What is Candida and What Causes It?
Candida is a short name used to describe Candida Albicans, which is yeast or fungus overgrowing in the body. It mainly occurs in mucus membranes, i.e. mouth, throat, esophagus, stomach, intestines, ears, eyes, genitals, bladder, etc.) but it can also occur on the skin and hair and also around nails.
However, candida is not the only kind of fungus created in the body, because there are many other kinds of funguses that can be created in many areas of the body, as needed, in order to clean up toxins. Examples include:
- Aspergillosis is the name given when aspergillus fungi is created in the body, which can occur in the lungs, ears, and sinuses.
- Cryptococcosis is the name given when cryptococcus neoformans, cryptococcus gattii or cryptococcus grubii funguses are created in the body, which can occur in wounds or on the skin, in the lungs and in the brain.
- Histoplasmosis is the name given when histoplasma capsulatum fungus is created in the body, which mainly occurs in the lungs.
- Paracoccidioidomycosis is the name given when paracoccidioidal brasiliensis fungus is created in the body, which can occur in mucous membranes, lymph nodes, bone and lungs.
The technical term for candida/yeast overgrowth is "candidiasis," which means "an overgrowth of candida albicans in the body." Candida albicans is a single–celled fungus that belongs to the vegetable kingdom, similar to their "cousins" the molds that occur in foods and Nature. Most cancers derive from a fungus!
The "True" Causes of Candida/Fungus
Therefore, the "true" cause of candida makes more sense, since the body itself creates candida/yeast in order to clean itself up, help heal damaged areas by getting rid of, changing, or neutralizing toxins and poisons that are damaging. This happens within each person's body independent of anyone else or any outside influences or sources, which also disproves the "claim" that candida or other bugs are contagious!
It is like the manure pile and the flies, with the manure pile representing the poor condition of the body, and the flies representing bacteria, candida/fungus or cancer. The only way to get rid of the flies is to clean up the manure pile, i.e. improve the condition and health of the body so it is able to detoxify and heal itself like it should. The manure pile does not go away by killing off the flies, and killing bacteria, candida or cancer that are created by our own bodies does not improve the condition of our bodies. Your body will continue creating them as long as they are needed.
Therefore, bacteria, candida, and even cancer are the "result" of the poor condition of the body,, i.e. poor health, and not the "cause." of it. This is also true of any other health issues and diseases. All diseases, symptoms, illnesses, degeneration, malfunctioning organs, etc. are the "result," and not the "cause" of poor health. Think about it: How can a disease, illness, symptom, malfunctioning organ, etc. cause itself? The poor condition of the body is the reason for all failing health, including candida and cancer.
False Information About Die–Off Symptoms & Herxheimer Reactions
The term "die-off symptoms" is commonly used to describe symptoms and reactions that occur when large numbers of candida/fungi, viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens [viruses, bacteria, etc. that cause disease] are killed off in the body, releasing a lot of toxins into the system at one time by antibiotics or antifungals, etc.
Such symptoms are described as "flu-like", the feeling that one gets when parasites, fungi, bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens are killed in the body and being cleaned out of the body. These "flu-like" symptoms are also cleansing (detoxing) reactions, caused by the body isolating and getting rid of toxins.
These symptoms include increased mucus secretions in all mucus membranes (nose, throat, sinuses, lungs, vagina, intestines, etc.) and muscle or joint aches and pains, headaches, brain fog, digestion disturbances and so on. It's like that "bad all over feeling" you had during a bout with the flu.
Such die-off symptoms are "Herxheimer reactions," also called Herx reactions. However, die-off symptoms and "Herxheimer reactions" "assume" that the Germ Theory of Disease is true, so the medical field had to fabricate (make up) such terms in order to make us believe antibiotics were actually killing off bacteria, however, that isn't at all true!
The term "Herxheimer reaction" was fabricated by Karl Herxheimer (1861-1942) and Adolf Jarisch (1850-1902), also known as the "Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction." The reason the term was created was in order to describe what occurs when large quantities of toxins are released into the body as viruses, bacteria, candida, etc. die-off when treated by antibiotics or antifungal drugs, antifungals, etc. that "supposedly" kills them off.
"They claim" antibiotics cause bugs to die, i.e. be killed off, which causes bugs to release large numbers of toxins faster than the body can remove the toxins by natural detoxification processes. They also say: "Such reactions includes fever, chills, headache, muscle pain, cold-like and flu-like symptoms with increased mucus, and an increase in skin rashes and eruptions." But note this! They also say "The intensity of the reaction reflects the intensity of inflammation present." NOTE: That statement is your biggest clue to the truth! Of course the medical field "had to dream up" something that explains such adverse reactions to antibiotics!
The Truth About Die-Off Symptoms & Herxheimer Reactions
The truth is that die–off symptoms and Herxheimer Reactions are not caused by bugs being killed off or dying. What is actually happening in the body is in the statement above, i.e. "The intensity of the reaction reflects the intensity of inflammation present." The fact IS that inflammation is a natural immune system reaction to the presence of toxins, and antibiotics and antifungal drugs are toxic/poisonous to the body! Therefore, any symptoms and reactions are caused by the body itself, which is evidence it is working trying hard to detoxify antibiotic toxins.
Such symptoms and reactions are "NOT caused" by killing off bugs at all. They are created by the body in response to toxins/poisons like it reacts to any kinds of toxins or poisons, therefore such reactions are because of being poisoned!
The body creates symptoms and reactions (inflammation) in response to all toxins/poisons, i.e. drugs, over-the-counter medicines, vaccines, mercury fillings in teeth, heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides, and chemicals in foods, personal care and cleaning products, etc. In other words, the body works hard at minimizing the damage caused by toxins/poisons such as antibiotics and other drugs by creating inflammation and other immune responses in order to get rid of the poison. However, our governments allow big businesses (medical, drug, food, agricultural, etc.) to poison people legally by allowing toxins and poisons to be used!
All "Good" Bacteria Are Not Friendly!
Bacteria are created everywhere in Nature, just like they are created in our bodies and all other bodies, plants, soil, etc. on Earth. One of the purposes of bacteria is to ferment (break down) and change substances, like bacteria and bugs occur in a compost pile that contains decayed and rotting vegetable matter, leaves, and other organic substances, that are changed into black nutrient–rich soil. Other examples of bacterial fermentation are in the making of cheese, yogurt, beer, wine, alcoholic beverages, etc.
One of the most common probiotic supplements is called Lactobacillus Acidophilus (L. Acidophilus), which is one of the "supposedly" good bacteria in the body. However, L. Acidophilus is one of the bacteria created in the mouth that causes Dental Plaque to build up. Dental plaque is what we are trying to brush off of our teeth and it causes Dental Caries (tooth decay/cavities), gum disease such as Gingivitis and Periodontal Disease, etc. Acids produced by bacteria in the mouth break down, or demineralize, enamel, dentin, and cementum (similar to bone, which covers roots). So the question is, how can L. Acidophilus be called "good bacteria" when it causes such damage?
The major clue to problems with probiotics is in Dr. Weston A. Price's book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration. Dr. Price was a very precise researcher, who did careful testing of saliva from people's mouths (before and after providing healthy nutrition), took x–rays, counted cavities, measured the depth of cavities, etc., along with testing food samples for their nutrient content from diets of isolated people throughout the World that he researched. In fact he tested over 20,000 saliva samples in his laboratory in Cleveland, Ohio.
Dr. Weston A. Price (1870-1948) was a Cleveland dentist, who decided to embark on a series of unique investigations that would engage his attention and energies for the next ten years. Price was disturbed by what he found when he looked into the mouths of his patients. Rarely did an examination of an adult client reveal anything but rampant decay, often accompanied by serious problems elsewhere in the body such as arthritis, osteoporosis, diabetes, intestinal complaints and chronic fatigue. (They called it neurasthenia in Price's day.) Here's more information about Dr. Weston A. Price and his work.
But it was the dentition of younger patients that gave him most cause for concern. He observed that crowded, crooked teeth were becoming more and more common, along with what Price called "facial deformities"—overbites, narrowed faces, underdevelopment of the nose, lack of well-defined cheekbones and pinched nostrils. Such children invariably suffered from one or more complaints that sound all too familiar to mothers of the 1990s: frequent infections, allergies, anemia, asthma, poor vision, lack of coordination, fatigue and behavioral problems. Price did not believe that such "physical degeneration" was God's plan for mankind. He was rather inclined to believe that the creator intended physical perfection for all human beings, and that children should grow up free of ailments.
Dr. Price's book documents his 10 year journey to many isolated groups throughout the World which includes many photographs. Chapters 1-21 of Dr. Weston A. Price's book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration are available online, but you can buy his complete book at Amazon.com—choose the correct country.
On page 432 Dr. Price writes about a girl who had 42 cavities and was put on a nutritious diet, along with 1/2 teaspoon of a high vitamin A butter oil mixed with 1/2 teaspoon of a very high–vitamin cod liver oil. Dr. Price writes: "Important light is thrown on this case by both the chemical analysis of the saliva and the bacterial count. The inorganic phosphorus (a mineral found in meats and eggs) of the saliva . . . was changed from +19.1 to -29.5. The bacterial count change for L. acidophilous was from 680,000 to none." [Note: In a previous paragraph he explains that phosphorus needed for teeth and bones "is higher" in the saliva of people with cavities and who have poor health.]
Dr. Price's change in nutrition included an increase in activator X (research at the Weston A. Price Foundation found activator X is vitamin K2, a fatty acid), vitamin A, a reduction in carbohydrates, and an increase in mineral-providing foods. Before the change in nutrition, when tooth decay was considered active, L. acidophilous averaged 323,000 colonies per cubic centimeter of saliva, and after treatment, it averaged 15,000. Note: L. stands for lactobacillus.
On page 436, Figure 139, he illustrates six typical cases under influence of a reinforced diet, when inorganic phosphorus [a mineral found in meats and eggs] factor changes from an average of +11.5 to -13.9 and L. acidophilous count fell from 323,000 to 15,000.
Dr. Price's information begs the question: If good bacteria, like L. acidophilous, are so important for health then why do people who get proper nutrition as Dr. Price provided, have less L. acidophilous? That means we need to question the role that "supposedly" friendly bacteria play in the body, and how and why the body creates such bacteria.
Many references state that L. acidophilous is a lactic acid producing bacteria that causes tooth decay, and mouth and gum diseases. Please note that the acidic form of lactate, lactic acid, cannot be formed under normal circumstances in human tissues. That makes one wonder whether "so–called" friendly bacteria, like L. acidophilous, are created by the body, just like it creates viruses, bacteria, candida/fungus, etc., in order to handle a non–optimal health condition.
Under conditions of "excess glucose" and "limited oxygen" the body needs lactic acid in its acidic form, in order to increase the body's production of hydrogen peroxide which is an oxgenating substance. Lactic acid bacteria is usually found in decomposing plants and lactic products, and it produces lactic acid as the major end–product of glucose/carb fermentation, which is the acidic form of lactic acid. Therefore friendly bacteria actually create an acidic environment.
This, in addition to the fact that a healthy small and large intestine are alkaline. Only the stomach is acid. When stomach acid increases enough it stops digestion of carbs which begins in the mouth, and it continues carb digestion in the small intestines. Stomach acid mainly digests protein.
The mouth produces enzymes that start digestion of carbs which can only work in an alkaline environment, so the mouth needs to be alkaline. When Dr. Price wrote that L. acidophilus was drastically lower in the mouth of people who were properly nourished it makes perfect sense. The mouth creates more mucus in order to minimize the damaging effects of substances like sugars/carbs and toxins on the teeth (hardened mucus is called plaque). Mucus contains bacteria, like Lactobacillus Acidophilus in order to break down such substances and it produces lactic and other acids that cause cavities, gum disease, etc.
As the food empties out of the stomach into the first part of the small intestines, called the duodenum, IF the pancreas detects the mixture contains enough fluids and stomach acid it is able to do its job. First the pancreas must make the mixture alkaline, so it pours lots of bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) onto the mixture. Then the pancreas produces digestive enzymes to digest protein, carbs and fats. Pancreatic enzymes only work on an alkaline mixture, just like enzymes in the mouth, therefore, doesn't it stand to reason that if the small and large intestines are not alkaline they are not able to digest foods like they should?
Some claim friendly bacteria found in the small and large intestines are acid–forming bacteria called lactobacteria, and include various species belonging to larger groupings named Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium and Streptococcus. The two most important species are considered to be Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidus. If that is true, such bacteria would make the small intestines acidic, which means all digestive enzymes produced by the pancreas and small intestines would be inactivated, so digestion would be very poor. Therefore the presence of such bacteria in the small and large intestines means poor digestion, similar to those bacteria in the mouth, which it means the person's overall health is very poor.
Fungus like candida (yeast) can grow in either an alkaline or acidic environment so that's why people can have candida/yeast in their mouth, in their stomach (which is acidic), in their intestines (which are alkaline), and also on their skin which is normally acidic.
Since probiotics in supplements or foods like yogurt or sauerkraut are mostly protein, and also contain carbs and fats, they would be digested the same way any other protein, fat and carbs are digested. That's why some companies make enteric coated capsules. An enteric coating is applied to oral medication that controls where it will be absorbed in the digestive system. Enteric refers to the small intestine, therefore enteric coatings prevent release of medication before it reaches the small intestine.
Most enteric coatings do not break down in the highly acidic environment of the stomach, but they rapidly break down in the alkaline environment in the small intestine. Materials used for enteric coatings include fatty acids, waxes, shellac, plastics, and plant fibers. Fatty acids are digested in the small intestines, while waxes, shellac, plastic, and plant fibers would arrive at the large intestines as undigestible materials.
However, the small intestines does not require bacteria in order to digest protein, fat and carbs, since it produces many powerful digestive enzymes for that purpose. Very little is left of foods at the end of the small intestine, which mainly consists of undigestible carb fibers, undigestible sugars, residues of secretions, dead cells (the intestinal lining regenerates itself every 4–5 days, so there's a lot of dead cells), and water.
The human digestive system is incapable of breaking down fibers, which are the cell walls of all plant foods, like animals who are designed to consume plant foods, called herbivores. Herbivores like cows and sheep have teeth for grinding up plant foods, and digestive systems containing billions of bacteria, fungus and bugs that break down plant cell walls (cellulose) releasing the nutrients inside. That's why herbivores produce a lot of gas, and since they consume only carbs/sugars they are fat and bloated. For more details see Comparison Between the Digestive Tracts of a Carnivore, a Herbivore and Man.
If humans consume raw plant foods they arrive at the end of the small intestines undigested. This forces the large intestines to create bacteria, fungus, etc. in order to break them down. Bacteria, fungus and other bugs produce digestive enzymes capable of breaking down fibres, undigestible sugars, and other undigestible materials. Fungus like candida are also capable of changing heavy metals into less toxic substances so they are less damaging. This means the colon is changed into a fermentation chamber that creates a lot of gas, bloating, and many other digestive problems and diseases.
It is well–known that inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Crohn's Disease (inflammation and diarrhea of the large intestines), etc. are because the intestines has more mucus, called biofilms, created by micro–organisms, including bacteria and yeast/fungi, just like bioflims are formed in other areas of the body, and in Nature. Fermentation also makes the large intestines acidic, when it is needs to be alkaline so it can perform its many important functions.
The large intestines is where probiotics are "supposedly" needed. However, it is highly unlikely probiotics could arrive intact and unchanged though the stomach and 24 feet of small intestines in order to populate the large intestines with live active bacteria. If the enteric coated capsule arrives in the large intestines intact it will be an undigestible material, which means bacteria, parasites or fungus/candida must be created in order to break it down. Each kind of bacteria and fungus produces different kinds of digestive enzymes that break down different kinds of undigestible materials.
The main functions of the large intestines are to absorb water from the remaining indigestible food matter, to break down undigestible material, and to pass useless waste material from the body. The intestinal lining regenerates itself every 4–5 days so stools will contain a lot of dead cells, including dead cells sent to the large intestines from other areas of the body.
The literature is loaded with information that the small and large intestines "supposedly" have "good bacteria" which are healthy. If that were true then those good bacteria would make the intestines acidic, which interferes with digestion instead of aiding it. Like the mouth, such "good bacteria" in the intestines is a sign of poor health due to an excess of glucose (sugar), lack of oxygen and mostly because of indigestible carbs (plant foods) that humans are not able to digest.
Therefore, it is only logical that "good bacteria" (probiotics) are created by the body when they are necessary, just like it create bacteria, parasites, fungus like candida (yeast), etc. in order to clean itself up of toxins. That idea is totally foreign to people today who do not understand that The Germ Theory of Disease is False. There is also evidence that some people have no probiotics in their intestines and that humans survive very well without any gut bacteria.
The bottom line is, that our bodies are smart enough to balance out all nutrients, hormones, water, etc. levels if we treat them according to Nature's Laws on Health and support our health with proper nutrition and eliminate toxins and damaging foods. Our bodies are also smart enough to create any probiotics, i.e. "good bacteria" when, and "if," they are needed.
Lack of Good Bacteria Does Not Cause Candida!
Most information on candida states that candida only starts overgrowing when "good bacteria," called probiotics, in the body are wiped out by antibiotics, which room for allows candida to take over. However that is not true! Antibiotics are toxic/poisonous, and just like any other toxins, including drugs, mercury in dental fillings, chemicals added to foods, chemical fertilizers, etc. they are damaging to human health. When toxins are present the body must defend itself by minimizing their effects, and it does this by creating mucus and bugs (bacteria, candida/fungus, cancer, etc.) in order to eliminate and/or change them into less toxic substances.
Bugs do this just like they do everywhere in Nature, i.e. by consuming toxins, neutralizing them (make them less toxic), and by changing them into less toxic substances that can be eliminated. If antibiotics "do in fact kill off good bacteria," it stands to reason any toxins also kill off good bacteria. However, killing off good bacteria is not the "cause", toxins are the "cause."
The body's first response to toxins is to create substances to neutralize (make toxins less toxic) and to eliminate them. The medical community calls this response viruses. However viruses are not actually bugs, like the medical field tries to make us believe. Viruses are actually substances created by the body itself in order to neutralize and eliminate toxins. However medical treatments (drugs, antibiotics, surgery, etc.) are all based upon The Germ Theory of Disease, that germs, viruses, bacteria, fungus and cancer "cause" diseases, which is not at all true, since toxins and the poor condition of the body cause diseases.
When the initial reactions by the body are not able to clean up the toxins, then it creates bacteria as explained above. When bacteria are not able to clean up the toxins, the bacteria change into a fungus/candida. When the fungus/candida are not able to clean up, they change into cancer. That is how the downward spiral of disease starts by having colds, flu, and other illnesses treated with toxins/poisons such as drugs, medicines and antibiotics, because bacteria must be created by the body in order to handle such toxic (poisonous) treatments! That is why people who have candida started by having a "supposed" virus (cold, flu, etc.), and then had a bacterial infection which changed into a fungus.
The Germ Theory of Disease states that we "catch" all bugs. However, "IF that were true" we would ALL have ALL of the bugs ALL of the time because they are everywhere! That means life on Earth could not have happened! We would also never be able to get over a cold, flu, or any other disease where bugs are present, since we would constantly be re–infecting ourselves.
The Body Itself Creates All Bugs as Needed
This is what Antonie Bechamp (1816-1908) writes in his book on pleomorphism The Third Element of The Blood:
Page 1: "As a blood smear slide ages over one to two days, organisms literally can be seen wiggling out of the red blood cells, organisms that change into more degenerate and pathological forms as the process proceeds.
When the rotting or putrefaction process is over, when there is nothing more for the newly formed viruses, bacteria and fungi to eat, they all break apart again, disappear, and turn back into the "little dots" they came from, called microzymas. They eat themselves and are reborn . . ."
Note: Other researchers independently discovered those same organisms in the cells, and called them different names. Gunther Enderlein called them protits, and Gaston Naessens called them somatids.
Page 2: "It is only in illness that they [bugs] become agents of fermentation. The waste or byproducts of these bacteria and other organisms are alcohol, CO2 lactic acid, vinegar, etc. that are produced in such processes."
Page 3: "Mycrozymas isolated from a mammoth frozen more than 50,000 years ago were shown to spontaneously show life again and begin fermentation in sugar solutions. . . . the internal milieu, . . . determines what form the mycrozymas take, i.e. whether they are good guys or not so good. The 'good guys' turn into the cells that regenerate the body, organ specific mycrozymas. The not so good guys are the protits that go in the direction of fermentation and putrefaction."
Page 5: "The essential biological characteristics of the microzymas is that they are creators of cellules (cells) by synthesis and of virioniens (viruses, bacteria, fungi) by pleomorphism."
Synthesis means a combination of two or more things that together form something new.
Pleomorphism means the ability of bacteria to change their shape dramatically or to exist in a number of forms, i.e. changing from a virus into bacteria, and changing of bacteria into fungus."
This and many other similar references are evidence that probiotic supplements are not healthy, and it is unmistakable, since probiotics are only formed by the body under certain conditions. Those conditions are mainly due to: 1) undigested fibers (intact cell walls of all plant foods, i.e. carbs) that humans are incapable of digesting, 2) injury, and 3) toxins.
Animals like cows and sheep, who are herbivores (consume only plant foods), have digestive systems that contain billions of bacteria and protozoa (one-celled animals) which breaks down (digests) the cellulose cell walls into cellobiose to begin the process of releasing the nutrients inside. That's why herbivores produce lots of gas, and because they consume only carbs (plant foods) they are fat, bloated and produce a lot of gas. For more details see Comparison Between the Digestive Tracts of a Carnivore, a Herbivore and Man, Introduction.
Candida Is "Not" Contagious
Therefore, germs, viruses, bacteria, candida/fungus, and even cancer cannot be contagious. That is because they are created in an unhealthy body in order to clean itself up of toxins and damaging substances. That's why it is not possible to "catch" them from any outside source or from another person, anymore than you can catch someone else's nutrient imbalances or their broken finger.
In The Third Element of The Blood, Antonie Bechamp writes: "It is the same with animals. It is not the inoculated organisms which multiply, but their presence and the liquid which saturates them causes a change in the surrounding medium which enables the normal microzymas of the organism to evolve in a diseased manner, either reaching or not reaching the state of a bacterium. The disease is not the consequence of the new mode of being of the normal microzymas; the fever which ensues is only the result of this new method of functioning and of the effort of the organism to rid itself of the products of an abnormal fermentation and disassimilation, while inducing a return of the diseased microzymas to the physiological condition.
Ref: http://www.healingnaturallybybee.com/articles/intro2.php