The Fungus Among Us
As with everything in life, it is very important to look at the symbolism of what lies in front of you. In the practice of retail pharmacy it is quite easy to notice certain trends and habits of prescribing. Over the last few years the prescribing of anti-yeast/fungal medications has increased dramatically. I believe this is due to the number of newer antifungal products that are now on the market as well as an enormous increase of yeast driven infections. The most common strain of yeast that causes a need for medical intervention is Candida Albicans.
Even though yeast infections have been recognized for a long time, they were never much of a concern to the medical community until after the 1940’s. The 1940’s were a very pivotal point in medicine with the introduction of the antibiotic penicillin. At first, penicillin seemed to be a magic bullet, treating infections that often led to debilitating conditions and even death. Pharmaceutical financial interests then began to peak, and along with the ever growing time and stress oriented society, inappropriate prescribing techniques became more common. This has continued a cycle of developing broader antibiotics at ever escalating financial rates. Resistance issues towards antibiotics then emerged.
The prescribing and use oral contraceptives and immune suppressive treatments such as corticosteroids have played an integral role in the growth yeast based infections as well. The end result today, billions of dollars later, include missed diagnosis’s, weakened immune systems, and in what we will be looking at in this article, the explosion of a yeast laden society.
I believe yeast or fungal overgrowth is much more prevalent than most health professionals and general population realize. Having a problem with yeast overgrowth is not the sole problem of those with jock or vaginal infections, infections of the skin and nails, or even oral thrush. Over growth of yeast can impact basically all systems of the body. For this reason, symptoms of a yeast or fungal burden can present as digestive issues, issues with concentration, lack of energy, chronic fatigue, weight gain, ADD, Autism, and much more.
So what are the reasons for such an overgrowth of yeast in this society? Not just over the past few years, but over the past few months, I have been noticing a tremendous increase in antifungal medications being prescribed to both men and women. One of the most common of these medications goes by the trade name Diflucan, or its recent generic release, fluconazole. So why such an increase over the past few months? I believe we have to look at this on a few different levels.
We are in the summer season here in the northern hemisphere. As with many regions of the northern hemisphere, the summer season brings an increase in humidity. During these seasons people begin spending more time outdoors as well as in the water. Moisture bring rise to yeasts and funguses. As I have noticed the mushrooms popping up in my lawn I have noticed a larger amount of people coming in for medications to treat yeast and fungal infections. This is an important realization of how we integrally relate within our environment.
Another insult to our systems that breeds the growth of yeast is heavy metal toxicity, mainly mercury. When mercury enters the body, yeast acts to protect the body and begins to replicate to encompass the mercury. The more mercury, the more yeast. We know some of the main exposures to mercury such as preservatives in vaccines, and amalgam dental fillings. Mercury toxicity can possibly be the sole reason for reocurring yeast infections. Infection gets cleared, though even with a healthy diet, candida keeps growing and proliferating to protect the body from yeast.
Looking at this environmental issue a little deeper is the problem with molds in houses. This has gained much attention over the last decade or more. Could this be a direct relation to what we notice in our environment, from toxic insults, and an area that we have not spoke of yet, diet? Remember our outer worlds reflect our inner worlds; we are the micro of the macro.
Now let’s look at diet, for I believe in the case of yeast, an unhealthy diet can be public enemy number one. Signs and symptoms of such a diet might include cravings for white flour food products and sweets. We must look at what feeds the yeast and allows it to grow. Then we must remove these substances form our diets, thus starving the yeast. Often in the case of yeast, one of the main culprits is sugar. We can go on and on about the health consequences of refined sugars and carbohydrates, but to keep it simple, sugars feed yeast. Yeast thrives on sugar, it’s like a Las Vegas all you can eat buffet. Other agents that yeast can thrive off of are fermented foods. Foods such as beer, wine, cheeses (especially hard cheeses), fruits and fruit juices, vinegar, yeast risen breads and more. I understand that we have to be practical. The amount of foods that can feed yeast is almost incomprehensible, so I must say moderation in moderation. If you have a known ecology that is overburden by yeast, you will want to take such conscious measures in altering your diet to let the yeast die off. One must be warned of a yeast die off reaction. This can often cause feelings of ill health such as headaches, malaise, and body aches. This can last from a few days to a week.
It is important, as with any ill health condition, to look at the gut. Supplementing with beneficial bacteria, such as acidophilus to clean up the gut and create a healthy self preserving environment will be of great benefit. A diet rich in fresh, whole foods such as vegetables and organic meats is important. There are a number of nutraceuticals that can be used successfully in a yeast eradication program as well as a number of supplements recommended to protect the body if the more powerful pharmaceutical agents are used.
Successful natural ingredients include Cats Claw, Caprylic Acid, Grape Fruit Seed extract, Aloe Vera, Garlic and Olive Leaf. For this I recommend a consultation with a qualified health care professional to optimally guide the patient towards balanced health. Such a practitioner will know the proper tests to identify the presence of yeast as well. If someone was to go the root of pharmaceutical agents we must look to protect the liver, for most of these products can be offensive to the organ. Supplementing with alpha lipoic acid and milk thistle can be of benefit here.