Candida albicans is a yeast-like fungus that normally lives in healthy balance in the body. It is found mostly in the intestines, genital tract, mouth, and throat. When the balance is upset, overgrowth results. This is known as Candidiasis and the fungus travels to all parts of the body through the bloodstream. It affects both women and men. In the mouth, it is called thrush; in the vagina, it is called vaginitis (yeast infection).*
Symptoms: New allergies to foods, fatigue, poor digestion, gas, heartburn, sugar cravings, irritability, frequent headaches, poor memory, “fogged in” feeling, dizziness, recurring depression, vaginal infections, menstrual difficulties, prostatitis, urinary tract infections, hay fever, postnasal drip, habitual coughing, catch colds easily, sore throat, athlete’s foot, skin rash, psoriasis, cold extremities, arthritis-like symptoms.
Enzymes may help with this overgrowth.* There are three reasons why:
1) In individuals with Candida overgrowth there is often a large amount of undigested fiber in the large intestine. It is believed that the mucus that the body naturally produces due to the difficulty of digesting this fiber (cellulose) may protect the Candida from our body’s natural overgrowth prevention mechanisms. Cellulase is the enzyme that breaks down fiber. It is also the only digestive enzyme our body does not make. By adding cellulase to the diet this fiber can be removed along with inappropriate mucus and our body is able to achieve balance.
2) Fungi (Candida) is a group of organisms formerly regarded as plants lacking chlorophyll. They can either exist as single cells or make up a multi-cellular body called a mycelium, which consists of filaments known as hyphae. The cell contains some fungal cellulose or a compound called chitin. Chitin is a polysaccharide, or carbohydrate, which is structurally very similar to cellulose. For the same reasons cellulase may help remove undigested fiber in the colon, it has been used in breaking down this “cellulose-like” chitin.*
3) The inside of the cell of yeast is mostly protein. The enzyme protease has the ability to hydrolyze (digest) protein managing yeast overgrowth . Protease has been used in clinics all over the world to break down this fungus and prevent its overgrowth.