • Echinacea is also of benefit in building the immune system
  • Aloe contains a mucopolysaccharide with strong immune properties and also benefits the mitochondria
  • Take a probiotic supplement such as Acidophilus or at least eat some yogurt every day to help re-build the good gut flora
  • Try to use a probiotic that includes a FOS (fructo-oligosaccharides), a pre-biotic that enhances functionality of gut flora, included in Acidophilus above
  • Fermented foods – sauerkraut, etc are a good source of probiotics, generally much more than available in supplements
  • Eat more high-fibre foods like chia seeds, preferably containing over 40 grams of fibre daily
  • Or take a daily fibre supplement containing Psyllium to improve regularity, keep things moving through the colon, improve internal cleansing and reduce risk of colon cancer. Can help relieve constipation, but because it increases bulk with both soluble and insoluble fibre, may also help with diarrhoea
  • Eat some garlic, or for those who do not like the smell or taste, take Garlic supplements every day, or at least onions or shallots.
  • To help cleanse the blood and the liver, eat Chlorophyll-rich foods (Green leafy vegetables) every day, or take Chlorophyll supplements. The molecular structure of Chlorophyll and Haemoglobin appear identical, apart from one small difference: Haemoglobin has a central iron atom (making blood red), while Chlorophyll has a central magnesium atom (making plants green)
  • Coconut Oil contains Caprylic Acid, along with capric acid and lauric acid, MCT (Medium Chain Triglycerides) that help defeat candida as it is a natural anti-fungal, anti-viral and anti-bacterial product, and also helps lose weight, as MCT’s go straight to the liver to be burned as fuel and cannot be stored as fat
  • Avoid antibiotics, steroid hormones and oral contraceptives, as they alter the gut bacteria, increasing risk of candida changing into an invasive form
  • Avoid antibiotics in food such as from animals raised in concentrated animal feeding operations which are fed antibiotics to counteract bad sanitation and to boost growth. Ask for “grass fed” or “pasture raised” meat, and limit meat consumption (acidic) in favour of plant foods (alkaline)
  • Get more good sleep, more exercise and an alkaline, sugar-free diet, but never consume food or drink with aspartame or other artificial sweeteners, which destroy good gut bacteria. Stevia is a better natural choice and has anti-cancer properties
  • Treat the partners of infected patients, even if there are no symptoms, as they can also be carrying abnormally large amounts of Candida, potentially leading to constant cross-infections
  • Continue treatment until all symptoms have disappeared, plus a further 2 weeks, which destroys eggs laid by the previous generation

Drug Therapy

There are some prescription drugs which can help if all of the above fails and the condition is serious:

  • Nystatin, an antifungal, available as tablets or a powder, and fairly benign with few side effects.
  • Diflucan, an antibiotic,only if all else fails

 

Copyright © 1999-[y] Brenton Wight – Lean Machine