Yeast
There has been much mention about yeast and it’s effects on the body. Yeast of course is a type of infection that is fungal in nature that can very noticeably affect the skin, vaginal tract, and throat. It can also be present, much less obviously, in the blood and other tissues throughout the body. Having it can cause a wide variety of symptoms. Books have been written relating yeast to chronic fatigue syndrome. Candida, the scientific name for a particular strain of yeast is sometimes used interchangeably with yeast infection, especially when it is inside the body.
Just as bacteria is normally found in the intestines, yeast is also normally found in the intestines. Just as you can have bad bacteria in your intestines you can have bad yeast in your intestines. Often times people take good bacteria in the form of probiotics such as acidophilus if they feel they have yeast in the gut to out-compete the yeast and make it go away. Sometimes it helps. It actually makes more sense to take the good yeast such as Standard Process Lactic Acid Yeast to out-compete the bad yeast. Often when a yeast battles a bacteria, the yeast wins. It’s what antibiotics such as penicillin are based on (penicillin comes from yeast).
Yeast tends to like the mucous membranes of the body like the lungs and throat and vaginal areas but it can land in and persist in most any tissue if it is weak enough. Yeast doesn’t respond well to antibiotics: in fact antibiotics make it worse. People can develop a black “hairy” looking tongue from taking too many antibiotics which kill the bacteria but let the yeast grow rampant.
In my clinical experience I have found that most people with chronic yeast problems have sub-clinical kidney problems. By this I mean that the kidneys aren’t bad enough to show on most standard kidney tests yet they aren’t doing their job of regulating the minerals and acid/base balance well enough to keep the yeast out of the tissues. Yeast is very sensitive to acid/base balance. If this is off in the body, yeast will bloom. It is also sensitive to calcium. This may also be related to acid/base balance because calcium bicarbonate is one of the body’s acid/base buffers in the blood. It may be because the body’s immune system requires calcium to function correctly. Regardless, if the kidneys aren’t functioning up to par, calcium is one of the minerals lost in the urine, so this may go back to kidneys also. Women use extra calcium during their period which is one of the reasons many women get cramps. A shortage of calcium can cause cramps. It also can allow yeast to grow complete with associated yeast toxins. Some headaches and other menstrual cycle complaints may be connected with yeast. Yeast is notorious for making a lot of debris when it dies. This toxic debris is one of the main reasons it is linked to chronic fatigue. It can clog up the lymph system easily and cause swelling. If it gets in the ears it can make them itch and if it gets really bad it can cause pressure and pain. Prostates can have yeast infection, pancreases can have yeast infection, most anything that can have any other type of infection can have a yeast infection, even nerves. Yeast infection in breast tissue is often the culprit behind fibroids.
To handle yeast you need to strengthen the immune system so that it can rid the body of it. Because of the debris that is created when yeast dies you also need to provide lymphatic system support. You may also need to handle what is specifically weakening the tissues that are affected by yeast. This could be a chemical or heavy metal toxin that is affecting the area for example. Additionally, you usually need to address the calcium metabolism and the kidneys to keep the infection from returning.
Dietary change may be very helpful and is sometimes necessary to handle chronic yeast. If you can picture foods that grow mold easily when left unrefrigerated (jams, sugar items, bread) it’s probably not a good idea to eat them if you’re trying to kick out yeast. Several Candida or yeast diets are in circulation. Most are extremely restrictive and over generalize. Some for instance say not to eat anything that contains yeast or a fungus like mushrooms. Mushrooms are actually high in Vitamin C and certain types are actually good for killing yeast. I’ve found that if you fix the kidneys and strengthen the immune system you can eat a far broader range of foods and still not be plagued with yeast. Yeast has a reputation for being difficult. This is in part due to the fact of people trying to directly kill yeast or starve yeast without actually handling the underlying factors that allow the yeast to keep coming back. CEMT takes this to the next level and allows you to target these underlying factors so that chronic yeast and it’s associated fatigue and symptoms have no foundation to exist upon. If you have been plagued with yeast or fatigue and wish to see what CEMT can do call for an appointment.
Dr. David A. Murdock, D.C.
