Candida albicans primarily targets the nerves and muscles, yet it can attack any tissue or organ, depending on your body's genetic predisposition. Mild symptoms of yeast overgrowth are fatigue, gas, bloating, heartburn, brain fog, weight gain, constipation, arthritic pain, sinus infections, high and low blood sugar, allergies, depression, and anxiety. More severe conditions can eventually develop, including autoimmune diseases and cancer.
To understand how candida penetrates through your system, think of your body as having two skins of protection that keep out foreign invaders. One is the outside skin and the other your inside skin, which starts in your nasal passages and runs all the way down to your rectum. This tissue is the same from top to bottom, and if it becomes inflamed or irritated, the membranes become more porous, allowing foreign invaders to enter the bloodstream. In the journal Infection and Immunity, Michael J. Kennedy and Paul A. Volz explain, "The passage of viable Candida albicans through the gastrointestinal (GI) mucosa into the bloodstream is believed to be an important mechanism leading to systemic candidosis."
Cellular disruption occurs when Candida albicans and its mycotoxins have accumulated in the body. This disruption causes secondary body systems to deteriorate. Mycotoxins so severely debilitate the body that victims could become "easy prey for far more serious diseases such as acquired immune deficiency syndrome, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, myasthenia gravis, colitis, regional ileitis, schizophrenia, and possibly death from candida septicemia," say Kennedy and Volz. Your genetic weaknesses usually determine which system or organs will be affected.
SETTING OFF A CASCADE OF IMBALANCES
Candida overgrowth creates a cascade of imbalances in the body. Three major areas worth noting are the proliferation of other microorganisms, imbalances in the hormonal system, and emotional disturbances, especially anxiety and depression.
Bacteria, Parasites, and Viruses
Unfortunately, once the body's internal environment is out of balance, not only does candida multiply but so do other microorganisms. Why? Because a poor diet and/or high stress levels elevate blood sugar in the body, which in turn feeds bacteria, parasites, and viruses. One of the most common viral infections, Epstein-Barr virus, also known as mononucleosis, cannot surface without the presence of yeast overgrowth. Therefore, when treating candida, I suggest using a broad-spectrum antimicrobial herbal remedy that addresses not only yeast and fungus but bacteria, parasites, and viruses as well.
Endocrine Imbalances
Candida overgrowth indirectly impacts the functioning of the endocrine system, which releases hormones that regulate the body's metabolic activity. The endocrine system consists of the hypothalamus, pituitary, thyroid, thymus, adrenals, pancreas, and ovaries or testes.
Problems related to these glands and organs include low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), diabetes, and obesity, all of which are increasing at alarming proportions in the United States. Hypothyroidism is rampant, especially among women. And the ailment most common across the board with males and females is adrenal exhaustion, where the adrenals output chronically high cortisol levels, resulting in fatigue, low immunity, anxiety, insomnia, and weight gain.
The primary aggravators of these conditions are a poor diet, consisting of refined carbohydrates and sugar, and unmanaged stress. The secondary aggravator is yeast overgrowth.
Over the years, I have had many clients say to me, "Why can't I lose weight? I'm eating healthy foods and exercising and can't drop a pound." The missing link is clearing the body of infection by getting rid of candida overgrowth, which eliminates inflammation and allows the body systems to normalize. Eradicate candida and watch the inches and pounds drop as your endocrine system comes back into balance.
Emotional and Mental Imbalances
Depression and anxiety are widespread and can, in part, be related to chronic yeast overgrowth in the tissues. The reason, as described by J. P. Nolan in an article in the journal Hepatology, is the link between the gut and the brain: "An individual's ability to protect against brain-active substances depends upon the status of his or her intestinal flora, GI mucosal function and hepatic (liver) detoxification ability." This means that when leaky gut is present and the liver is overstressed, the door is open for toxins to reach the brain via the bloodstream.
Unfortunately, too many physicians assume that all mental and emotional imbalances have psychological causes, such as neuroses or psychoses, rather than brain-related causes, as Dr. Orian C. Truss points out in The Missing Diagnosis:
I would like to make a special plea that we speak of manifestations of abnormal brain function not as "mental symptoms" but as "brain symptoms." Inherent in the term "mental symptom" is the connotation that somehow "the mind" is a separate entity from the brain, that "mental" symptoms are occurring (at least initially) in a brain that is functioning normally chemically and physiologically. We speak of kidney, liver, or intestinal symptoms when abnormal function manifests itself in these organs, but we use the term "mental symptoms" rather than "brain symptoms" when a similar problem occurs with brain physiology.
Having anxiety and/or depression can be debilitating, and it's important to understand that the cause may not be purely psychological but also chemical. Mycotoxins from fungus need to be considered when tackling these conditions. When this is a contributing factor, clearing fungal overgrowth from the system will help clear your mind and bring your body chemistry back into balance. To find out more, you can check out Fungal Infection Symptoms.