All diseases are caused by fungus. Just take a look! Fungal infections (Candida) symptoms resemble many colds, digestive problems, lung problems, forgetfulness, foggy mind, fatigue, etc. Fungal infections are caused by an overgrowth of fungus in one or more organs inside or outside the body leading to one or more simultaneous fungal sicknesses. Fungal infections have many faces and many shapes. The mere sound of the word, fungus, alone should evoke a sense of fear for human health. Over one hundred and fifty strains of fungus are located in our mouths, throats, digestive tract, skin, rectum, and the vagina. However, at low concentrations, fungus is a great friend to our digestive tract and lives in harmony alongside other friendly bacteria. Together, the two types of bacteria and fungus, each totaling to one third of the total concentration of the flora of the large intestine, the oral cavity, and the vaginal walls. This flora forms the first line of defense that aids your immunity and protects you against overgrowth of fungal species that may lead to infections if allowed to over grow. However, at high concentrations, fungus can turn its back on you and cause much more harm. If the number of friendly bacteria decreases in relation to the number of fungus, then fungal proliferation begins. Candida albicans, for example, protect our digestive tract from harmful pathogens transforms itself to a fungal form and starts to invade the organs of the body. It may cause numerous health problems such as disrupting the absorption process, fatigue, congesting the lungs, inflaming the vaginal walls, skin irritation (such as the case in rosaceae, acne and eczema) and weakening the immune system. It may proceed further and interfere with the nervous and endocrine systems. Approximately 79% of the known toxins in the body have been isolated from fungus related overgrowth. One of the major wastes produced is acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde causes excessive fatigue, decreased strength and reduced stamina. This toxin is then transformed by the liver into ethanol (alcohol) which would deplete the body of magnesium (muscle aches) and potassium (tachycardia). It will further cause over production of free radicals, as a result of a reduction of cell energy enhanced by the destruction of cellular enzymes. Fungus also harps on ingesting serum glucose(blood) in addition, to their needs for oxygen for its survival. Depletion of oxygen and glucose from the serum causes symptoms of weakness, disorientation, dizziness, mental confusion, anxiety, depression, and headaches.

Causes of Fungal Overgrowth There are two main causes of developing excessive fungus in the body.

1) The first cause is excessive consumption of oral antibiotics. 2) The second cause is missing breast feeding at birth.

Symptoms of Fungal Infection The following are the most important symptoms of fungal infection (Dysbiosis, Candidiasis, fungus). Fungus symptoms are, oral thrush, dry elbows, dry knees, dry feet, athlete’s foot, gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, ear infections, tonsillitis, hives, rosaceae, vaginitis, candida, vaginal discharge, fatigue, tiredness, fibromyalgic pain, memory loss, forgetfulness, confusion and all kinds of allergies including histamine release that incrementally increases over time.

Now, you must beware that fungus comes packaged under different names such as: anal itch bloating candida (candidiasis) colitis constipation diarrhea dry skin gas IBS oral thrush proctitis rosacea tinea capitis (scalp ringworm) tinea corporis (ringworm) tinea cruris (jock itch) tinea pedis (athlete's foot) tinea unguium (nail fungus) urethritis urinary tract infection vaginitis volvitis yeast infection

Tinea pedis, Fungus Tinea pedis, Fungus Knees covered with fungus. Also called dry knees or dark knees.

Toe nail impacted with fungus. Dark nails are a sign of fungus.

Thrush on tongue, Fungus Fungus and eczema

During my examination I pay specific attention to fungal symptoms. Those who are suffering from or were told that they are suffering from a fungal overgrowth are expected to follow a strict diet if they sincerely wish to eliminate fungus from the body. Fungus is the mother of all sicknesses. In the past 20 years I have seen numerous health concerns, sicknesses and diseases that are directly and some time indirectly connected to fungus. Today, I have no doubt in my mind that fungus is the backbone of every sickness that a human being may be suffering from. However, it is a matter of degree of involvement and percentage of presence. Some sicknesses contain high percentages of fungus such as vaginitis and fungal colitis. On the other hand there are some sicknesses that have low percentages of fungus in its background such as tonsillitis and ear infections. The percentage of fungus depends on several factors: amount of antibiotics used for treatments, especially shortly after birth timing of food (solids) introduction after birth introduction of diet saturated with fungus such as mushroom, vinegar and beer the amount of simple sugar and carbohydrate consumption and daily cravings

The Best Treatment for Fungal Infections It must be mentioned here that fungal infections do not respond to antibiotic treatment. In fact, antibiotic medications will enhance the growth of more fungal organisms in the body.

The best treatment should consist of three folds,

A good anti-fungal diet to help starve and weaken the fungal group being treated, Weekly colonic irrigation to help remove the bulk of fungus and balance the colon, An antifungal hypoallergenic treatment (Candi Halt) and a hypoallergenic (acidophilus capsule) Some chronic fungal infections require an additional intravenous antifungal treatment which

will expedite the recovery and produce much enhanced recovery. Must accompany good diet that does not contain yeast or yeast products such as

beer, wine, sugar, bread with yeast or mushroom. Dr. Fateh Srajeldin B.Sc., N.D., 416-207-0207 Above info collected from this link: http://www.inaturopath.ca/males-issues/candida-treatment/

The Anti-Fungal Diet First outlined by Dr. William Crook in his book 'The Yeast Connection', the anti-fungal diet has been an integral part of treating intestinal yeast overgrowth ever since. The aim of the diet is to reduce intake of sugar and refined carbohydrates as well as moldy foods and yeast products. The reason for reducing sugar and refined carbohydrate intake is that yeast feed on sugar and ferment it producing alcohol in the form of ethanol (drinking alcohol) and an even more toxic chemical called acetaldehyde. By reducing the amount of sugar in your diet you are also reducing the amount available to the yeast in your intestines. This may help to keep their growth in check and will also reduce the amount of toxic waste products they create as a result of fermentation. Elimination of moldy foods and yeast products is suggested because as a result of an intestinal yeast overgrowth the likelihood of developing an immune reactions to these things is greatly increased. This is as a result of yeast overgrowth leading to leaky gut syndrome and the possibility of "translocation" of the organisms from the intestine into the blood stream and other body tissues where they may cause immune reactions, mainly of the IgG mediated delayed reaction type. As a result, the immune system may cross react with molds and yeasts from your diet.

A typical anti-fungal diet has the following restrictions:

FOODS THAT MUST BE AVOIDED Sugar & sugar containing foods: Table sugar (Sucrose) and all other simple, fast releasing sugars such as fructose, lactose, maltose, glucose, mannitol and sorbitol. All honey and sugar syrup type products such as maple syrup and molasses. Packaged and processed foods: This includes canned, bottled, boxed and otherwise processed and pre-packaged foods as they more often than not contain sugar of one type or another.

Examples: Canned - Baked beans, soups, ready-made sauces Bottled - Soft drinks, fruit juices, condiments/sauces Boxed/Packaged - Ready-made meals, breakfast cereals, chocolate/candy, ice cream, frozen foods.

Mold and yeast containing foods: Cheeses: moldy cheeses like stilton are the worst, buttermilk, sour cream and sour milk products. Alcoholic drinks: beer, wine, cider, whiskey, brandy, gin and rum. Condiments: vinegar and vinegar containing foods like mayonnaise, pickles, soy sauce, mustard and relishes. Malt products: cereals, candy and malted milk drinks.

Edible fungi: including all types of mushrooms and truffles. Processed and smoked meats: sausages, hot dogs, corned beef, pastrami, smoked fish, ham, bacon. Fruit juices: All packaged fruit juices may potentially contain molds. Fresh fruit juices are allowed in moderation due to their sugar content. Dried fruits: raisins, apricots, prunes, figs, dates etc.

FOODS TO BE EATEN IN MODERATION Grains: wheat, rice, corn, barley, millet, oats. High carbohydrate vegetables: sweet corn, potatoes, beans and peas, sweet potatoes, squashes, turnips, parsnips.

Anti-fungal drugs and natural products

For mild cases the diet along with healthier lifestyle choices in general may be enough to resolve the problem, however in moderate to severe problems an anti-fungal drug or a natural product with anti-fungal activity will need to be taken as well. The question of whether to use a drug or a natural product is one for you and your doctor to decide upon. From personal reports and the limited scientific evidence that is available, a lot of the natural products do seem to be as effective as many of the anti-fungal drugs. The exception maybe the systemic drugs which are usually reserved for cases that won't respond to either drugs that only act in the intestine, such as Nystatin, or the natural anti-fungal's. Most doctors treating yeast overgrowths suggest that patients will need to take the majority of anti-fungal's for at least 3 months and some will have to stay on them indefinitely. Of course most will be somewhere in between these extremes. Below we'll take a look at the most common anti-fungal's and the advantages and disadvantages of each. It should be noted here that with any anti-fungal treatment there is a chance of experiencing what is known as the Herxheimer or "die-off" reaction. This is said to occur as a result of the yeast being killed too rapidly which overwhelms the body with yeast cells and their toxins. Any number of nasty symptoms can arise as a result, most frequently a flu-like feeling or worsening of symptoms already present. The solution to this may be to take a lower dose of anti-fungal for a while or take extra fibre or a product like bentonite clay to help carry the toxins out of the body before they are absorbed.

NATURAL ANTI-FUNGAL'S. Garlic

Garlic (Allium sativum) contains a large number of sulphur containing compounds that exhibit potent anti-fungal properties. Among the most studied are allicin, alliin, alliinase and S-allylcysteine. Some studies have found garlic to be at least as effective as nystatin at killing Candida albicans. A point that should not be overlooked is that because of the many different compounds with anti-fungal properties in garlic, yeast and fungi are unlikely to become resistant to it. Garlic also has many other beneficial properties particularly for the cardiovascular system. It has been shown to lower levels of LDL cholesterol and act as an anti-coagulant, lowering blood pressure as a result. Like barberry, garlic has a long history of medicinal use, reportedly dating back as far as 3000 years. For treating intestinal yeast infections garlic is available in a number of different forms including, odourless capsules, liquid extract and tablets. However, a study at the National Institutes of Health found that fresh garlic was significantly more potent against Candida albicans. It also found that the fresh garlic could be a suitable alternative to drugs for serious systemic infections in patients with severe immune suppression. Therefore adding garlic to food (raw) or crushing and swallowing raw cloves if you can tolerate it, is a cheap and powerful anti-fungal treatment. Saturated Fatty Acids

Undecylenic and caprylic acids are common medium chain saturated fatty acids used to treat yeast infections. Both are found naturally in the human body in small amounts. Common commercial sources of caprylic acid are palm and coconut oils, whereas undecylenic acid is extracted from castor bean oil. Caprylic acid products are far more common than those of undecylenic acid but don't assume this means it is better, undecylenic acid has far more research data available on it and was the treatment of choice for fungal skin infections for a long time before newer drugs arrived (1, 2). Both have been shown to be comparable to a number of common anti-fungal drugs. In fact undecylenic acid was the main agent used to treat fungal infections prior to the development of newer drugs and is still prescribed today for some infections. A typical dosage for caprylic acid would be up to 3600mg per day in divided doses with meals. Undecylenic acid is commonly taken in dosages of up to 1000mg per day, again in divided doses. A major advantage of using natural products over drugs is the cost. A month’s supply of either of these fatty acids will cost only about $20-30 for a quality product. Berberine

Berberine is an alkaloid found in a herb called barberry (Berberis vulgaris) and related plants as well as in goldenseal, oregon grape root and Chinese goldthread. This herb has long been used in chinese and ayurvedic medicine. Berberine has significant anti-fungal activity and is also effective against some kinds of bacteria. As with all previously covered anti-fungal's, berberine is reported to spare beneficial organisms such as lactobacilli species. An added benefit for some people is its anti-diarrhoeal action. Research has shown that berberine can effectively prevent candida species from producing an enzyme called lipase which they use to help them colonize (3). Berberine has also been widely shown to have a powerful directly anti-fungal action (4, 5) Cost of treatment with berberine is roughly equivalent to that of the fatty acids. Oregano

Most people will be familiar with oregano as the strong smelling herb commonly used as a seasoning in Italian food. This is usually Oregano marjoram rather than Oregano vulgare that we're interested in here. Oregano vulgare contains a variety of substances that make it an effective anti-

fungal. In a study assessing its action against Candida albicans, carvacrol, a major phenolic constituent of the oil, was found to inhibit candida to a greater extent than caprylic acid. It is also highly effective against many bacteria with studies published in the most prestigious medical journals showing it is as effective as many antibiotic drugs. Usually supplied in oil form, oregano treatment will cost around $25 per month. It is very potent so only a few drops in a glass of water are needed at a time. Higher dosages would be likely to cause irritation of the mucous membranes. Colloidal Silver

A colloid is defined as very small particles of one substance suspended (not dissolved) in another. Colloidal silver is a suspension of silver particles in water. Silver is a well known anti-microbial, it is commonly used in items such as water filters to kill any microbe that may be in the water, including bacteria, fungi, worms and protozoa. Colloidal silver is said to be effective against up to 650 pathogens including, of most interest to us here, yeast and fungi species including Candida. It works by denaturing the enzyme involved with supplying the organism with oxygen. Chances of resistance to this process are by all accounts, very low. It was used widely to treat infection before the development of antibiotic drugs. It is now classified as a pre-1938 drug by the FDA which means that it is available without prescription. The number of companies offering colloidal silver as an alternative to antibiotic medications is increasing daily. The renewed interest can be explained by the increase in chronic infections and the fact that many microbes are becoming resistant to the commonly used drug treatments. The dosage of colloidal silver needed to treat yeast overgrowth will vary between products because they may have slightly different concentrations. Prices are similar to the other natural products discussed at about $30 for an 8oz bottle. Cellulase

This is a relatively new treatment approach for intestinal yeast infections. The cell wall of common intestinal yeast such as Candida species have been found to be made mainly from cellulose. Cellulase is the enzyme that breaks down cellulose and hence, when significant concentrations come into contact with yeast cells the cell wall is irreparably damaged and the organism dies. It's claimed that using this mode of action, the yeast do not release a flood of toxins when they die as occurs with most other anti-fungal agents so that the sufferer does not experience the usual die-off symptoms to any significant degree. The yeast should be unable to develop resistance to cellulase products as they lack the ability to modify their cell wall. As cellulase products have only been around for a few years reports of their effectiveness in practice is limited but they offer a promising alternative to more established treatments. Prices again, are in a similar range to all the natural anti-fungal's. Plant Tannins

Tannins are natural substances found in a number of plants such as Black Walnut and a vast array of plants used in traditional eastern medicine. Tannins are what give red wines such as merlots and cabernets their sharp, biting taste. They are also found in the bark of trees that are particularly resistant to fungus such as the redwood tree. They have been demonstrated to have a powerful anti-fungal and astringent action in a multitude of clinical studies (6, 7, 8). Tannins are one of a number of natural substances tested against pathogens found in stool samples by functional medicine labs. More information can be found on these tests here. Tannins are available in a number of forms to treat intestinal yeast overgrowth. As previously mentioned they are the active anti-fungal ingredient in many traditional eastern herbal preparations. Black walnut has very high tannin content and is commonly used to treat infections with Candida sp, parasites and worms. It is widely available from health stores and nutritional supplement suppliers. Tannins are also available

in an isolated and concentrated form. Treatment with plant tannins is comparable in cost to most natural anti-fungal agents, being in the region of $15-$30 per month.

Turnip

There are some foods that have antifungal properties but depending on the case I would rather try something from the health food store .One of the foods that come to mind is the rutabaga or turnip. People that eat a bowl of this and have fungus infection get a die off effect causing weakness and fatigue. This reaction means that the fungus is dieing and the toxins are release in the blood. Keep in mind that the active ingredient in this food is caprylic acid also available in tablets. But the rutabaga has to be eaten raw for it to work.

Grapefruit seed extract

Another favourite is the grapefruit seed extract (about 4 tablets 3 times per day for an adult). This grapefruit seed extract have been processed to form a quantum pollyfenolic compound with broad spectrum antibacterial and antifungal activity. It will kill both bacteria and fungus. Because of this probiotics like acidofilus bufidus etc. are recommended to be taken for as long as possible.

Alfalfa seed or leaf tea

Another very potent antifungal is the alfalfa seed or leaf tea. I would prefer the seeds about 2 table spoons in about 16 ounces of boiling water. Boil them for about ten minutes and cover them. Drink when it has cooled down. The bioflanoids that these seeds or leaf contain, are more powerful than some prescription drugs like fluconazole, diflucan, nyzoral or nystatin.

For topical infections like in the skin or feet, Pure Oregano Oil is what works best.

Above info collected from this link: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070320090448AAVW92n

ALKALIZING THE BODY

One thing I do encourage patients to do is increase the alkalinity of their body, which makes for a much less agreeable environment for the Candida to live in. I have become a big fan of homemade smoothies and in the year since I started making one every day my own health has improved considerably.

Here is a recipe sheet which I hand out regularly: Making a green smoothie every day provides the body with micro nutrients, which are building blocks for every cell. It also helps to shift the PH balance towards a more alkaline state, in which it is more difficult for yeast overgrowth and infection to thrive. After 2 weeks you will notice the difference. Into a blender put: 250ml of filtered water Juice of half a lemon or lime 3 inches of chopped cucumber A stick of celery Quarter of avocado Sprig of parsley 6 – 8 basil leaves Rock salt and black pepper to taste Blend all ingredients together and drink half first thing in the morning before eating or drinking anything else. Have the rest at lunchtime. You can add other green ingredients as you wish, plus garlic, turmeric and ginger which are useful immune boosters. Other veggies you might want to add include courgettes, spinach leaves, rocket, watercress or kale. For a change, try adding some berries and a bit less green veg. Above info collected from this link: http://hpathy.com/cause-symptoms-treatment/the-homeopathic-treatment-of-candida/

My ideas for creating an Alkalizing smoothie – The following smoothie has a very alkalizing effect and helps curb acidity problems when

taken daily. I take 1 glass each as breakfast and as an evening snack. I eat 1-2 bananas and 1 sweet lime with it. This smoothie helps me to neutralize anything spicy I eat for lunch and dinner and also prevents me from eating junk food (since the smoothie fills up my stomach).

1 big glass of water 1 clove of Garlic – very important as it is extremely anti-fungal ¼ piece of Lemon – has an alkalizing effect in the stomach 1 Cucumber (peeled & chopped) 1 Carrot (peeled & chopped) ½ or 1 Beet (peeled & chopped) – very laxative 2 or 3 leaves of Cabbage – might cause excess wind A few flowers of Cauliflower – might cause excess wind Rock salt – to taste

You can also try the following: Spinach – rich source of iron Turmeric – useful immune boosters Ginger – useful immune boosters Radish – spicy to taste, so just add about a 1inch piece Lettuce Tomato Onions A stick of celery Sprig of Parsley or try Coriander leaves 6 – 8 Basil leaves Black pepper – to taste Apples Lime