Candidiasis - Candida Albicans

"Candidiasis" they call it. Candida albicans is a bacterium found in everbody's gut. Normally, it does no harm, being kept in check by the beneficial bacteria that are supposed to inhabit there to help normal digestion - the whole spectrum of acidophilus bacilli.

But modern lifestyles are changing all of this, and people need to be more aware of this insidious internal enemy. Anyone who finds thamselves suffering chronic tiredness, allergies, PMS, menstrual problems, sensitivity to perfume, tobacco smoke or chemicals should think very carefully whether they have taken antibiotics or any of a number of pharmaceutical treatments (see below).

Antibiotics are indiscriminate in targeting and the good bacteria in the gut are killed off as effectively as the baddies. Unfortunately, the baddies like Candida seem to regrow more quickly than the goodies, and there the problem begins. The contraceptive pill, other hormones, cortisones, mercury amalgams, chemical poisoning and hormonal changes have also been implicated - and, of course, the problem itself has been and still is being totally denied by certain areas of the medical industry.

Bear in mind: the pharmaceutical companies will go to any lengths to clear the names of their products. I can only say that in my case, a perfectly healthy young teenager's life was altered drastically by one - albeit large - antibiotic treatment.

Another change that can work in favour of Candida is if the vital acid/alkaline balance in the body is upset - too much acid, and Candida starts to flourish. Most of our diets in the present day predispose us to acid rather than alkaline. Our immune systems are more and more being compromised by inadequate diets, chemicals in our food and our environment, and modern stresses, so they are more easily overcome by yet another threat on top of all the rest.

Do not look upon Candida as simply "the good old thrush problem". It's a lot more than that. If Candida gets the balance of power within your gut, then being a fungus, given time it will lay down its roots and infiltrate your system as a whole, and it can gradually penetrate throughout the body, infiltrating the tissues and body organs. It also starts to alter the body's acid/alkaline balance, tipping the balance even further. It compromises the immune system, and it also produces toxins which affect the body's operations. Once things reach this stage, the host can find they are faced with a mass of symptoms - tiredness, irritability, mood swings, exhaustion, digestive problems, gut problems, bloating, headaches, PMT, period problems, chronic fatigue syndrome, ME.....and the list goes on.

It is not a good scene. Think of a field full of mushrooms or toadstools. These are the fruiting bodies of the fungus. Pick one, and you will see the white filamentous roots that are part of the huge underground root system the mushrooms or toadstools come from. That is what the systemic Candida sufferer is up against.