My Personal Favorite Candida Remedies (Anti-Fungals)
Sunday, October 15, 2006
By Heidi Whitaker
Candida can mimic, cause, or worsen Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome symptoms. For this reason, a natural approach to these autoimmune disorders should include a plan to fight candida. The following is a list of my favorite remedies. (These should be combined with an anti-candida diet to be effective.)
Oil of Oregano-
Oregano oil has been used as a medicine for thousands of years and has been shown to be potent against a wide range of bacteria, fungi, like Candida, and parasites. Oregano oil was compared to the pharmaceutical drug, Nystatin, and found to be just as powerful. Also, studies done at Georgetown University Medical found that the oil inhibited the growth of staphylococcus bacteria as effectively as conventional antibiotics.
Germanium Sesquioxide-
Practitioners all have their personal favorites when it comes to Candida/anti-fungal treatments. (I am limiting my list to the ones I have personally used and found effective.) For candidiasis, Epstein-Barr Syndrome, and allergies, Dr. Lester Rose, M.D., recommends Germanium Sesquioxide (Ge-132) He starts his patients at 600 mg daily and has them taper down to 150 mg over a course of three weeks. He does this in combination with the supplements CoQ10 at 60 mg twice a day and 3 SOD (Superoxide Dismutase) tablets. Germanium is believed to be effective against yeast and viruses because it increases oxygen in the body and these organisms are oxygen sensitive. Grapefruit Seed Extract (Citrus Seed Extract)
Grapefruit Seed Extract-
Grapefruit seed extract (GSE) is a natural broad-spectrum antibiotic. It has also been shown effective against some viruses and Candida yeast. This extract has been studied for use against Staphylococcus (Staph), Streptococcus (Strep), Salmonella, Chlamydia trachomatis, Herpes simplex 1, Influenza A2, and the measles virus. It can also be used as a non-toxic hand sanitizer. A Brazilian study found it to be almost as effective for skin disinfection as commercially available surgical soap.
Note: Those sensitive to citrus can develop an allergy to grapefruit seed.
Shark Liver Oil-
An ingredient in shark liver oil, Squalamine, was found effective against yeast by Johns Hopkins University.
Probiotics-
Once candida has become overgrown, the body's colony of good bacteria that should populate the gut cannot be re-established without treatment. Probiotics are needed to keep down the candida population.
Digestive Enzymes-
It is hypothesized that digestive enzymes work by breaking down the Candida in much the same way they break down food.
Note: This is not intended as medical advice.
Heidi Whitaker is an author and popular speaker on the topic of nutritional support of autoimmune disease. An advocate for alternative health solutions, she co-founded http://www.healthydivas.com, a resource center for those autoimmune sufferers looking for real answers outside of what conventional medicine can provide.