Candida Diet 101: Beginner’s Guide, Detailed Food List, 7-Day Meal Plan

Day 1

Breakfast Eggs with spinach sautéed in coconut oil

Lunch Shredded turkey breast on a bed of greens with a lemon-olive oil vinaigrette

Dinner Salmon, roasted cauliflower, and zucchini

Day 2

Breakfast Frittata with asparagus and cherry tomatoes topped with avocado

Lunch Creamy chicken salad (made with avocado) wrapped in collard greens

Dinner Steak and veggie kabobs

Day 3

Breakfast Chia pudding topped with berries and sunflower seeds

Lunch Kale salad massaged with olive oil, topped with olives, sliced almonds, and roasted veggies

Dinner Meatballs over zucchini noodles with pasta sauce

Day 4

Breakfast Anti-candida-approved pancakes with berries

Lunch Piece of veggie frittata, spinach salad with avocado on the side

Dinner Chicken satay and crudites dipped in spicy almond butter sauce

Day 5

Breakfast Smoothie made with nondairy milk, berries, nut butter, and coconut oil

Lunch Tuna niçoise salad

Dinner Roasted skin-on chicken, sautéed peppers, onions, and eggplant

Day 6

Breakfast Egg scramble with veggies

Lunch Chicken soup with salad made of dark green leafy greens on the side

Dinner Zucchini boats stuffed with ground turkey and topped with tomato sauce

Day 7

Breakfast Avocado omelet with salsa

Lunch Turkey patties with a side of sautéed broccoli and cherry tomatoes

Dinner Baked cod with green beans and carrots

Yeast Infection Treatments – Do Home Remedies for Yeast Infection Work?

Topical azoles are very effective against C.  albicans, but far less so against other Candida species — these yeasts are often treated with other antifungal medication, such as amphotericin B (Abelcet, AmBisome, Amphocin, Amphotec, or Fungizone), flucytosine, nystatin (Mycostatin), or the oral azole fluconazole (Diflucan). (3,4)

Natural Remedies for Vaginal Yeast Infections

Despite the effectiveness of prescription and OTC medication for yeast infections, some people prefer to treat their ailments with natural or home remedies.

For yeast infections, purported natural therapies include:

• Yogurt and probiotics
• Boric acid
• Garlic
• Tea tree oil
• Douching (especially with vinegar)

Though some positive anecdotal reports can be found on the internet, most natural remedies for yeast infections are not (yet) supported by rigorous clinical studies. (5)

Yogurt, Probiotics, and ‘Good’ Bacteria for Yeast Infection

The vagina is home to numerous beneficial microbes, which keep pathogenic (disease-causing) microbes, including Candida, in check.

The yeasts grow out of control when something — such as antibiotics, hormones, pregnancy, or health issues, like diabetes and HIV or AIDS — disrupts that delicate balance.

Because of this fact, one of the most common natural remedies for yeast infections has long involved restoring the vagina’s population of friendly bacteria, especially Lactobacillus acidophilus, by using yogurt or probiotics.

Overall, despite a host of research on the topic, the evidence for consuming healthy bacteria to treat or prevent yeast infections is inconsistent, at best.

An early report in 1992 found that daily ingestion of yogurt containing L. acidophilus decreases candidal colonization and infection. (6) Another study published in 2010 found that probiotics taken after conventional treatment of vaginal yeast infections may lead to “somewhat fewer recurrences” of the infection. (7)

But numerous reviews have found that most clinical trials on the subject had methodological issues, making it difficult to draw reliable conclusions. (8)

For instance, a review published in the Journal of Chemotherapy found that Lactobacillus strains can help treat bacterial vaginosis, but the bacteria have no clear benefit for yeast infections. (9)

A review published in November 2017 in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews found that there may be some evidence showing that probiotics can help cure yeast infections, compared with conventional treatments. But the authors had very little confidence in this conclusion given that the quality of the evidence was low or very low. (10)

Either way, regular ingestion of beneficial bacteria poses very little harm, so you can try the remedies without worry (though it may be a waste of money). (8)

Probiotic Combination Therapies for Yeast Infections

While taking probiotics in lieu of antifungal medication is not yet supported by science, some other research suggests that women with vaginal yeast infections may benefit from probiotic combination therapies.

For instance, a prospective study published in July 2012 in the journal Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics found that a mixture of bee honey and yogurt applied to the vagina may help cure yeast infections in pregnant women. (11)

Similarly, a study published in November 2015 in the Global Journal of Health Science found that a vaginal cream of honey and yogurt was comparable in efficacy with clotrimazole vaginal cream for yeast infections. (12)

Additionally, a clinical trial found that a certain probiotic capsule, when combined with conventional antifungal medication, can help provide a long-term cure against recurrent yeast infections. (13)

Still, more research is needed to fully reveal the benefits of these alternative therapies.

Boric Acid for Treating Yeast Infections

Research shows that boric acid suppository capsules appear to be very effective against yeast infections, particularly those caused by non-albicans species.

An early study found that boric acid suppositories, when taken nightly for 7 to 10 days, have up to a 92 percent cure rate. (14)

More recently, a 2007 article in the journal Diabetes Care found that boric acid vaginal suppositories were more effective against C. glabrata infections in diabetic women (diabetes is a risk factor for yeast infections) than an oral azole medication. (15)

And a later review in the Journal of Women’s Health found that it’s a safe alternative to azole medication for the treatment of recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (four or more infections in a single year) caused by non-albicans Candida.

But boric acid can occasionally cause vaginal burning, is toxic when swallowed, and shouldn’t be used frequently or when pregnant. (16)

Other Home Remedies and DIY Approaches For Yeast Infections

Garlic and tea tree oil are also popular natural remedies for vaginal yeast infections.

Numerous studies have shown that garlic has antifungal properties. But when taken orally, garlic has no effect on vaginal Candida counts, according to a study published in the journal BJOG. (17)

Some women promote placing garlic cloves in the vagina at night — while this treatment is unlikely to cause any major damage (besides, possibly, allergic reactions and chemical burns), there’s no scientific evidence to show it works.

To fight yeast infections, some women suggest applying diluted tea tree oil to the vagina using an applicator-type tampon.

While tea tree oils are effective against various Candida species in both laboratory and rat studies, clinical (human) trials are lacking. (5, 18)

Douching and yeast infections don’t mix. The cleansing may actually help promote yeast infections by removing healthy bacteria from the vagina. And if you already have an infection, douching may spread it to the cervix and into the uterus.

Douching with vinegar may be doubly bad because of the potential damage the liquid can cause to the vaginal walls. (19)

You can find numerous other natural remedies for yeast infections online, including coconut oil, pomegranate gel, and echinacea purpurea liquid.

But before trying any alternative treatments, it’s best to check with your doctor.

Are Starchy Vegetables Healthy or Just High Calorie?

Starchy vegetables have always struggled with an identity crisis. Are potatoes, peas, and corn nutrient-rich veggies — the food group you’re so often told to eat more of — or are they calorie-dense carbs in the style of pasta, bread, and rice?

Some new research from Harvard University attempted to tease out the differences between specific types of vegetables and fruits, including those problematic starchy ones, and their relationship to body weight. The researchers tracked a large group of men and women for more than two decades and administered questionnaires to assess changes in their weight, as well as what they were eating at regular intervals. People who reported increasing their total vegetable or fruit intake over the course of the study were more likely to report losing weight. Researchers also found that eating specific fruits and vegetables was associated with weight loss — namely leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, carrots, tofu and other soy foods, berries, grapefruit, apples and pears. On the other hand, study participants who reported increasing their intake of potatoes, peas, and corn were more likely to pack on additional pounds. (The potato finding wouldn’t be at all surprising if it included french fries and chips, but it was limited to non-fried preparations: baked, boiled or mashed.)

Eating Fruits and Vegetables Won’t Guarantee Weight Loss

Before I debate the merits of potatoes and peas, let’s take a step back and look at the bigger question here: Does piling on more produce at meals really help you lose weight? This new study suggests it might, but it wasn’t a randomized, controlled trial. The researchers didn’t give people extra servings of spinach, Brussels sprouts, and blueberries and then measure changes in their weight over the 20-year-plus duration of the study. They simply observed and recorded what unfolded. (I know I harp on these study design differences a lot, but they’re really important to accurately interpret the results.)

Contrary to these newly reported findings, an analysis of randomized trials published last year found that tacking on extra servings of vegetables and fruit did not cause people to slim down. (Read “Vegetables and Fruits Are Not Weight-Loss Magic Bullets” for my take on that study.) Eating more low-calorie produce to satisfy hunger is a strategy that many dieters swear by, but the research suggests it may not be enough on its own. Watching your portions of other foods, especially those high-calorie snacks and desserts that are ridiculously easy to overeat, is just as important.

Be Smart About Starchy Vegetables

Now, about those starchy vegetables. Potatoes, peas, and corn get a bad rap because they’re higher in calories and carbs than other veggies and have a higher glycemic index, meaning they raise blood sugar more quickly during digestion. But they are by no means a candy bar. Peas are a good source of fiber at 4 grams per 1/2 cup. Potatoes (white and sweet) are among the best sources of potassium. These vegetables do have nutritional value. The problem is that many people come to rely on them too heavily for their veggie intake. They don’t eat a wide-enough variety of other types like leafy greens, broccoli and green beans, which pack in tons of vitamins and minerals for minimal calories. Potatoes, corn, and peas are inexpensive, mild in flavor, and generally well-liked by kids, which means some families get into the rut of serving them night after night. The keys to enjoying these foods are moderation, portion control, and smart preparation techniques. If you’re regularly indulging in piles of mashed potatoes whipped with heavy cream and puddled in gravy, baked potatoes heaped with sour cream, peas in greasy casseroles, and corn slathered with butter, then it’s time for a veggie intervention.

Rather than pairing starchy vegetables with another carb-heavy side like rice or pasta at a meal, enjoy them with a non-starchy vegetable, such as cauliflower, broccoli, or zucchini. (I wouldn’t characterize steak with mashed potatoes and peas as a well-balanced meal.) If you love peas, buy the frozen blends that include carrots, too. Mix frozen corn with green beans. And watch those toppings: Enjoy ears of sweet corn plain, or sprinkle them with black pepper or lime juice instead of smearing on gobs of butter. Eat baked potatoes with the skin to take advantage of the fiber, and if they’re large (like most are), stick to half of one per meal. Top your spud with salsa or Greek yogurt and scallions, or try a dash of cinnamon on sweet potatoes.

Don’t let this latest study convince you that you should never eat starchy vegetables because they make you fat (I’ve seen headlines warning healthy eaters to avoid them at all costs). I’m certainly not giving up my summer sweet corn, or quick-fix dinners of baked potatoes topped with black beans, cheese and salsa (so good … so easy). If you like these veggies, include them in your meal rotation, but make the bulk of your intake non-starchy vegetables — including those leafy greens I was plugging hard here on the blog a few weeks ago.

Photo credit: Genevieve Laplante/Getty Images

Foods To Eat On The Candida Diet

Last updated June 22, 2020 by Lisa Richards, CNC   Reviewed by Dr Eric Wood, ND.

What should you eat if you’re suffering from Candida? If you suspect that your gut is imbalanced, your diet is the first place to look. A diet high in sugar and processed foods can cause repeated yeast infections, digestive issues, and weakened immunity.

On the other hand, eating the right foods can rebalance your gut and prevent those symptoms. By the time you’ve finished reading this page, you’ll know exactly how to follow a low-sugar, anti-inflammatory diet that will start to rebalance your gut.

We’ve sorted our list of Candida diet foods into a few easy-to-understand food groups. These are listed in the table below. Further down the page, you’ll find a more detailed description of each food group. These include lots of foods that are particularly useful for promoting gut health and recovering from a Candida overgrowth.

There are three Candida food lists on this website. You’ve found the list of foods to eat on this page. You can also check out the list of foods to avoid (e.g. fruit juices, sugary snacks) and the list of ‘maybe’ foods (e.g. beans, peaches, rice).

Foods To Eat

It’s important to understand why these foods have been chosen for the Candida diet. Here are three criteria to consider:

Sign up to our free, 8-part email course today, and learn how to create your own, personalized Candida treatment plan 🙂

• Low-sugar
  Candida albicans relies on sugar to reproduce, colonize your gut, and create the biofilms that protect it from your immune system (1). It doesn’t matter if the sugars you eat are natural (e.g. bananas) or processed (e.g. candy bars). This list contains only foods that are low in sugar.
• Gluten-free
  There is more and more evidence that glutenous foods can create health problems, even in those who are not celiac (2). The gluten in bread, pasta, and cereal can cause chronic inflammation in your gut and destroy the bond between the cells lining your intestinal wall. Our list of Candida diet foods contains only gluten-free grains and pseudo-grains.
• Anti-inflammatory
  Avoiding inflammation is one of the keys elements of the Candida diet. That’s why we ask you to avoid processed foods, minimize your caffeinated drinks, and eat lots of anti-inflammatory, fermented foods.

Healthy, Delicious Meals

Your Candida diet should include lots of non-starchy vegetables, some probiotic foods, plenty of healthy proteins, and some non-glutenous grains. You’ll be amazed at the number of simple, tasty meals that you can prepare. Just take a look at our recipes section for a few ideas!

You should be able to eat all of the foods on the list in reasonable amounts during your Candida diet. If you stick to these foods, you can be sure that you are not feeding your Candida overgrowth, and that you are making progress towards recovering your health.

The foods on this page should form the majority of your diet. You can also take foods from the Maybe list, but be sure to eat them in small amounts and prepare them in a way that doesn’t increase their glycemic load.

Remember to make sure that your meals are balanced. A good example might be an egg salad with a simple dressing of olive oil, lemon, and salt. This meal contains protein from the eggs, healthy fats from the olive oil, and carbs from some avocado and other vegetables. Plus lots of healthy vitamins and minerals.

The typical American diet is more than 50% carbohydrates, packed full of processed foods, and low in nutrients (3). This is one of the reasons why gut health is generally so poor. Follow the Candida diet and you’ll be eating foods that are nutrient-rich, unprocessed, and great for your overall health.

The Candida Diet Foods List

Here is the list of foods to eat on your Candida cleanse. You can click on any of these links to read a more detailed view of which foods you can eat, how they can help with your Candida, and some suggested recipes to try.

And here is a table showing the Candida foods list.

Non-starchy vegetables

Eating non-starchy vegetables starves Candida colonies of the natural sugars that feed them. Try to eat mostly low-starch vegetables like asparagus, broccoli, eggplant, onions, and zucchini. You should buy your vegetables fresh and eat them raw, steamed, or grilled.

Minimize starchy vegetables such as sweet potatoes, potatoes, yams, corn, winter squash, beets, peas, parsnips, and beans, especially in the early part of your diet. When you switch to a low sugar eating plan, there is often a temptation to eat lots of starchy vegetables as a substitute.

The best vegetables to eat are generally those that are high in micronutrients but low in carbs. These include all leafy greens like spinach or kale. They also include anything from the cruciferous family, like broccoli, cauliflower, or cucumber.

Rutabaga (sometimes known as Swede) is an exception and allowed in the diet. Although you might think of it as a starchy vegetable, it is quite low in net carbs. It is also in our list of antifungal foods, and so can help to rebalance your gut bacteria (4).

Jicama is another exception. Just like the rutabaga, it is deceptively low in net carbohydrates and has a low glycemic load. The best thing about jicama is that it contains lots of inulin, a prebiotic that can feed the ‘good bacteria’ in your gut and promote a healthy gut microbiome.

The way that you prepare your vegetables is very important. For example, roasted carrots have a much higher glycemic load than raw or steamed carrots. You might be able to include some raw or steamed carrots in your diet without worrying about your blood sugar. Equally, fried onions have a much higher glycemic load than raw onions.

In general terms, eating your vegetables raw or steamed is best. Boiling, grilling, lightly frying, and roasting can be good choices, depending on the vegetable.

While we’re on the subject of starchy vegetables. it’s important to note that you shouldn’t be too restrictive in your diet. You should eat mostly from the Candida foods list on this page, but you can feel comfortable including a few foods from the Maybe list too. If you go too restrictive in your diet (i.e. no carbs at all), you may end up in a state of ketosis which can actually feed a Candida overgrowth (5).

Here are some good examples of tasty meals that include the non-starchy vegetables on this list.
Quinoa and rutabaga patties
Chicken fajita bowl
Salmon bowl with arugula dressing
Oven roasted artichokes
Buckwheat and Brussels sprout salad

When you’re choosing vegetables to eat, don’t just look at the amount of carbohydrates. What you should really be looking at is something called ‘net carbohydrates’. This takes into account the fact that not all of the carbohydrates in your food will have the same effect on your blood sugar. Fiber and sugar alcohols will have little effect on your blood sugar, so they are excluded.

To calculate net carbs, simply take the total amount of carbohydrates and subtract the total of the fiber and the sugar alcohols. You can see that some high-carbohydrate vegetables might have low net carbs if they contain lots of fiber.

Brussels sprouts are a great example. A 100g portion contains 9g of carbohydrates, but 4g of fiber. That means that a portion contains only 5g of net carbs.

Low-Sugar Fruits

Fruit is generally eaten only in small amounts during the Candida diet. Fruits are generally quite high in net carbs, and some of the natural sugars found in fruits can feed a Candida overgrowth (6).

As a rule, Candida albicans doesn’t discriminate between natural and processed sugars. It is able to use both to support its colonies and build biofilms to protect itself from your immune system.

There are differences between the three types of sugar that are typically found in fruits. Fruits contain varying amounts of fructose, glucose, and sucrose, and your body handles all three of these quite differently.

Sucrose has been shown to strongly support Candida growth and biofilm creation (7). Glucose has also been demonstrated to promote Candida albicans growth and activity (8).

Fructose is a little different. Research shows that fructose is metabolized more slowly by Candida than other sugars (9). And there is evidence that fructose may, in fact, inhibit the growth of Candida albicans (10). In fact, fructose is still sometimes recommended as a sweetener for diabetics (11).

There is, of course, a complication. Eating too much fructose in the long term can lead to insulin resistance, fatty liver disease, diabetes, and more (12, 13). But if you’re following a low-sugar diet and avoiding fructose-based sweeteners, this should not be a problem.

Get your free, 8-part guide to beating Candida, and join more than 100,000 people getting weekly updates and recipes!

What does this all mean for fruits on the Candida diet? When you’re deciding which fruits to add to your list of foods to eat, you need to look at two things. First, calculate the net carbs by taking the total carbohydrates and subtracting the fiber and sugar alcohols. Second, find out how much of those sugars are accounted for by fructose, glucose, and sucrose. Remember – fructose will have less of an impact on your blood sugar than the other two natural sugars.

Some fruits, like lemons, limes, and avocado, will have very little impact on your blood sugar. You can certainly consume these while on the Candida diet. Others, like grapes, bananas, and figs, are high in net carbs and not suitable at all.

When you start your Candida diet, consider sticking mostly to fruits that are very low in natural sugars. Other lower-sugar fruits, like berries or apples, may be eaten in small amounts.

Here are a couple of recipes that use low-sugar fruits:
Avocado pancakes with lemon parsley butter
Strawberry muffins

Non-Glutenous Grains And Pseudo-Grains

Grains and pseudo-grains are one part of the Candida diet where there tends to be some disagreement. Some practitioners believe that non-glutenous grains can be consumed in any amounts. Others believe that the net carbs found in these grains should completely exclude them from the diet. The truth is somewhere in the middle.

Regular grains like wheat and barley should certainly be eliminated because of their gluten content. Although initially controversial, it’s now well established that gluten can cause health problems even for those without celiac disease. In fact, gluten has been shown to trigger systemic immune activation and damage the intestinal lining (14).

If you are suffering from a chronic intestinal Candida overgrowth, your gut has likely already been damaged. Give it a chance to repair itself by staying away from gluten, and consider taking some gut-healing supplements and foods. Good examples are L-glutamine, slippery elm, and marshmallow root.

The question of net carbs is more complicated. Pseudo-grains like buckwheat, millet, and quinoa don’t contain any gluten, but they do contain fairly large amounts of net carbs. For example, 100g of buckwheat groats contains 60g of net carbs. Ordinarily, that might exclude them from a Candida diet. But they have other health benefits that balance out the net carbs.

Let’s take a closer look at buckwheat. This remarkable pseudo-grain (actually a fruit seed) has a host of benefits for your health. It reduces inflammation, lowers cholesterol, reduces blood pressure, and may even protect you from cancer (15). It also has prebiotic qualities that can promote a healthy gut flora, something that is particularly important on the Candida diet (16).

Quinoa, various millets, and amaranth have also been shown to contain prebiotics that can nourish the good bacteria already present in the gut (17).

Overall, the health-promoting and prebiotic qualities of these pseudo-grains outweigh the relatively high amount of net carbs that they contain. However, they should only be eaten in small amounts.

A common Candida diet mistake is to focus on one food in the list and eat it in enormous amounts. These pseudo-grains can be a small part of a balanced anti-Candida diet plan, but eat them in moderation.

We should also discuss flours that are derived from these pseudo-grains. In general terms, grinding something into a flour is likely to slightly increase the effect that it has on your blood sugar. Treat these flours with caution and, again, eat them in small amounts. If you want to bake, try combining them with other flours that have lower net carb counts. Good examples are coconut flour and almond flour.

Here are some recipes that incorporate pseudo-grains:
Thai quinoa
Buckwheat breakfast muffins
Satay chicken bowl

Meat, Fish, And Eggs

Protein is a very important part of any diet, but this is particularly true for the Candida diet. When you are restricting carbohydrates, those missing calories will need to come from a combination of fats or protein. Cutting carbohydrates can be a big change but remember – this is not a weight loss diet. Even though you’re eating fewer carbs, you should make sure you are eating enough calories.

There are a few things to keep in mind when you are buying proteins.

• Look for foods that are nutrient-rich and as fresh as possible
  That might mean buying organic, or local, or just working with a trusted butcher or fishmonger.
• Avoid any added ingredients in your meats
  Common examples are dextrose, nitrates, and sulfates. Processed meats should be completely eliminated (don’t let anyone tell you that bacon is healthy!)
• Watch out for contaminants in fish
  Some fish contain much, much higher levels of toxins than others. Tuna and swordfish are the most commonly cited examples (18). These toxins (particularly mercury and other heavy metals) can weaken your immune system and leave you more vulnerable to pathogens like Candida.
• Eggs are your friend
  There is no better source of protein than organic, free-range eggs. Eggs are a nutritional powerhouse and you should feel comfortable eating several per day if you choose.
• Don’t eat too much red meat
  If you prefer to eat red meat, be aware of the side effects that it can have on your digestion and health. Red meat can cause constipation and has been linked to various cancers of the gastrointestinal tract. Limit your quantities, and look for pasture-raised, hormone-free meat where possible.
• Don’t forget bone broth.
  If you’ve been suffering from Candida overgrowth, chances are that your gut needs some support. Candida has been shown to damage the gut lining, which can lead to further symptoms like food sensitivities. Bone broth contains compounds like collagen, glutamine, glycine, and proline, all of which can help to restore the health of your gut (19, 20).

Here are some tasty recipes that incorporate meat, fish, or eggs:
Kimchi meatballs
Chicken piccata
Baked eggs skillet
Sardine nicoise salad/

Dairy Products

The best dairy products to eat are the fermented ones. Live probiotic cultures help your gut to repopulate with good bacteria, while the fermentation process reduces the sugar content in the food. There are two great examples of probiotic dairy foods, and you can include them both in your Candida diet.

Probiotic yogurt is perhaps the most easily available probiotic food. You can find it in any supermarket, often under multiple brand names. When you buy it, make sure it contains live cultures – it should say that somewhere on the packaging. Also be sure to buy a yogurt without added sugar or flavorings. Plain, probiotic yogurt is what you’re looking for.

Kefir is more of a specialty item but is rapidly increasing in popularity. If you haven’t tried it before, it’s a milk-based fermented drink that is like a tangier version of yogurt. Kefir generally contains a different set of probiotic strains than yogurt does. There’s no reason why you can’t include both in your diet.

Here’s a list of the probiotic strains often found in milk kefir. Note that these include some strains of beneficial yeast (not all yeasts are opportunistic pathogens like Candida albicans!)

Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. delbrueckii, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis, Lactobacillus helveticusLactobacillus kefiranofaciens subsp. kefiranofaciens, Lactobacillus kefiri, Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus sake, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, Lactococcus lactis, Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. cremoris, Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. dextranicum, Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides, Pseudomonas, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Pseudomonas putida, Streptococcus thermophilus, Candida humilis, Kazachstania unispora, Kazachstania exigua, Kluyveromyces siamensis, Kluyveromyces lactis, Kluyveromyces marxianus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Saccharomyces martiniae, Saccharomyces unisporus

One of the advantages to fermented dairy products is that you can make them at home. Fermenting your own yogurt or kefir is really easy and absolutely anyone can do it.

Other dairy products are more complicated. Butter and ghee are acceptable because they are low in lactose (especially ghee). Some cheeses might be OK on the Candida diet, particularly those that are low in lactose, but these cheeses still likely contain large amounts of casein. Milk is generally off the menu, again because of the lactose and casein. Lactose is a natural sugar and casein is a protein that is responsible for many dairy intolerances.

Also be aware that organic dairy products are a much better choice. Non-organic dairy products tend to contain hormones and antibiotics that can play havoc with the gut, and prevent long-term healing.

Here are some recipes that use fermented dairy products:
Apple walnut yogurt parfait
Buffalo cauliflower florets
Mediterranean zucchini dip

Nuts And Seeds

Nuts are a nutritious way to boost your calorie intake now that you’ve committed to reducing the number of carbs that you’re eating.

Most nuts are fairly low in carbs, and the portion sizes tend to be relatively small anyway. There are a few nuts that are in fact high in net carbs (cashews and pistachios, for example), so you should be mindful when eating those. Pecans and Brazil nuts tend to be lowest in net carbs.

Mold is another consideration when we discuss nuts. Most nuts do contain at least some mold, which has the potential to be troublesome for Candida sufferers. This is not because mold ‘feeds the Candida’, as you might have read elsewhere. The concern is that Candida sufferers are particularly sensitive to mold exposure, and the mold in the nuts may trigger a reaction.

This is something of a grey area. Many Candida dieters eat plenty of nuts without having any issues at all. For vegetarians in particular, they form a very important part of the diet.

If you are concerned about mold exposure from the nuts you are eating, the best thing to do is to soak them in water overnight. Alternatively, you can spray them with a little Grapefruit Seed Extract, an antifungal the will quickly deal with any residual mold. The nuts most affected by mold tend to be cashews, peanuts, and pistachios.

For baking, almond flour and coconut flour are healthy options and very low in net carbs. They are often combined with a pseudo-grain flour like buckwheat.

Here are a few recipes that incorporate nuts and seeds:
Cool almond mint smoothie
Almond coconut tart crust
Cinnamon pecan crumb cakes
Bircher muesli

Herbs, Spices, And Condiments

There are a couple of reasons why herbs and spices are an important part of your Candida diet.

First, they add flavor to your foods. This is especially important if you’ve been eating a lot of processed food up until this point. When you take out toxic flavorings like high fructose corn syrup and MSG from your diet, herbs and spices can fill the gap. It can be as easy as spreading some basil pesto on your chicken.

Second, herbs and spices have a whole host of other health benefits. Besides containing virtually no carbohydrates, they can reduce inflammation, improve circulation, support your liver, and much more.

It’s not always possible to find good quality herbs and spices in your local supermarket. The spices there have likely been packaged and stored for a long time, often in excess of a year. By that point, the spices are stale, possibly moldy, and have lost much of their flavor and health benefits.

Better places to shop for herbs and spices include ethnic shops and spice merchants. You can also find them online from reputable suppliers. Look for somewhere that has a high turnover – their herbs and spices will likely be fresher and higher quality.

Let’s take a look at a couple of spices that you can include in your Candida foods to eat list, and how they might help to fight a Candida overgrowth.

Turmeric is a culinary spice that has some remarkable health-promoting properties. It’s active ingredient, curcumin, has been shown to be a potent antioxidant, reduce inflammation, and help with conditions such as metabolic syndrome (21). It’s also an antifungal that has been shown to inhibit the growth of Candida albicans (22).

Join 100,000+ people on our mailing list, and get your free, 8-part guide to beating Candida 🙂

Here are some recipes incorporating turmeric:
Grilled chicken with bok choy in coconut milk
Quinoa rutabaga patties

Cinnamon is another good example. It has proven antifungal properties, both in the lab and in vivo (23). It can also help to improve glycemic control in diabetics with blood sugar levels (24).

Here are some recipes incorporating cinnamon:
Cinnamon pecan crumb cakes
Cinnamon coconut crisp

Condiments are more complicated. Most, if not all, of the condiments in your supermarket are quite unhealthy. Condiments like ketchup and HP sauce are loaded with added sugars that can feed a Candida overgrowth, not to mention all the preservatives and colorings that can affect your health in other ways.

You won’t find any direct replacements for ketchup on the Candida diet. If you season your food well and use lots of herbs and spices, you probably won’t even miss it. If you find that your food needs a little extra flavor, try some coconut aminos. This is very similar to soy sauce, but made entirely from coconut.

For salad dressings, try combinations of apple cider vinegar, olive oil, lemon, and coconut aminos. Whatever salad you’re preparing, you can make a delicious dressing that will bring out the flavor of those fresh, tasty foods.

Fats And Oils

When it comes to the Candida diet, not all oils are created equal. Oils like canola oil and vegetable oil tend to be highly processed and lacking in many of the nutrients that you should expect from an oil. Other oils, especially sunflower oil, are high in omega-6 fatty acids which can be pro-inflammatory unless you’re consuming lots of omega-3s to balance them out.

There are a number of healthy oils that are excellent choices on a Candida diet. You’ll find them used repeatedly in the recipes on this website. The best examples are coconut oil and olive oil, two oils which are particularly good options because of their antifungal properties.

Olive oil is the most versatile, healthful oil that you can incorporate into your new diet. It contains a potent compound named oleuropein that can prevent Candida from adhering to the intestinal membrane (25). And other research has shown that it can reduce blood sugar levels too (26). You can use olive oil for baking, frying, dressing salads – just about anything.

When buying an olive oil, look for one that is labeled ‘extra virgin’ Be aware that there is rampant fraud in the olive oil industry and many bottles may actually be mixed with cheaper oils like canola (27). Find a bottle from a reputable manufacturer (Italian manufacturers are, unfortunately, the worst). Even better, look for one of the local olive oil specialty stores that are appearing in most large towns and cities.

Coconut oil is made up of three different medium-chain fatty acids – caprylic acid, capric acid, and lauric acid. When coconut oil is consumed as a whole food supplement, these amazing fatty acids have been shown to work together to be effective against Candida albicans (28). You can use coconut oil as your regular cooking oil or for baking. Keep in mind that it is often solid at room temperature, so you won’t be able to use it for salad dressings.

We’ve already discussed butter and ghee in the dairy section. They are perfectly acceptable options for cooking and baking on the Candida diet.

Sweeteners

Added sugar is the most important element to remove from your diet when you’re fighting a fungal Candida infection. Sugar allows Candida albicans to grow, expand its colonies, and create a biofilm to protect itself from your immune system (29, 30).

During your Candida diet, you shouldn’t be adding any sugar to your baking, recipes, or drinks. You should also be avoiding any foods that have added sugars, for example candy bars, sushi rolls, or processed cereal.

It’s not easy to give up sweet foods, especially if you’ve been developing your sweet tooth for your entire life! In the long term, the goal is to start enjoying savory foods and flavors – eventually, you’ll find that many of your old favorites are just too sweet for your palate. For now, though, here are some sweeteners that you can use on the Candida diet.

Stevia is a zero-calorie, herbal sweetener that tastes incredibly sweet (31). In fact, you only need a tiny amount of stevia to replace a tablespoon of sugar. The taste does have a hint of bitterness to it, which some people don’t like, but many Candida dieters use stevia regularly in their cooking.

Monk fruit extract has been used as both a sweetener and medicine for centuries. Like stevia, it’s very sweet. But it doesn’t have stevia’s aftertaste and it doesn’t tend to cause digestive upset like some sugar alcohols do. Monk fruit extract has no carbs or calories and contains nothing that might feed a Candida overgrowth.

Next up are erythritol and xylitol. These are both sugar alcohols that can add sweetness to your food without adding carbohydrates to your diet. Both are good options for a Candida diet and have been used to regulate blood sugar. Xylitol has also been shown to limit acetaldehyde production by Candida albicans (32).

Stevia, erythritol, and xylitol can be used in place of sugar, but they have a much smaller effect on your blood sugar levels. You generally need only a little of these sweeteners, as they are much sweeter tasting than sugar. These sweeteners are particularly useful for baking.

Fermented Foods

We’ve already covered a couple of dairy-based fermented foods – yogurt and kefir – but fermented foods deserve a category all of their own. One of the central elements of any Candida treatment plan is restoring a healthy balance of bacteria to the gut. Probiotic foods can help you to achieve that.

Let’s take a look at a few of the best fermented foods to use on your Candida diet.

The most widely used fermented food has to be yogurt, but you have to be careful which yogurt you choose. Make sure your yogurt contains live probiotic strains – it should say both ‘live cultures’ and ‘probiotic’ somewhere on the packaging. Also be sure to buy a yogurt without added sugar or flavorings. The best yogurt for Candida is plain, probiotic yogurt with no advertised flavor.

Kefir is one fermented food that is rapidly gaining popularity. It’s a milk-based fermented drink that tastes similar (but a little more tangy) to yogurt. There are usually more probiotic strains in kefir than there are in yogurt, but they are both good choices for your fermented dairy products. They can be made quite easily at home with very little equipment.

Let’s move on to the vegetable-based fermented foods. You’ve probably tried sauerkraut, a really simple fermented dish that consists only of cabbage and salt. Sauerkraut is rich in probiotic strains and a really easy food to incorporate into your diet. Just add a scoop to your plate when you eat lunch and dinner.

Just be careful when you buy sauerkraut from a supermarket. Most commercial sauerkrauts are pickled, not fermented. That means that, instead of employing the time-consuming fermentation process, many producers simply add vinegar to the cabbage. This kind of sauerkraut will contain no probiotic bacteria at all. Again, look at the labeling. It should include words like fermented, live cultures, or probiotic.

Olives are another good example. When fermented properly, they are a low-carbohydrate fruit accompanied by lots and lots of probiotic bacteria that can help to rebalance your gut. However, as with sauerkraut, most of the olives that you’ll find in your local supermarket are simply pickled in vinegar, not fermented.

Drinks

What drinks do you consume during the day? If you follow anything like the typical Western diet, your routine could look like this: coffee and orange juice with breakfast, several more caffeinated drinks during the day, then few glasses of wine or beer in the evening. If that sounds like you, your drinks could be contributing to your Candida overgrowth.

All fruit juices and sweetened drinks should be avoided on the Candida diet. You might look at the glycemic index of an apple, which is fairly low at 6, and think that apple juice must be OK. However, the process of juicing apples removed almost all the fiber and the glycemic index becomes much, much higher. Fruit juices are likely to shoot your blood sugar much higher, very quickly.

You should try to minimize your caffeinated drinks. They also cause blood sugar to rise and can contribute to long-term fatigue, worsening your Candida symptoms. If you find that you’re drinking more caffeine because you’re tired, its time to start cutting back.

Alcoholic drinks are complicated because they actually lower your blood sugar (that’s why you feel hungry after drinking alcohol!) However, they also weaken your immunity, cause fatigue, and often lead to bad food choices. Destabilizing your blood sugar is never a good idea when you have Candida.

The list of drinks on the Candida diet includes water, herbal teas, and chicory coffee. These drinks will not spike your blood sugar and have multiple other beneficial effects for your health. For example, chicory coffee is a caffeine-free coffee substitute that contains inulin, a prebiotic that can help promote a healthy gut microbiome.

If you really feel like you are missing caffeine, or want to wean yourself off from coffee slowly, there are some options too. Green tea is lightly caffeinated and also contains L-theanine, which counteracts the effects of the coffee and calms you down. Matcha is a powdered version of green tea that has such the same effect, with more antioxidants.

If you drink tea, try to find an organic brand if possible. The teas and coffees used in North America are two of the most pesticide-laden foods, which can greatly undermine gut healing.

Other drinks that you’ll find on the maybe list are decaffeinated coffee, nut milks, and vegetable juices. Be sure to check the net carbs in any juice or milk that you buy, as there are very wide differences between the various brands and products.

Here are some examples of drinks you can make while on the Candida diet:
Coconut smoothie
Cool almond mint smoothie
Turmeric tea

The Bottom Line

The foods to eat on the Candida diet include non-starchy vegetables, low-sugar fruits, healthy proteins, and fermented foods.

Look for foods that are unprocessed and contain no added sugars.

Avoid any foods that might promote inflammation, especially in the gut. These include gluten, alcohol, some vegetable oils, and caffeine.

Eat foods that can reduce inflammation and promote gut repair, Good examples are fermented foods and bone broth.

The Candida diet is a balanced, anti-inflammatory diet that can improve your gut health, digestion, and immunity. It may also help to relieve Candida symptoms such as yeast infections, fatigue, and food sensitivities.

For more information on how to follow the Candida diet, check out our Ultimate Candida Diet program. It includes a five-step program that uses diet, probiotics, and antifungals to reverse a Candida overgrowth. It’s been used by thousands of people to rebalance their guts and improve their health.

Beat your candida in 60 days with this detailed 5-step program

If you’re looking for a more comprehensive Candida treatment plan, check out the Ultimate Candida Diet program, written by Lisa Richards and Dr Eric Wood. This plan is based on the latest research into Candida Related Complex, and contains everything you need to know to beat your Candida overgrowth.

Order Now

17 Antifungal Foods To Fight Your Candida » The Candida Diet

Last updated March 7, 2019 by Lisa Richards, CNC   Reviewed by Katie Stone, ND.

I have included 17 of my favorite Candida-fighting antifungal foods in this list. You can make some delicious recipes with these ingredients, safe in the knowledge that the food you are eating is helping with your Candida treatment too. I have tried wherever possible to include these ingredients in the recipes found on this website and in the recipe books.

Our Ultimate Candida Diet program contains a larger list of 28 Candida-fighting foods that you can find in your local store. It includes some surprising probiotic and antifungal foods that you might not have realized would help with your Candida treatment. There are also some foods that will help your body’s own detoxification processes, and foods that will help to heal your intestinal walls.

Here are 17 of the best Candida-fighting foods:

1. Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is a potent Candida killer, and one of the most useful antifungals there is. It contains Lauric acid and Caprylic acid, which both help prevent Candida overgrowth and strengthen your immune system.

Coconut oil is very heat stable, so it’s an ideal oil to use for frying and cooking. It is also inexpensive to buy and has a much longer shelf life than other oils! You can consume 2-3 tablespoons per day. Look for a high quality, organic, virgin coconut oil.

Sign up to our free, 8-part email course today, and learn how to create your own, personalized Candida treatment plan 🙂

If you are unsure how to incorporate coconut oil into your diet, our recipe books include lots of tasty meals that include it.

2. Garlic

Garlic has powerful antifungal properties which not only attack Candida but also help to maintain healthy microbiome in the digestive system. This amazing herb destroys harmful bacteria while leaving healthy bacteria in place.

Garlic stimulates the liver and colon, giving it a potent additive effect to your body’s own detoxification processes. Garlic also boosts the function of the lymphatic system, helping it to rid the body of waste more efficiently.

Those who love the taste of garlic won’t mind adding it liberally to their food. You can also eat 2-4 cloves per day, crushed and mixed with coconut oil as an anti-Candida tonic.

NOTE: Always take garlic with a healthy fat such as coconut oil or avocado, as the powerful compounds can burn your stomach.

Also, choose your garlic carefully. Many supermarkets sell garlic that comes from China, where food and agricultural standards are still significantly less stringent than in the West. Try to buy only good quality, organic, local garlic, or garlic grown in Europe or North America.

3. Onion

Popular around the world, onions are celebrated for their strong anti-fungal, antibacterial and anti-parasitic properties. They also help the kidneys to flush excess fluids out the body: highly beneficial for Candida sufferers who experience water retention.

Onions work well in almost any savory recipe, enhancing flavor and taste. You can even add them to your omelets in the morning for a high-protein, low carbohydrate, gluten free start to your day.

Of course, both onions and garlic can have a rather negative effect on your breath! That’s why it’s a good idea to chew a little parsley afterward to counter the smell.

4. Seaweed

Seaweed is a nutrient-dense ‘superfood’ known for its powerful healing properties. It’s particularly recommended in helping your body to fight Candida.

Seaweed is a rich source of iodine, which helps to balance thyroid hormones and the impact they have on your metabolism. Many Candida sufferers have issues with sluggish or underactive thyroid, which can slow their recovery.

Seaweed also helps to flush toxic pollutants and heavy metals from the body. High in minerals, it helps in maintaining a healthy intestinal tract and regulating bowel function.

Kelp extract supplements are one of the most potent sources of Iodine. It’s also a good idea to add lots of different types of seaweed to your diet, such as wakame, nori, algae and bladder wrack.

5. Rutabaga

Although it’s not well-known in Western countries, rutabaga is one of the most potent antifungal vegetables on earth. It’s technically a starch, but its ability to kill off fungal overgrowth makes up for it!

Rutabaga is a root vegetable, and a member of the mustard family. It’s also known as ‘swede’ or ‘Swedish turnip. Rutabaga is a versatile vegetable that works well in many dishes. You can make a rutabaga mash, cut up some rutabaga fries, or mix it into your vegetable soup.

It’s recommended that you try rutabaga in small amounts first, as it can cause die-off symptoms. You may even prefer to try a milder antifungal food like turnip instead.

6. Ginger

A well-known anti-inflammatory, ginger has long been used in traditional medicine for treating an enormous variety of ailments. It has a detoxifying effect on the body due to its ability to increase circulation and can also help the liver perform more efficiently in flushing out toxins.

Ginger also stimulates the immune system, helping to fight off invading pathogens. It’s a fantastic tonic for the digestive system, relieving intestinal gas and stimulating gastric juices. Its anti-inflammatory effects help to soothe irritation caused by Candida overgrowth in your intestinal tract.

Ginger tea is incredibly easy to make – here’s how you do it:

Ingredients:
1 square inch piece of fresh Ginger root
Squeeze of lemon
2 cup of water

Cut off the outside of the ginger root, then grate it and add to boiling water. Boil for 20 minutes. Strain and serve with a slice of lemon.

7. Olive Oil

This is something nearly everyone has in their kitchen cupboard – but it’s not just good for cooking! Olive oil contains a powerful chemical called Oleuropein.

It has powerful antifungal properties and has been shown to stimulate your immune system’s own response to effectively fight off Candida albicans overgrowth.

Oleuropein has also been shown to help stabilize blood sugar levels. This is an important benefit for Candida sufferers, as elevated blood sugar levels can increase the yeast’s ability to spread.

Oleuropein is also found in olive leaf extract and can be taken in concentrated doses in the form of supplements. Olive oil can also be added to salads, stir-fries, and vegetables. Be sure to choose a high-quality, extra-virgin olive oil, and make sure that you buy a real olive oil, and not a fake one.

Get your free, 8-part guide to beating Candida, and join more than 100,000 people getting weekly updates and recipes!

8. Lemon And Lime Juice

Lemon and lime juice stimulate the peristaltic action of your colon, which literally means the muscles squeeze together, moving waste along so it can be moved out of the body. This increases the efficiency of your digestive system.

Lemons and limes are also very good for alkalizing the body. This simply means that it helps to bring your body back into balance, which helps it function more efficiently.

Both lemons and limes are great options for seasoning your vegetable, fish and meat dishes. And you can add them into your salad dressings at any stage of the diet plan.

9. Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin Seeds are an excellent source of Omega-3 fatty acids, an important healthy fat. Pumpkin seeds are also known to have anti-fungal, anti-viral and anti-parasitic properties.

Omega-3s are a vital component of healthy brain and thyroid function. They also help to combat depression and other symptoms of Candida-related inflammation, such as skin conditions.

Unfortunately, most of us do not get anywhere near enough Omega-3 oils in our diet. Deficiencies in this fatty acid have been linked to poor skin repair, slowed cognition and lower thyroid hormone levels. For an easy Omega-3 boost, add these pumpkin seeds to cereal, smoothies, and salads, or even use them as a portable snack.

10. Cayenne Pepper

Cayenne pepper is a little-known antifungal solution that naturally speeds digestion and supports the immune system. 
Cayenne helps in the breakdown of food in the gut and speeds up bowel transit time, which reduces the incidence of constipation.

Not surprisingly, cayenne is an excellent circulatory booster, which makes it a good option for enhancing the delivery to nutrients to your extremities. It also speeds the metabolism, providing an energy boost that helps to combat Candida-related fatigue.

Use it in small amounts to spice up your favorite foods!

11. Algae

It’s not really green slime! Algae is one of the world’s superfoods, thanks to its incredibly high concentration of nutrients. It’s the highest food source of natural chlorophyll, which is a powerful detoxifier. Algae also helps with gently cleansing the bowels. 

The many nutrients in algae mean it works like a multivitamin – but in the form of a food. 

The best source of algae is fresh blue-green algae, such as spirulina. In powder form, it can be added to smoothies, salads or other cold dishes. When taken as a tablet or capsule, the recommended dosage is 2-3 times a day on an empty stomach.

12. Cinnamon

An aromatic spice that most people associate with sweet food, cinnamon is actually a potent antifungal. It’s been shown to help stabilize blood sugar and prevent further spikes. This makes it a useful treatment for those with diabetes. 

Because Candida wreaks havoc with blood sugar levels, Candida sufferers may sometimes feel the effects of both high and low blood sugar levels. A little cinnamon can be an excellent addition to an anti-Candida diet. It’s best when taken with foods or mixed into a beverage. Try a cinnamon tea with xylitol or stevia.

Look for ‘real’ cinnamon if you can – this is often known as Ceylon Cinnamon. This form of cinnamon tends to be sweeter and less spicy than the more common ‘cassia’ cinnamon, and according to some sources has more powerful antifungal properties.

13. Papaya seeds

The extract of papaya seeds has been shown to harbor strong antiparasitic action. Studies have found that this inhibitory activity is effective against Candida overgrowth. Papaya seeds are also believed to be highly beneficial for detoxifying the body of harmful toxins, as well as reducing inflammation. They help to control bacteria, yeasts and parasitic organisms, which can help to improve the digestive system.

Some sources note that papaya seeds are quite powerful and may result in unpleasant die-off reaction. They’re best used during the later phases of a Candida or parasite cleanse, when the pathogens have been weakened. They may also be used as part of a colon cleanse. 

Use papaya seeds in the later phases of your candida cleanse or parasite cleanse. Simply remove the seeds from a fresh papaya and add to a smoothie. You can also drizzle them with lemon or lime juice and store for up to 3-4 days in the fridge.

14. Turmeric (curcumin) 

One of Mother Nature’s most important anti-inflammatory remedies, turmeric is best known for its use in cooking. It also harbors mild antifungal properties, and has been shown to inhibit the growth and spread of Candida in the gut. Turmeric is also antibacterial and antiviral, which makes it a very useful addition to any diet!

Turmeric can be added to meals, soups, smoothies or taken as a concentrated supplement. It’s important to take turmeric with black pepper and a healthy fat such as coconut oil, as this aids the absorption of the therapeutic properties in the body. 

15. Fermented Foods

When it comes to healthy digestion, fermented or probiotic foods are a must. These are foods that have been prepared in a way that allows beneficial bacteria to grow, creating live nutrients within the food itself. When you eat them, the live bacteria are quickly established in your gut – like an instant dose of probiotics. The best sources of probiotic foods include sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, tempeh, and kefir. Eating fermented foods regularly can support the immune system and prevent the invasion and spread of yeasts or fungal infection. 

16. Bone Broth

Bone broth is an easy, age-old solution for stomach troubles. It’s essentially a soup made by boiling beef or chicken bones, allowing the nutrients to break up into the broth. The amino acid glutamine is one of the most important of these nutrients. Glutamine helps to rebuild the lining of the gut, protecting it from yeast overgrowth and repairing any damage.

Bone broth is also a rich source of collagen, which supports the integrity of the gut lining. Bone broth is also completely sugar-free and makes for a satisfying meal or entrée. Serve hot and eat as much as possible! 

17. Pau D’arco Tea

A proven antifungal, pau d’arco is the best tea you can have while on the Candida diet. Pau d’arco is packed with naphthoquinones that can kill a variety of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites. It has a powerful yeast-fighting active ingredient named lapachol. Studies suggest that this special compound is as effective against both Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis as pharmaceutical drugs. This is possibly due to its effect on the cellular membrane of the yeast. 

Pau d’arco tea can be sourced from most good health stores. Drink daily as part of your Candida cleanse. 

For the full list of our top Candida-fighting foods, including foods that heal your gut and replenish your gut flora, check out our Ultimate Candida Diet treatment program.

Beat your candida in 60 days with this detailed 5-step program

If you’re looking for a more comprehensive Candida treatment plan, check out the Ultimate Candida Diet program, written by Lisa Richards and Dr Eric Wood. This plan is based on the latest research into Candida Related Complex, and contains everything you need to know to beat your Candida overgrowth.

Order Now

Diet & Supplements To Treat Candida

Last updated August 16, 2021 by Lisa Richards, CNC   Reviewed by Katie Stone, ND.

You may be surprised to know that it’s quite normal to have Candida albicans in your body. In fact, almost all of us have it in some form. It’s when you have too much Candida albicans that it becomes a problem, and this is known as Candida overgrowth.

A Candida cleanse is a treatment protocol that uses a low-sugar, anti-inflammatory diet, combined with probiotics and other supplements, to reverse a Candida overgrowth.

What Is Candida Overgrowth?

Candida is a species of yeast that lives naturally on and in your body. It’s a normal component of the microorganisms that live in your gastrointestinal tract. Small amounts of Candida albicans live in the warm, moist areas of your body, such as on your skin, in your gut and mouth, and in your rectum and vagina. Candida albicans even plays a part in digestion and nutrient absorption.

Usually, the population of Candida albicans is kept under control by your ‘good’ gut bacteria: the healthy microorganisms that make up the majority of your microbiome. These microbes work to keep the balance of good and bad in check. However, if Candida albicans multiplies out of control, problems begin. This can lead to overgrowth, also known as Candidiasis, thrush, or yeast infection.

Candida overgrowth can lead to infections that cause pain and inflammation throughout the body, usually on the skin, in the gut and the genitals. If left untreated, Candida microbes can even break down the walls of the intestine and release toxic by-products into your body, which may lead to many different health issues, from digestive disorders to depression. (1)

Sign up to our free, 8-part email course today, and learn how to create your own, personalized Candida treatment plan 🙂

The symptoms of Candida overgrowth often show as skin, mouth and vaginal infections. Candida overgrowth is also is a common cause of diaper rash. These skin infections are often a sign of an imbalanced gut. If the yeast overgrowth in the gut is left untreated, these other Candida infections are likely to recur.

The symptoms of Candida include:

• Fatigue
• Brain Fog
• Digestive Issues
• Recurring Yeast Infections
• Oral Thrush
• Sinus Infections
• Food Sensitivities
• Fungal Infections On Skin Or Nails
• Weak Immunity
• Joint Pain
• Low Mood

What Causes Candida Overgrowth?

Although it’s the job of your ‘good’ gut bacteria to keep your Candida levels under control, sometimes they aren’t able to function as effectively as they should. If these bacteria are weakened in any way – whether through antibiotics, illness, or poor diet – they may fail to keep pathogens like Candida at bay.

Candida overgrowth is especially common among those who regularly eat large amounts of refined carbohydrates and sugar.

In some cases, your body may be lacking in beneficial bacteria due to antibiotics, the oral contraceptive pill, and other medications that can decimate your healthy bacteria. Chronic stress can also upset a healthy gut.

In all these cases, Candida yeast population may quickly get out of hand and become harder and harder to treat.

The really tricky thing about Candida is that it can adapt quite quickly to spread and protect itself from your immune system. It transforms from a rounded yeast cell into an elongated hyphal cell, which allows it to cope with a change in temperature or varying acidity levels. An elongated cell is also better able to break through the gut lining. (2)

Over time, this ability to penetrate the intestinal wall can lead to another health problem known as Leaky Gut Syndrome. If Candida succeeds in breaking through the gut lining, it may even allow toxins and food particles from your gut to enter the bloodstream.

The causes of Candida overgrowth include:

• A High-Sugar Diet
• Antibiotics
• Chronic Stress
• The Contraceptive Pill
• Heavy Metal Exposure
• Chemical Exposure
• Diabetes

The Benefits Of Doing A Candida Cleanse

With all the problems that Candida overgrowth can cause, it’s not surprising that many health practitioners recommend a Candida cleanse! And fortunately, this isn’t as difficult as it might sound.

There are lots of different ways to do a Candida cleanse, but the most effective result will be achieved through targeting all areas of your body that may have been affected by the overgrowth. This includes your gut, which is often colonized by Candida albicans, and your liver, which has to process and eliminate the toxins produced by the yeast overgrowth.

Here are some of the benefits of doing a Candida cleanse:

1. A rebalanced gut microbiome
2. Better immune function
3. Improved digestion
4. Lower inflammation
5. Improved mood
6. Higher energy levels

Foods To Eat On Your Candida Cleanse

During your Candida cleanse diet, you should eat healthy, nutritious foods that are easy to digest.

Avoid foods that are high in sugars, pro-inflammatory, or difficult to digest. Instead, fill your diet with foods like non-starchy vegetables, low-sugar fruits, non-glutenous grains, healthy fats and proteins.

While this may be more limited than your usual diet, you can include a variety of herbs, spices, oils, and other cooking ingredients to create some delicious meals with lots of nutritional benefits! What’s more, these foods will begin the process of healing your gut, reducing inflammation, boosting nutrient absorption, and rebalancing your gut flora.

These are three types of foods that we recommend you eat while on your Candida cleanse diet:

1. Low-Sugar Foods

Reducing your sugar intake is the first step in beating Candida. Candida albicans relies on sugar to grow, reproduce and create the biofilms that protect it from your immune cells, so it makes sense to keep sugar out of your diet as much as possible.

While it may sound impossible to avoid all sugar, it’s important that you at least begin investigating the sugar content of the foods you do eat. You’ll soon find that there are lots of hidden sugars in foods you wouldn’t consider to be treats, such as condiments, fruit and processed snacks.

Low sugar foods that are acceptable on a Candida cleanse include non-starchy vegetables, some fruits (such as berries), non-glutenous grains, lean proteins, oils, and herbs.

The good news is that once you cut down your sugar intake, you’ll actually find that you crave sugar less! That’s partly because you’ll be starving the Candida yeast of its main source of fuel.

2. Non-Glutenous Grains

Keeping gluten out of your diet can improve your gut health, lower inflammation, and reduce the symptoms of your Candida overgrowth.

White breads, white pasta, and most cereals contain gluten, which causes chronic inflammation in the gut and destroys the bond between the cells lining your intestinal wall.

Our list of Candida diet foods contains only gluten-free grains and pseudo-grains such as buckwheat, quinoa, teff and millet.

Non-starchy vegetables are naturally gluten-free, and can be substituted for some grains in recipes where they provide a similar texture. For example, it’s possible to make a pasta substitute out of zucchini!

You can also substitute most flours for gluten-free alternatives, such as chickpea flour, almond flour or buckwheat flour.

Get your free, 8-part guide to beating Candida, and join more than 100,000 people getting weekly updates and recipes!

3. Anti-Inflammatory Foods

Reducing inflammation is one of the key objectives of the Candida cleanse diet. That’s why it’s vital that you not only avoid processed foods, minimize sugar, and reduce your caffeinated drinks, but also that you include lots of anti-inflammatory foods in your daily diet.

Many of the best-known anti-inflammatory foods are quite safe to eat on the Candida Cleanse. In fact, nutritionists believe that one of the most powerful tools to combat inflammation is not from pills, but from what you put on your plate!

Many studies have found that certain components of foods or beverages can have powerful anti-inflammatory effects on the body. These will help your body to recover faster from Candida.

Some of the best anti-inflammatory foods include olive oil, green leafy vegetables (such as spinach, kale, and collards), raw nuts and seeds (such as almonds and walnuts), fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, and sardines) and low-sugar fruits (blueberries, cherries and raspberries). (3)

Foods To Avoid On Your Candida Cleanse

As you may have already realized, it’s what you DON’T eat that matters most on a Candida cleanse! Improving the health of your gut means eliminating the foods that ‘feed’ the Candida yeast or worsen inflammation.

The following categories of foods should be avoided on the Candida Cleanse for one of three very important factors – sugar, gluten, and inflammation.

1. Foods That Are High In Sugar

Most of us love a sugar fix – but unfortunately, Candida does too! Sugar provides Candida with the energy it needs to develop, grow and spread throughout your body.

Sugar also allows Candida to build special protective biofilms that function as a kind of protective shield for the yeast cells, so they can ‘hide’ from your immune cells. These biofilms are actually composed of 32% glucose. (4)

It’s been found that the presence of extra sugar in the bloodstream can allow yeast to colonize more readily.

If your blood glucose levels are consistently high, your body may release extra sugar into your mucus, sweat and urine. The areas of your body where Candida thrives are generally where these bodily fluids are released.

And when the Candida yeast has colonized in a certain area, there’s a higher chance it will return – unless you cut it out completely.

Foods that are particularly high in sugar include fruit juices, candy, desserts, cereals, and dried fruit. There are many forms of sugar that appear in our foods – check the ingredients label carefully and be sure to understand exactly what you’re eating.

2. Foods That Contain Gluten

Even if you don’t suffer from celiac disease or gluten intolerance, you should still avoid gluten while on your Candida cleanse.

Research shows that gluten has the tendency to cause inflammation in the gut and increase the risk of intestinal permeability. It can also worsen the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome and Candida overgrowth. (5)

Gluten stimulates the release of a protein called zonulin, which damages the gut lining by loosening the junctions between cells in the gut. (6)

It’s been found that people who don’t appear to be sensitive to gluten may still suffer from inflammation when they eat wheat, due to the amylase trypsin inhibitors (ATIs) in wheat. These can cause an inflammatory immune response in the GI tract by provoking immune cells. (7)

Unsurprisingly, all glutenous grains are excluded from the Candida cleanse! You should avoid wheat, barley, and rye. Many breads, cereals, and other foods also contain added gluten, so watch out for those too.

3. Pro-Inflammatory Foods

Along with gluten and sugar, a number of other foods common to the Western diet are also known to cause inflammation in the gut.

The worst offenders include refined vegetable oils, which contain high levels of pro-inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids. If these Omega 6 fatty acids get out of balance with anti-inflammatory Omega 3 fatty acids, they can cause an increase in inflammatory markers in the body. Unfortunately, many of the foods we eat are high in Omega 6. (8)

Alcohol and caffeine also promote inflammation in the body, as well as irritating the gut lining.

Processed foods that contain artificial additives are to be avoided too, including processed meats, trans fats (commonly found in fried foods), white breads and pasta, soybean oil and processed snack foods, such as chips. (9)

Sample Meal plan

Here is a 3-day, sample meal plan for the Candida cleanse. You can find lots more Candida recipes in our recipe section.

Day 1

Breakfast: Avocado Baked Eggs with Vegetable Hash

Lunch: Chicken Piccata

Dinner: Vegan Cauliflower Curry

Day 2

Breakfast: Turkey and Sage Breakfast Patties

Lunch: Cool Sardine Salad

Dinner: Mindful Veggie Bowl

Day 3

Breakfast: Avocado Pancakes With Lemon Parsley Butter

Lunch: Mediterranean Zucchini Dip With Vegetables

Dinner: Green Chili Chicken Stew

Supplements To Take On Your Candida Cleanse

There are several supplements that can help you on your journey to beating Candida. Between them, they help to eliminate Candida toxin, restore your gut flora, and inhibit the growth of Candida albicans.

These are the supplements that you need for a Candida cleanse:

1. A detox supplement
2. A probiotic
3. An antifungal

Let’s take a look at those in more detail.

1. A Detox Supplement To Reduce Your Candida Symptoms

As well as eating a clean and healthy diet, there’s another important aspect of the Candida Cleanse: detox. It’s vital that you support your body’s detoxification pathways in order to help flush out those Candida toxins, prevent a die-off reaction from occurring, and reduce your Candida symptoms.

When the Candida yeast is being ‘killed off’, it can put up quite a fight – and your organs and immune system may bear the brunt of this damage. Some of the symptoms you experience at this point can include fatigue, headaches and nausea.

These symptoms are known as Candida Die-Off, or alternatively the Herxheimer reaction, and will usually diminish within a week or two. In some cases, they can continue a little longer. This is sometimes referred to.

Die-off happens as Candida cells break down and release large amounts of their endotoxins, all at once. As well as the unpleasant effects that these toxins can have on your body, Die-off can also place a significant amount of stress on your liver.

The good news is that there are lots of natural supplements that can assist your liver in processing and expelling these toxins.

Taking a liver support supplement during your Candida cleanse can make a huge difference to your recovery. Look for a high-quality supplement that contains a range of natural, liver-supportive herbs.

Join 100,000+ people on our mailing list, and get your free, 8-part guide to beating Candida 🙂

Milk thistle, molybdenum, and NAC are some of the best-researched natural medicines for boosting your liver’s functioning capacity. They can also help to flush out Candida-related toxins.

Molybdenum is especially useful, as it helps your body to produce enzymes that convert the neurotoxin acetaldehyde into acetic acids. These acids can then be flushed out of the body, or else converted into helpful digestive enzymes.

When it comes to plant-based liver support, you can’t go wrong with milk thistle. This powerful herb is renowned for its ability to protect the liver and support your body’s detoxification pathways.

Milk thistle’s seeds contain a powerful flavonoid called silymarin, which is a potent antioxidant and one of nature’s most potent liver purifiers. Silymarin has been found to optimize liver function and detoxification, while also helping to repair damage to liver cells from disease, alcohol, and drugs. (10)

One of the ways in which milk thistle works is by increasing production of glutathione, your body’s most important antioxidant. Glutathione helps to ward off damage from free radicals that are generated by our environment or from within the gut. (11)

The detox supplement that we recommend is Liver One by Balance ONE. It contains standardized European milk thistle extract, molybdenum, and a range of other liver-supportive ingredients. It was formulated especially for Candida sufferers, and it’s the only detox supplement that we recommend.

2. A Probiotic To Restore Your Gut Microbiome

Did you know that up to 70 percent of your immune tissue is in your gut? (12)

Your immunity can really suffer when your body is trying to fight off a gut infection like Candida overgrowth. Restoring your healthy gut bacteria should be a priority in order to get your immunity back up and running. The most effective way to do this is by taking a high-quality probiotic supplement.

Here are two of the top probiotic strains for restoring gut microbiome:

Lactobacillus Plantarum

L. plantarum is a powerful strain of probiotic bacteria that has been shown to support immune health in a variety of ways. It is highly adhesive, which means it ‘clings’ to the intestinal wall and helps to promote gut healing. It’s also very good at fighting pathogenic bacteria and yeast that cause us problems, particularly E. coli and Candida albicans. (13)

L. plantarum works by protecting the membrane that surrounds your gut. This makes it particularly helpful if you have any irritation or damage to your gut lining.

Studies have found that L. plantarum is particularly resilient and can survive the harsh environment of the gut, even alongside antibiotic treatment. If you need to take antibiotics and want to avoid overgrowth of yeast, L. plantarum is a good choice.

Lactobacillus acidophilus

Lactobacillus acidophilusis perhaps the most well-known and well-researched of probiotic bacteria. It displays remarkable potency in the battle against Candida and has been shown to significantly inhibit the rate at which the yeast grows. This is one of most effective probiotic bacteria against Candida albicans. (14,15)

L. acidophilus produces lactic acid as a byproduct of its metabolism. This helps to regulate acidity in your gut, boost your immune system, and prevent Candida albicans from switching to its fungal form (it needs an alkaline environment to do this).

This remarkable microbe has also been found to lower cholesterol, prevent and treat diarrhea, negate the effects of irritable bowel syndrome, promote weight loss, lessen the symptoms of colds and flu, reduce allergies and eczema, and is an excellent bacterium for improving gut health.

Our recommended probiotic for Candida is the Balance ONE Probiotic. It uses time-release tablets to get 15 times as many probiotic bacteria past the stomach acid barrier and to your gut. It contains 15 billion CFUs of bacteria, has 12 probiotic strains, and is made in the USA. It’s the only probiotic that we recommend for Candida overgrowth.

3. An Antifungal To Fight The Candida Overgrowth

Candida is a virulent pathogen that is particularly difficult to dislodge from your intestinal walls. Antifungals help to break down the biofilms that it creates and give your immune system the best possible chance to eliminate it.

There are only a handful of prescription antifungals that can help with a Candida overgrowth, and they tend to come with some nasty side effects. This is because yeast and fungal cells are quite similar to human cells, which makes it difficult to create a treatment that targets the ‘bad guys’ and not the ‘good guys’. For this reason, natural antifungals are often the best option for Candida sufferers.

Oregano leaf extract

Oregano oil is a powerful antifungal treatment that can help to inhibit and reverse a Candida overgrowth. Oregano oil is the concentrated extract of oregano leaf. It’s been used in natural medicine throughout history, and research has shown that it can inhibit a variety of pathogens including Candida yeast infections. (16)

Oregano’s antifungal properties are largely due to its active constituent, carvacrol. Carvacrol is rich in concentrated phenols that attack pathogenic fungi. (17)

Carvacrol has also been found to inhibit a range of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi, which can give your immune system the boost it needs while it deals with Candida yeast.

At the same time, carvacrol has the ability to prevent Candida toxins from releasing harmful substances and creating protective biofilms (18).

Oregano oil supplements are generally available in capsule form at most health stores. Diluted oregano oil can also be taken orally.

Caprylic Acid

This supplement is a powerful antifungal that comes in capsule form. It’s one of the antifungals most often used in Candida treatment. It is derived from coconut oil, which contains caprylic acid and two other antifungal compounds.

Caprylic acid can help in two ways: its ability to kill Candida cells, and the way that it restores normal acidity levels in the gut. Taking caprylic acid during your treatment can get your intestinal tract back in shape and help to inhibit or reverse your intestinal Candidiasis. (19)

Our recommended antifungal for Candida is Balance ONE CandAssist. It contains powerful natural antifungals, including oregano leaf extract and caprylic acid, and it uses delayed-release capsules to get those antifungals safely to your gut. It’s vegan, non-GMO, and made in the USA. It’s the best candida cleanse to fight Candida overgrowth.

Now It’s Time To Fight Your Candida!

A Candida cleanse is one of the best ways to address Candida overgrowth. With the right foods and supplements, you’ll be on your way to beating that yeast and feeling fantastic again!

Here are the most important steps in your Candida cleanse:

1. Follow a low-sugar, anti-inflammatory diet to boost your immunity and starve the Candida yeast.
2. Take a detox supplement to support your liver and reduce your Candida symptoms.
3. Use a high-quality probiotic supplement to restore your gut flora.
4. Take a natural antifungal to inhibit and reverse the Candida overgrowth.

If you’d like to learn more about how to create your own Candida treatment plan, check out our Ultimate Candida Diet program. It contains more than 100 sugar-free, gluten-free recipes, as well as lots of detailed advice on the best foods and supplements to beat Candida.

Beat your candida in 60 days with this detailed 5-step program

If you’re looking for a more comprehensive Candida treatment plan, check out the Ultimate Candida Diet program, written by Lisa Richards and Dr Eric Wood. This plan is based on the latest research into Candida Related Complex, and contains everything you need to know to beat your Candida overgrowth.

Order Now

Overcome Candida Overgrowth With This Functional Medicine Expert’s Guide

What Is Candida And The Candida Cleanse Diet

When you hear the word “candida” that is referring to the Candida albicans fungus, which is the most common yeast in the human gastrointestinal system. Ideally it occurs in small amounts and is one part of a healthy microbiome.

However, sometimes conditions are ripe for Candida albicans to grow out of control – often when there is a decrease in beneficial bacteria, such as with a course of antibiotics or due to a poor diet. This allows overgrowths of opportunistic bacteria, parasites, and yeasts like candida, causing dysbiosis, or an unhealthy microbiome. In addition to diet and antibiotics, this can be caused by stress, chronic illness, other medications, or a combination of any of these. Note that candida overgrowth can be just one part of a larger gut problem.

Who Is Susceptible To Candida Overgrowth?

Research has found that people with the following problems are more likely to get candida infections and/or be exacerbated by intestinal candidiasis or yeast overgrowth:

Symptoms Of Candida Overgrowth

How do you know you have candida overgrowth specifically, or dysbiosis in general? Acute infestations of candida, such as recurring yeast infections, are well documented, but chronic, low-grade candida overgrowths are not as easily detected. However, they do exist and have been shown to be related to an increased permeability of the gut lining or leaky gut syndrome.

Because the microbiome plays a role in virtually every aspect of your health, there are many far-reaching, seemingly unrelated symptoms that could be due at least in part to a chronic overgrowth of candida. These can include:

• Acne
• Acid reflux
• Anxiety
• Autoimmune conditions
• Bloating
• Brain fog
• Constipation
• Depression
• Diarrhea
• Eczema
• Fungal Infections of skin or nails
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Low immune system
• Panic attacks
• Thyroid symptoms
• Weight loss resistance

How Do You Test For Candida Overgrowths?

Low-grade overgrowths can be quite subtle, but can be detected with the proper diagnostic testing. I run either a two- or three-day stool collection that analyzes the DNA of the specific pathogens that are in your microbiome and often go undetected on standard labs. Interestingly, instead of finding Candida albicans, I often find abnormal amounts of other types of candida or different fungus species on lab results.

What To Do If You Think You Have Candida Overgrowth

1. Ask your doctor about a comprehensive stool test

A multiple-day collection provides a more complete look at the microbiome and can uncover fungal, bacterial, or parasitic overgrowth, as well as beneficial bacteria levels. Retesting a few months into care allows for any modification that may be needed.

2. Ask about a test for leaky gut syndrome

A blood test to assess if anything from the gut is passing into the blood stream can be done to find out if you have leaky gut syndrome.

3. Rule out SIBO

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, or SIBO, is common with candida overgrowth, further complicating treatment. It can be helpful to look for SIBO.

4. Avoid sugar

Candida eats what you eat, and it especially loves sugar! Avoiding junk foods and excess amounts of fruit, juice, and starchy foods like potatoes is essential to get Candida under control.

5. Hold off on fermented foods

Fermented foods like sauerkraut and kimchi are wonderful sources of probiotics, but can also feed candida. Certain probiotic supplements that contain prebiotics can also feed overgrowths. These are all healthful foods, but I generally suggest waiting until after the die-off phase of Candida removal before adding these back in to recolonize the microbiome. This can take anywhere from weeks to months, depending on the severity of the case.

6. Take targeted natural medicines

Caprylic acid, (6) oregano oil, (7) garlic, (8) and black tea (9) were all shown in the literature to be effective treatments for candida overgrowths. The beneficial yeast S. boulardii was also shown (10) to be effective against candida overgrowth, decreasing both the inflammation from the overgrowth and the spreading of candida in the gut.

7. Try personalized functional medicine care

Even with natural options, what works for one person may not work for you! Today, lab testing can better inform us which natural medicines would be better for your individual overgrowth or gut infection. This ensures targeted and more effective care. Take advantage of our free evaluation via webcam or phone to get your questions answered and to see if functional medicine is right for you.

8 Foods To Eat On The Candida Diet

1. Non-starchy vegetables

Fungus eats what you eat, but make the right choices and your fungal populations won’t overgrow. Choice #1 is plant foods like kale, spinach, Swiss chard, and bok choy, which offer a lot of nutrients without overfeeding the overgrowth.

Green leafy vegetables are also rich in folate, which I mentioned in a previous article, is needed for people with MTHFR gene mutations who are extra-sensitive to candida overgrowth.

Some people do better with steaming or sautéing non-starchy vegetables, which is more gentle on the gut than eating them raw.

2. Clean meats

Grass-fed beef, wild-caught fish, and organic organ meat (like liver) are rich in bioavailable fat-soluble nutrients such as vitamins A, D, and K2, all of which are needed (11) for immune and microbiome health, without the toxins that can come from industrially farmed versions.

3. Healthy fats

Coconut, olive, and avocado oil are all healing to the gut. A variety of saturated and monounsaturated fats have an anti-inflammatory effect on the gut lining, which provides a less hospitable environment for fungus. Coconut oil in particular is rich in caprylic acid, which has been shown (12) to inhibit candida overgrowth.

4. Cultured foods

Fermented foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, and coconut or grass-fed kefir will help reinoculate a stressed-out microbiome with beneficial bacteria, which can work to keep Candida at bay. I recommend eating these in moderation at the beginning of your healing so your digestion can adjust, and slowly increasing intake, as too much cultured food can cause a flare-up of symptoms from a too-quick die-off of the yeast overgrowth.

5. Healing herbs and spices

Herbs like oregano, (13) ginger, (14) and pau d’arco have all been shown to have antimicrobial effects. You can choose to use them in recipes, tea, or in supplement form.

6. Healthy sweeteners

Candida thrives on sugar – its very favorite food – so choose non-sugary sweeteners like raw green stevia and xylitol if you need to sweeten your food. But even these should be used sparingly.

7. Tea

Tannins found in black tea have been shown (15) to help kill off candida. Calming teas, like ginger, can help soothe the delicate gut lining.

8. Bone broth

This ancient healing food is making a modern comeback, and for good reason – it just may be the strongest easily available gut medicine. The collagen in the broth helps to rebuild a healthy gut lining and because it contains no sugar, it can also help starve down fungal overgrowths and turn down inflammation.

8 Foods To Avoid On The Candida Diet

1. Sugar

Sugar – in all its forms – feeds candida, no question about it. If you want to get control of a fungal overgrowth, cut sugar out 100%, and be sure to read labels carefully since sugar has many different pseudonyms. Know that while some sweeteners may have more nutrients than others, they all feed candida to some degree. And just in case you think artificial sweeteners are the answer, think again. Research shows that they can catastrophically alter the balance of the gut flora.

2. Fruit

It’s called “nature’s candy” for a reason – it’s made by nature, but it’s not unlike candy. I would suggest severely limiting or avoiding fruit while healing your gut. At the very least, stick to lower-fructose fruits like berries and citrus fruits like lemon, lime, and grapefruit. Besides being lower in sugar, these citrus fruits also have antimicrobial (16) properties.

3. Grains

Grains are really just another form of sugar, and should also be avoided when healing a fungal overgrowth. That’s especially so for those containing gluten, which can be very damaging to the gut, giving fungus the upper hand. Grain-free flours like almond, hazelnut, and coconut can be used in moderation as a replacement. Later on, as you heal, you can slowly reintroduce gluten-free grains (like rice and organic, non-GMO corn) sparingly to see if they agree with you.

4. Alcohol

Alcohol is tough (17) on your intestinal lining, and is even linked to leaky gut syndrome. Alcohol can also impair detoxification pathways, which need to be optimized when healing the microbiome.

5. Dairy

I consider most dairy in the U.S. to be junk food. That’s because the cows are given hormones and antibiotics, fed GMO corn instead of grass, and live in unhealthy conditions. The milk is then pasteurized and homogenized, and the fat, with all its vitamins, is removed. Synthetic vitamins are then added back because the milk is devoid of nutrition. In other words, dairy isn’t doing you any favors.

Moreover, many people with candida overgrowth have leaky gut syndrome, which can make them more sensitive to casein, a protein in milk, and the milk sugar (lactose) is, again, just sugar. The one exception I would make is grass-fed, full-fat, cultured dairy foods like kefir and yogurt.

6. Starchy plant foods

Starchy vegetables like potatoes, yams, and beets can feed the yeast  overgrowth because of their high carb content, even though they do contain fiber and vitamins. While you’re healing your gut, I would also avoid legumes like black beans, pinto beans, lentils, peanuts, cashews, and chickpeas, which can be inflammatory for some people. As you heal, you can test these to see how your body handles them.

7. FODMAPS

One specific food category that often goes unmentioned when it comes to gut problems are FODMAPS. FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligo-, Di-, Monosaccharides, and Polyols and refers to carbs – often from otherwise healthy vegetables – that aren’t easily digested by the gut. When eating in excess, they can also feed microbiome overgrowths such as candida and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, so avoiding them may be a temporary but critical strategy.

Some foods that are high in FODMAPS: onions, garlic, cabbage, and apples. Legumes are also high in FODMAPS. I suggest avoiding or limiting them while you heal, and then slowly increasing your intake to find your individual tolerance.

8. Conventional coffee

Coffee, in excess, is a well-known irritant to the gut lining. (18) Coffee can also be high in molds, (19) which can stress a compromised immune system and encourage Candida overgrowth. And decaf might actually be worse when it comes to both mold content (20) and acidity. (21) Make sure to search for high-quality organic coffee beans, and drink coffee in moderation.

Putting It All Together

Food is undoubtedly the most important factor you can modify on your own as you begin your gut-healing, Candida-busting journey. For more help, work with a qualified clinician on customized natural protocols for candida cleanse diet. Consider taking advantage of a free webcam or phone evaluation to talk about your individual case. Always talk to a trusted health care provider before making changes to your diet.

As one of the first functional medicine telehealth clinics in the world, we provide webcam health consultations for people around the globe. 

Photo: Stocksy

90,000 Do I need to go on a diet for candidiasis? – Medaboutme.ru

There is an opinion that thrush (aka candidiasis) is the result of improper nutrition. For example, a great love for sweets and some other products. This means that it must be treated with a diet: excluding sweets, dairy products, etc. How nutrition actually affects the risks of developing candidiasis, MedAboutMe figured out.

Candida and diseases

Candidiasis (thrush) is an inflammatory process caused by yeast-like fungi from the genus Candida.Normally, they live in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), but are also found on the mucous membranes of the genitals, in the mouth, and also in the respiratory organs. Candida is part of the skin’s “microbial landscape”.

Why is it illiterate to call Candida “yeast”? Unlike real yeast, they do not form spores and fruit bags, so they are classified as yeast-like fungi.

Candida reproduces by budding. To date, 134 species of Candida have been discovered, but in the overwhelming majority of cases (in 90%) Candida albicans becomes the causative agent of candidiasis.

When the fungus penetrates into the epithelial cell, it begins to parasitize in it, using its nutrients for development and reproduction. In some diseases (candidiasis of the oral mucosa), only superficial epithelial cells are affected, in others (candidiasis colpitis), both intermediate and basal epithelial cells.

Once inside the cell, Candida can deftly evade the effects of drugs. With a prolonged course of the disease, proteins of the host cell settle on the capsule of the fungus from mucopolysaccharides, forming a coating 3-4 times thicker than the cell wall of Candida.Thus, the causative agent of candidiasis becomes invisible to immune phagocytic cells.

It is candida that are the causes of a number of diseases:

• gastrointestinal candidiasis,
• balanoposthitis and urethritis,
• onychomycosis,
• intertrigo,
• various variations of oropharyngeal candidiasis (in the oral cavity) – gingivitis, glossitis, cheilitis, stomatitis and even pharyngitis,
• vulvovaginitis.

Three out of four adult women develop genital candidiasis at least once in their lives. In every 5-6th young woman and woman in the premenopausal period, candidiasis can be detected, which proceeds without any clinical manifestations. Periodically, they develop exacerbations of the disease. Recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis is spoken of if an exacerbation of candidiasis has been recorded at least 4 times a year.

Medicines and diet against candidiasis

For the treatment of candidiasis, antifungal drugs are prescribed (local antimycotics in the form of suppositories and ointments and systemic ones in tablets), agents from the group of immunomodulators, as well as fortifying drugs.There is a widespread belief that one of the causes of candidiasis is malnutrition, which means that in order to be cured, you need to go on a special diet.

It is believed that with candidiasis, sweets, alcohol and certain types of dairy products should be avoided. Products containing gluten are also banned. Instead, it is necessary to increase the proportion of protein foods, healthy fats, vegetables, but not containing a lot of starch, as well as foods with probiotics in the diet. It is assumed that such a menu will reduce the extent of inflammation and allow the intestinal microflora to return to normal.

What are these recommendations based on?

Glucose and thrush

Yeast and yeast-like fungi like Candida are known to thrive when glucose is added. This means that you need to eat less glucose (sweet) – and yeast-like candida will also have nothing to eat, they will not be able to multiply uncontrollably.

In reality, this statement is more or less relevant for diabetic patients, but not because the level of glucose in their blood can be increased – studies show that the glucose content in the blood does not have much effect on the likelihood of developing candidiasis.

But glucose in diabetics also gets into saliva due to the destruction of the salivary gland cell membrane. As a result, the concentration of glucose in the mouth increases (and remains high for a couple of hours after eating) – and, indeed, people with diabetes are more likely to suffer from oral candidiasis.

As for people without diabetes, it was not possible to prove a significant effect of love for sweets on the likelihood of developing candidiasis.

Gluten, celiac disease and candidiasis

Let’s take a look at a gluten-free diet separately.It is suggested to stick to it, because in some people gluten causes damage to the intestinal mucosa. Candidiasis also causes mucosal damage. Based on this similarity, it is proposed to ban gluten.

However, it has long been proven that removing gluten from the diet of people who are not celiac or allergic to gluten is, at the very least, useless. Gluten is not associated with candidiasis in any way, and the mechanisms of mucosal damage in celiac disease and thrush are completely different.

Dairy products and Candida mushrooms

Dairy products are also on the list of foods to avoid for candidiasis. The reason is milk sugar, lactose. According to adherents of special diets for thrush, fungi love sugar, which means they must also love lactose.

However, studies show that even in ideal laboratory conditions, fungi from the genus Candida actively use glucose, fructose and maltose, but they do not like lactose, xylose and sucrose and do not eat it.So Candida is indifferent to milk sugar.

Conclusions

There are no specific products, the exclusion of which would reduce the risk of developing candidiasis or would give a therapeutic effect. Dairy products, sweets and gluten-containing foods in the average non-diabetic person do not in any way affect the activity of fungi from the genus Candida.

On the other hand, it should be noted that a healthy diet is always good and beneficial for the body.A balanced diet with a given ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, with an adequate dose of fruits and vegetables, as well as healthy fats is the key to a well-functioning immune system and a healthy, balanced gastrointestinal microflora. Namely, these two factors play a key role in the prevention and treatment of candidiasis.

Take the test

Do you follow a healthy diet?

Do you know the principles of healthy eating? Take the test and find out the whole truth about your diet!

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
90,003 90,000 candidiasis diet – 25 recommendations on Babyblog.ru

Thrush is the enemy of the majority (about 80%) of modern women and the reasons for it often, constant visits are: taking antibiotics, stress, reduced immunity, excessive use of “fast” carbohydrates, poor intimate hygiene, the use of tampons and sanitary napkins (especially tampons terribly harmful and indicated only in exceptional cases), and, oddly enough, excessive hygiene too – the use of gels that are unsuitable in terms of PH level and the presence of artificial additives, too active use of suitable gels.It is impossible not to mention the psychological factors of its development, psychosomatic – these are problems in relations with the opposite sex, or its single representative in the form of a husband or MCH. That now, modern women are all too often. Thrush is accompanied by irritation, itching, the same can be said about the relationship of a woman susceptible to this disease with a man. This is dissatisfaction with the salary / a lot or little sex / and in general he is not what I want, and without me he can’t do anything and doesn’t know, there are no normal men left.In general, the husband is irritating and itchy from him. Sound familiar? 🙂 I think it is very familiar to many. So the unloved, permanent inhabitant of the healthy microflora of the vagina Candida (more often Albicanis) is developing at an unimaginable pace.

Treatment comes down to taking antifungal drugs, to which the parasitic candidate (or rather, a yeast-like fungus) easily adapts and is ready to “bloom” again at the next opportunity. For example, during pregnancy, when immunity seems to go down, hormonal changes are observed, acidity, vaginal moisture changes.

The thrush bothered me long before, and during B, so that it was chronically prescribed in my body – once it did not heal, started, started inadequate self-medication, and that’s it. Since then, adequate treatment, or which is only commonly called so, only temporarily relieved the symptoms and relapses recurred. An integrated approach is not used by all doctors.

I can write treatises about thrush, since this topic was studied by me up and down, as well as in the rest – I always dig thoroughly.And, as one would expect, the data obtained are sometimes quite contradictory. But I will note separately – I am not a doctor.

– Ideally, it is necessary to pass a bacterial culture to determine the type of candida and sensitivity to drugs.

– Next, an oral drug is prescribed from those to which sensitivity has been identified, and it is necessary to combine it with local treatment – viganal tablets or suppositories, and even rectal ones.

– Treatment of a partner is also a very controversial point – whether it is necessary or not, doctors differ on this issue.Probably, it will not be superfluous for him to drink at least a single-use pill, and it is advisable to forget about intimacy during the treatment.

– Along with the main treatment approved by official medicine, folk remedies are also prescribed – washing with a decoction of chamomile, calendula, soda solution. Douching or not is also a million dollar question. But during pregnancy it is definitely not worth it.

– Diet for the entire treatment period – no sweets, even sweet fruits, honey are excluded, as are all fast carbohydrates – flour and pasta, especially yeast-based baked goods.Vinegars, pickles, alcoholic beverages are also banned, since this is food for candida, and she should not be left a single chance of survival. Dairy is also prohibited – except for fermented milk (kefir, sour cream, natural yoghurts). Onions, garlic, lemon are the essential ingredients of the new menu. Although the opinions of experts are divided in this too – someone says that kefir fungus enhances the growth of candida and that it is yoghurts with bifidumbacteria that are needed, and someone recognizes only acidophilic ones. Hard? Impossible! 🙂 Hats off to someone who can sustain such a diet.And then he will at least try to stick to it. However, unfortunately, doctors do not talk about diet at all.

During this pregnancy, the thrush constantly accompanies me. Pimafucin – 0 effect, terzhinan – already better, even trichopolum – which I did not take for a long time, only three candles, but the result is also temporary. It turns out the result is for a week or two. And so many. Hexicon too, although it has absolutely no effect on Candida and this is clearly written in the instructions. This is all from medication.

And if you managed to get rid of the symptoms (getting rid of candida is not at all a task, but only to prevent its growth, to reduce the amount to a conditionally normal), then how to maintain this state of bliss, especially when the vaginal microflora has suffered from antibiotics and the immunity has become even lower, than before treatment?

And here the next point is the colonization of favorable microflora with the help of probiotics. This question is raised only in domestic medicine, the European one does not practice this, because they do not have the concept of “dysbacteriosis”.In the official register of diseases. Neither intestinal nor vaginal – none. It is believed that the microflora itself will recover, it only needs to be given time and provide better conditions in the form of a diet, the absence of stress.

There is a huge amount of information on the Internet that probiotics will help not only recover after the treatment of thrush, but also get rid of it forever without drug treatment. The instructions for similar antibacterial drugs with bifidobacteria and lactobacilli are also confusion – although acylact suppositories are prescribed in joint therapy for thrush, it is written that they can provoke its growth.To the instructions for some drugs with bifidumbacteria, it is officially stated that they are prescribed for the treatment of candidiasis. Although doctors in some forums do not tire of repeating that they can worsen the condition, others continue to prescribe them both as a basic and complex treatment. Although more often it is still vagilak, vaginorm C (the usual ascorbic acid again, moreover in three ways) and so on are more expensive and more promoted. And on the same forums, we can find laudatory odes to bifidumbacterin – and it costs a penny, and helps better than advertised funds.So what should you believe? Who pays whom and what is the scientific truth?

Thrush does not like alkali, this is a well-known fact. It becomes aggravated when the acid-base balance of the vagina, which is normally 4.4, begins to outweigh in the direction of acidity. This means that excess acid, logically, aggravates its course. Many shy away from alkalis, they say, what will become of the microflora will dry out and upset the balance …

– washing with soda (1 tsp per 1 liter of water),

– cleaning the vagina with soda (a sterile bandage on a finger, a finger in a soda solution and the walls of the vagina are cleaned, then the bandage is replaced and the procedure is repeated),

– washing with laundry soap (the vagina is treated with soapy water, after 1-1.5 hours it is washed well with warm water).

But alkali is initially present in the vagina, therefore, in my opinion, they should not be afraid of it, especially since it is well known that acid is a provocateur of thrush. And there is an acid-alkali imbalance, since there is thrush. I’ve tried all of the above. Most of all I liked the household soap. It dries pretty well, but it helps. After smearing inside and outside with coconut oil – to relieve irritation, dryness, and in general, at least a little to prepare for labor. You can add tea tree essential oil to the oil – one or two drops.This is a truly miraculous antifungal, antimicrobial, antiviral agent and relieves itching well.

There were always yoghurts in my arsenal, moreover, more often home-made. Both inside and outside – washing, sterile tampons at night. But whether the yoghurts are not the right ones, or the acid is not needed, or the acid came in too early – there was too much candida left – it is not clear.

Garlic helped surprisingly well. Yes Yes. Even from pimafucion there was no such result.On a jar of pharmacy glycerin juice from several cloves of garlic. Necessarily not of Chinese, but of home origin – this is garlic in a purple husk, larger. The jar is stored in the refrigerator, it is enough for 4-5 tampons, which are placed overnight. But then I had another yogurt therapy, and I think so, although not a fact, which caused a new relapse.

Today, three or two weeks after terzhinan, alkalinization with the help of households. soap, washing with soda and chamomile, I conduct therapy with bifidumbacterin in powder – inside and out.Homemade yoghurts. I’m not sure how justified this is. Perhaps I should have left it as it is, continuing the soda and chamomile. I decided not to buy all sorts of Vagilaki and Vaginormas – there are too many negative reviews.

And summing up. Scientific evidence has been unearthed. The mysterious sour-milk environment in the vagina was open for me personally. After all, you need to know which bacteria live there in order for them to take root there. Moreover, in my opinion, the most reasonable opinion of experts is that lactic acid bacteria are needed, but the number of bacteria should be high enough in the product (be it yogurt or pharmacy probiotics).Otherwise, in the presence of only acid, really, nothing good will be achieved in the case of thrush. This is probably the most scientifically based statement that I have found.

What kind of “good” bacteria live in the vagina? (the data is taken from the net, if you wish, you can find scientific articles, it is very reluctant to indicate links).

Basically, among lactobacilli these are: L. rhamnosus GR-1, L. reuteri RC-14, L. casei shirota, L. jensenii, L. iners, L. gasseri (the latter, by the way, according to scientific data, acts very beneficially, drugs with it can compete in efficiency and the absence of side effects with antibiotics), L.crispatus CTV-05.

Others: Atopobium spp., Megaspaera spp., Leptorrichia spp.

Bifidumbacteria are also present. However, they are the most difficult to fix on the mucous membrane, only about 4-5%. And they are quickly washed out both from the intestines and the vagina. Lactobacillus is slightly better. In addition, even positive bacteria may not get along with the positive bacteria of the host, they also fight among themselves. However, even a temporary stay in the body has a positive effect. Studies with many of these bacteria have shown clinical efficacy.Now, it’s not so simple. 🙂 Considering all these data, you can choose drugs wisely, try different things, and maybe something will do. 🙂

And you can follow the example of Europe, do without the normalization of microflora.

– just eliminate the daily washout of microflora,

– use only clean, boiled water or chamomile broth,

– improve immunity,

– with frequent relapses of thrush and other STDs – treat E. coli E.coli, which in 80% of cases is the causative agent of diseases if it lives in the urogenital area. And she, you know, finds ways to go where it is not necessary. Identify and treat.

And relationships also need to be treated. Think what this thrush gives us:

– avoid sex to blame her husband,

– to be on top, smarter, and consider him “unfinished”.

Yes, there can be many benefits from this, and the disease, according to psychology, always has a secondary benefit for us.

Realize it and stop doing it, or do it without hiding behind the disease.

And, maybe you can think of something else, tell me. But the more we are wise, the more impasse we find ourselves in. Therefore, the simpler the better. I’m sure.

Diet for intestinal candidiasis in women for every day: menu, basic principles

Yeast-free fungi of the genus Candida are opportunistic microorganisms that cause severe intestinal dysbiosis – candidiasis.The rapid proliferation of the fungus displaces normal microflora and clogs mucous membranes, leading to increased gas production and stool thinning. A special diet for intestinal candidiasis allows you to reduce the load on the affected organ, restore immunity and stabilize the natural microflora.

Candidiasis in women is transmitted natally and postnatally to their children

Causes of the disease

Decreased immunity is a provoking factor for the development of candidiasis.The reduction in the body’s defenses is associated with many factors:

• long-term use of antibiotics and hormonal drugs;
• allergies;
• improper nutrition;

90,022 chronic diseases;

• environmental conditions.

Candidiasis is contagious, therefore it can be transmitted sexually or from mother to child at birth or through breastfeeding.

Toxins formed by fungi in the course of their vital activity are carried through the blood throughout the body.In the absence of timely treatment, candidiasis of the oral cavity, genitals, stomach, mucous membranes and skin develops. The most common manifestation of increased Candida activity in women is thrush.

Nutritional features in the treatment of candidiasis

Every day’s menu should be balanced and varied. Do not try to limit yourself to a certain set of foods, but use all possible options.

For recovery, patients need:

1. Eliminate any seasonings.Spicy and salty food irritates the walls of the diseased intestine, aggravating the general condition.
2. Do not exceed the recommended daily calorie intake. Limit the amount of food to 1700 kcal. Higher values ​​will put additional stress on the digestive tract, while lower ones will result in a lack of nutrients.
3. Stick to fractional nutrition. Eating frequent meals maintains the natural pace of bowel function, while small meals help prevent inflammation from overeating.
4. Refuse from products that provoke the reproduction of the fungus. These products include yeast-free baked goods, alcoholic beverages, fatty and fried foods, sugar-containing products, including pure sugar.
5. Eat only ground and warm food at room temperature. In case of serious damage, it is recommended to eat liquid dishes for several days, which will shorten the time of their digestion.

No additional preparation is required before starting the diet.After recovery, you will have to give up your usual diet for another month. Too abrupt withdrawal from the diet will result in stress for the body and the return of the disease. Within a month, smoothly return prohibited foods to the diet, not forgetting about the basic rules of medical nutrition.

Eat a variety of foods for treatment.

Before the end of drug therapy, use recipes that are suitable for the rules of the “table number 4” diet.For example, 5 days after starting the diet, you can please yourself with sweet manna with the addition of honey.

Yoghurt manna

Ingredients:

• semolina – 12.5 tbsp;
• wheat flour – 10 tablespoons;
• butter – 90g;
• plain yogurt – 200g;
• eggs – 3pcs;
• baking powder – 2 tsp;
• honey – to taste.

Preparation:

1. Mix all dry ingredients except semolina.
2. Whisk the softened butter with honey and one yolk.
3. Add half the yogurt and the second yolk to the mixture. Stir until smooth and add flour mixture.
4. Pour the rest of the yogurt into the mixture, add the last yolk and the rest of the semolina.
5. Whisk egg whites until firm peaks and add to yoghurt mixture.
6. Preheat oven to 200 °, place the dough in a silicone mold and bake the manna for 35 minutes.

Try to adhere to proper nutrition, not only during illness, but throughout your life. Eating healthy foods will keep you from relapses and strengthen your body’s defenses.

Video

Also interesting to read: treatment of thrush during pregnancy

90,000 Top 10 candidiasis conquering products :: Infoniac

Health

Fungal infection, or scientifically candidiasis
– a common disease caused by the fungus of the genus Candida.

Almost all doctors include medical nutrition in complex therapy, along with drugs. Treatment and diet must necessarily go in parallel.

Here are 10 foods that naturally fight candida.

Treatment of candidiasis

1. Apple Cider Vinegar

© lisaaMC / Getty Images

Organic apple cider vinegar is an effective medicine for treating thrush.It contains natural enzymes that help slow down the growth of Candida and change the environment for its development. Vinegar can be used to treat thrush in the mouth, on the skin, in the intestines, and for vaginal infections. Apple cider vinegar should be carefully selected before purchasing. For best results, choose unfiltered and unpasteurized.

For the treatment of thrush in the mouth, you need to dilute 2 tsp. vinegar with 8 tsp. water and rinse for a couple of minutes.The procedure is carried out three times a day until the symptoms disappear. For thrush on the skin, baths are used: two glasses of vinegar in a bath with warm water. Water should cover all affected areas. Take a bath for half an hour, once a day, until symptoms are relieved.

When treating thrush in the intestines, prepare a drink. 2 tbsp. l. vinegar for 8 tbsp. l. water, drink twice a day. When treating vaginal thrush, take the bath described above or douching. Vinegar is diluted 1: 1 and douche with Esmarch’s mug twice a day.

2. Sauerkraut

© Yulia Naumenko / Shutterstock

One of the simplest and most common foods for candidiasis is sauerkraut. Cabbage contains probiotics, which are essential not only for proper digestion of food, but also for strengthening the immune system. Sauerkraut colonizes the intestines with beneficial microorganisms that fight parasites, fungi and yeast.

3.Non-starchy vegetables

© Nattika / Shutterstock

During the diet, starchy vegetables should be excluded, tomatoes, cucumbers, rutabagas, and onions will be the most preferable. They can be eaten raw or baked. Green leafy vegetables are rich in folate, which is very often recommended by doctors when treating thrush.

Read also: 10 beneficial properties of arugula

4.Coconut oil

© 5PH

Organic coconut oil contains substances with antifungal properties known as cyprilic acid and lauric acid. These acids inhibit the growth of candida by closing the holes in the walls of the yeast cells and causing them to die off. Coconut oil also helps cleanse the body of toxins that accumulate as a result of yeast breakdown.

Coconut oil can be used internally and externally.You can cook on it or just take 1 tsp., Gradually reaching 3 tbsp. l. For intravaginal treatment, use a tampon soaked in warm oil.

Products for candidiasis

5. Garlic

© Sleepyfoto / Getty Images

Garlic is one of the top 10 antibiotic replacement foods. It contains allicin, a sulfur-containing compound with natural antifungal properties. This product can kill an entire fungal colony in a short time – in fact, candidiasis cannot survive if garlic is present.

If you love garlic, then how to use it will not be a problem for you. Enough 2 cloves per day to combat the disease. If you are not a fan of garlic, then it can be taken in capsules, the garlic will begin to dissolve in the intestines, which at the same time will prevent odor. In the treatment of vaginal thrush, cotton-gauze tampons soaked in an infusion of garlic and douching with an infusion of garlic are used.

Read Also: 11 Surprising Facts About Garlic

6.Flax Oil & Seeds

© Prostock-studio / Shutterstock

Linseed oil and flax seeds are very effective in treating thrush. They must be included in your diet. Half a tablespoon of flaxseed oil twice a day will be sufficient. For seeds, you need to make an infusion. Pour 300 ml of boiling water into a thermos on a tablespoon of seeds. The infusion is ready the next day. Drink the infusion throughout the day. The course of treatment until the symptoms disappear completely.

7.Fermented milk products

© Billion Photos / Shutterstock

With thrush, you can and should use fermented milk products, which contain bifido and lactobacilli. Kefir, yogurt, unsweetened yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese – they will have a positive effect with thrush. Fermented milk products inhibit the process of activity of pathogenic flora, thereby providing a healing effect. During treatment, milk can also be consumed, if only it has undergone enzymatic processing.

8. Spices

© TYSB / Shutterstock

Spices such as cinnamon, bay leaves, cloves are very well suited as an active means of fighting candidiasis. Cinnamon damages yeast cells, strips them of their natural properties and eventually causes them to die. The use of clove oil as an antifungal agent has been repeatedly confirmed by research. The phytoncides contained in bay leaves help to remove toxins and toxins from the body and help to quickly get rid of thrush.

9. Bone broth

© margouillat photo / Shutterstock

The broth has long been used in folk medicine. It perfectly restores the intestinal microflora and the functions of the digestive tract. Bone broth contains minerals in an easily digestible form and the amino acid glycine, which stimulates the synthesis of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. Also, the broth contains the equally important amino acids glutamine and collagen.All this improves the growth and development of intestinal microflora, creating a favorable environment for beneficial bacteria.

10. Olive oil

© svetlanafoote

Olive oil contains oleic acid, which has strong antifungal effects and stimulates the body’s immune responses to thrush bacteria. The oil is also a source of omega-3 fatty acids and polyphenols, two components that strengthen the body’s defenses and fight Candida.

A decisive factor in the treatment of candidiasis is a yeast-free diet and the inclusion of low-fat protein foods in the diet, as well as foods rich in probiotics.

Foods to avoid

© paffy / Shutterstock

First of all, these are sugar, smoked meats, fatty and pickled foods. And also alcohol, which increases acidity in the intestines and stomach.Eating simple carbohydrates should be avoided because it is a breeding ground for candida.

In practice, the method of dietary treatment is reduced to the main task – to normalize the acidic and alkaline environment, which is destructive for many harmful microorganisms, including Candida. The diet for the treatment of thrush should be followed for three months and after the symptoms have disappeared. Be healthy.

Tests for candidiasis

Diet for Thrush and Candidiasis

Share “Diet for Thrush and Candidiasis”

Diet for Thrush and Candidiasis or what you can and cannot eat with this unpleasant pathological condition and for what reasons.

Many of you know that it was from the fight against Thrush that my path to a healthy lifestyle began.

After going through doctors, antifungal agents and even antibiotics and having achieved absolutely no results (a week of temporary relief does not count), I decided that it was time to take my health into my own hands and start doing something.

And then it became a perfect discovery for me that it turns out that you need to start treating Thrush with nutrition! That, exactly what we eat is directly related to our intestines and the manifestation of this terrible condition.With the help of an integrated approach and, first of all, with changes in your diet and diet, you can take the first and most important step towards a complete recovery from thrush and candidiasis.

In this post, I decided to touch on in more detail what can and cannot on the anti-candidiasis protocol and why.

What is Candida and Candidiasis?

Candida is a large yeast family that, under normal circumstances, lives within us without causing us any harm.To keep Candida under control, we are helped by beneficial bacteria that create a special microflora from the oral cavity to the intestines and vagina.

Candidiasis can manifest itself in many forms. This is vaginal candidiasis (thrush), on the skin and in the mouth, and even on the scalp in the form of dandruff.

There can be many reasons: taking antibiotics, birth control pills, a large amount of carbohydrates and sugar in food.

I used to think that the main cause of Thrush and Candidiasis is sugar consumption.Now I think that this is still poor digestion and assimilation of food and the so-called “leaky gut” (syndrome of increased permeability of the intestinal wall).

Diet for Thrush and Candidiasis

When dealing with any pathological condition, you should always start with nutrition. In the situation with the Thrush, we know that we need to deal with 3 problems: sugar consumption, restoration of normal digestion and intestinal permeability, saturation of the microflora with beneficial bacteria.

Not allowed:

• Refined sugar, including all kinds of soda and fruit juices. Artificial sweeteners. The main food for the uncontrolled growth and development of Candida is sugar (as well as for cancer cells).
• Alcohol – because after all it is the same sugar. In addition, alcoholic beverages further increase the permeability of the intestinal wall, which we must fight against.
• Cereals and cereals, especially those containing gluten.Almost all people who have chronic Thrush and Candidiasis have Gluten sensitivity. Cereals and grains contain antinutrients, require careful digestion and are hard on our digestive tract. Plus, they can aggravate an already weak intestine.
• Potatoes, for the same reason as cereals.
• Beans, peas and all soy products – overload an already tired digestive tract, full of anti-nutrients.
• Nuts, namely cashews, pistachios and peanuts, as they may have a high mold content.
• Vegetable oils (sunflower, corn, canola, soy, peanut) are loaded with pro-inflammatory Omega-6s and are often moldy.
• Vinegar, as it is obtained in yeast culture. Apple Cider Vinegar is not only possible, but also necessary.
• Preservatives, as can be obtained from yeast.

It is possible and necessary: ​​

• Quality meat, wild fish, eggs
• Nuts and seeds (other than the above), always pre-soaked
• Vegetables
• Fruit (avoid melon and grapes)
• Probiotic-rich foods.Homemade kefir, yogurt, sauerkraut, beet kvass, pickled apples. Essential for the settlement of new beneficial bacteria in order to keep Candida within the normal range.
• Herbs and spices, as they have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory properties.
• Healthy oils (coconut, butter, olive)
• Natural sweeteners. These include raw unprocessed honey, maple syrup, Stevia, Xylitol. You need to use them in moderation.

In my personal opinion, the most effective nutrition in the fight against Candidiasis is the GAPS protocol.

Why do I believe it is possible to consume so-called natural raw sugar sources? Because we need them. And even to get rid of Thrush and Candidiasis.

The fact is that the endangered Candida is in dire need of sugar and will go to great lengths to find it. If she cannot find sugar in what we eat, it will begin to penetrate the intestinal walls (let’s not forget that he already has problems with permeability), spread through the blood, and if our immune system does not react during the time it will end with systemic Candidiasis …That is, a couple of teaspoons of natural honey or maple syrup and fruit will not harm us in any way in the fight against Candidiasis. The main thing is not to get carried away and know when to stop.

A special diet against thrush and candidiasis should be adhered to for at least a month, ideally 3. Then you can gradually begin to return cereals, cereals and legumes. They must be soaked or germinated in advance.

Treatment of Thrush and Candidiasis is not easy and takes time. Antifungal medications will only provide temporary relief of symptoms, but will not help with the cause itself.It is best to use natural supplements that are much more effective in treating thrush and candidiasis without disturbing the microflora or causing other side effects.

I have already written about my adventure with the Milkmaid here and here. With the help of an integrated approach, I overcame the Thrush and forgot about its existence for a very long time.

Do you have a special diet for thrush and candidiasis?

Share “Diet for Thrush and Candidiasis”

(Visited 24 482 times, 1 visits today)

Share link:

Similar

Diet For Intestinal And Oral Cavity Candidiasis – Telegraph