Top 8 Natural Candida Remedies for Effective Relief

Hi Melissa,

It's been many years since you posted here, but I'd love to know if the diatomaceous earth worked to relieve you of the candida? Do you know if it was in the large or small intestine (the candida, I mean), or was it systemic?

Iodine may be your answer. Try googling iodine therapy for effective elimination of candida.

Candida always lives in the body. It is impossible to totally eliminate it, it must be brought into balance. There is no magic bullet but a synergetic effect can be achieved with a diet protocol like GAPS, an antiviral like MMS and an antifungal agent like grapefruit seed extract. Also very helpful is to re-colonize the gut with a wide range of probiotics from cultured vegetables, raw milk kefir and home brewed Kombucha. Once the Candida is in balance you will need to make it your mission to strengthen your immune system. A strong, healthy immune system will keep lifelong order and balance. One last note is to make sure you do not have parasites. A parasitic environment is perfect for Candida overgrowth. Good luck.

@Tinetine: As for prevention of Candida take 200mcg Chromium Picolinate 2x day and take Cinnamon caps 1 or 2 per day. These two nutrients combined will help your body convert glucose to energy and kill candida at the same time. If you have underlying issues you will need to do more aggressive treatments as listed here: https://www.earthclinic.com/cures/candida-diet-protocol.html.

Let us know of your progress.

Hi Tinetine... If you want to get rid of your candida you will have to employ more strategies than just a good diet. I think it is very difficult to cure candida by only using a healthy diet. What normally happens is that the diet can certainly sometimes improve your candida symptoms but, when you stop the diet, candida just comes roaring back in full force. This means that your diet has not got rid of your candida because it is able to hide away in biofilms in your body. So using just an anti-candida diet on its own will not cure you and get rid of all the candida from your body.

The reason you are feeling tired sick and tired all the time wth brain fog, lethargy is because of the steady accumulation of candida toxins or mycotoxins that are so characteristic of candida symptoms. Therefore you must neutralize and remove these toxins using molybdenum (or sodium molybdate), selenium, Alpha Lipoic Acid and Milk Thistle.

The strategy I use against candida is geared to be as antagonistic as possible to all its peculiar behaviours and employs:

* Wide-acting Anti-fungals and Antimicrobials
* Anti-biofilm protocols
* Alkalizing
* Essential Detox
* Liver and Kidney Support
* Vitamin and Minerals Support (Immune Support)
* Anti-Candida Diet

A full version of this anti-candida protocol is given here on Earthclinic.

And these tables actually quickly define the wide-acting beneficial effects of this anti-candida protocol.

Another good way to get rid of candida and other biofilms from the gut is to use protease enzymes like nattokinase or lumbrokinase enzymes (or bromealain or papain plant protease enzymes). These enzymes should be taken outside mealtimes and they act to quickly dissolve the candida biofilms in the intestines in order to totally expose candida and all other bacterial pathogens that are hiding in biofilms. Biofilms are made of fibrin and fibrin is a protein which is dissolved and removed using these enzymes. You must also take heavy metal detox at the same time because biofilm destruction always leads to a large release of heavy metals in the gut -- which must be neutralized using chlorella, EDTA or sodium thiosulfate etc. A candida killer(such as lugols iodine or borax) must also be employed to kill the exposed candida and other pathogens that are released when the biofilms are destroyed.

Another all-in-one efficient biofilm remover, candida killer and detoxer is turpentine(distilled gum sap of pine). Turpentine or pine oil is antifungal, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-mycoplasma and anti-parasitic. it doesn't get much better than that. And, strangely, turpentine does not kill beneficial gut bacteria.

I've been using pine oil or turpentine (Pinus sylvestris) for the last six months and can attest to its bowel cleansing and blood purifying properties. This oil also increases energy, don't know why.

When you initially start using turpentine, start small and go slow. Start with drops and take a week or more to work up to the one teaspoon dosage per day for candida. And if you already have candida -- you certainly will probably get a considerable Herx or die off effect so adjust dosages accordingly and be patient. If you take too much turpentine initially and too quickly, then you will probably get laxative effects. Take one teaspoon a day (consecutively) for no more than 10 days and then stop for 10 days. The maintenance dose for health is to take a teaspoon of turpentine only once or twice a week.I take turpentine in two ways -- one teaspoon of turpentine plus one teaspoon of molasses or raw honey mixed in the mouth with saliva and then chased down with a small amount of water. Take this just before meals so that it will be carried into the intestines with the food. This is a particularly good method for killing candida in the intestines. Or I just take one teaspoon of turpentine with a glass of water on an empty stomach -- where the turpentine gets quickly absorbed directly into the blood from the stomach with this method. This latter method is also better and more effective at curing other diseases outside the intestine and is a great way of purifying the blood.

There is also another option for you. There was also a woman who recently claimed a remarkable improvement from her own serious candida problems on EC -- she just drank pine needle tea three or four times a day which seemed to successfully resolve many of her own serious candida problems. Pine needle tea contains the same oils as pine oil or turpentine. And if you are living in a region with pine trees -- then it's a free cure -- all you need are the fresh pine needles to make the tea. You can also purchase this on the internet. Too make pine needle tea add two tablespoons of washed, chopped pine needles to a teapot of water that has just boiled. Steep for 10 minutes then just drink the tea.

Even I read that post regarding pine needle tea, but I could not find now. If EC can help thanks a lot.

Now I see why there are so many Pine Trees in north america or in Canada. Earth has its own balance of diseases and remedies, we just have to seek. In India, Turmeric, Garlic are ready available antibiotic. In African Continent, it can be different.

Also Candida is most prevalent in North America than Asia. Whereas in india ameobic and bacterial infection are more prevalent.

How to Make Pine Needle Tea - video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrSqva1Y9Bg

Good Health

Some years ago I made a strong tea from white cedar leaves and shortly thereafter felt quite faint and hallucinated - I had been laying on my bed reading a book aloud and felt sleepy so I closed my eyes briefly. When I woke up I'd been dreaming of listening to myself reading outloud the book I'd just been reading. So, be careful with your teas and your trees. The other day I found the following:

"Some tree's leaves will kill you. Some plants under stress change chemically and produce either Prussic or Nitric Acid. These acids act on the hemoglobin's ability to make oxygen available for use. In effect you suffocate. Often within minutes. A few years ago in Kentucky some horses ate fallen Maple leaves and died. The trees were in drought stress. Sorghum when it is stressed from cutting is not recommended for animal feed until it reaches a height of at least 18 or 24 inches. Corn plants for silage often react the same way. Both have killed a lot of mammals. Acorns with their tannic acid can make you ill if it's not leached out."

From: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081101203303AAztqnV

The following two websites are fascinating: http://www.mnwelldir.org/docs/detox/clean.htm (There is an order to cleanse.) and http://www.ericiswinning.com/regimen.html

I am going through a flush to get rid of candida myself, and am 50% better than I first started.

I eat veggies (nothing starchy), eggs, yogurt and lil bits of cheese. My breakfast is an omlette with different types of veggies and salsa for taste.

Once I omitted fruits and grains and other sugary items, I have been feeling much better but I still have some ways to go.

I also consume lots of raw garlic with food 3 times daily.

And I drink 2 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar in 8oz lukewarm water 3 time daily.

Hope you get better soon!

Foods You CAN Eat: Fiber, Fresh Vegetables, Lean Meat & Fish, Nuts & Seeds, Water, Whole Grains. For more details see the source link below:

Source: http://www.colonhealthadvice.com/candida-diet-guidelines.html

BEFORE BREAKFAST: 8 oz. Glass of lemon or lime water. BREAKFAST: Two apples (red or green)

MID-MORNING: Power drink ( 1 oz. Of Chlorophyll, 4 tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar, 2 oz. Of lemon, 4 oz of distilled water, 1/3 ground ginger powder, and grade B maple syrup. )

LUNCH: Fresh green salad with lemon/olive or flax oil. MID-AFTERNOON: Raw sticks of celery, other vegetable wedges. DINNER: Steamed vegetables or vegetable soup and a small bowl of millet, buckwheat, corn grits.

For more details, see the source link below:

Source: http://www.celestialhealing.net/candida_diet_plan.htm

Hi Sam... Yes, borax is needed against candida -- because it is the ultimate fungal killer and is not expensive. Just use the 20 Mule Team Borax easily found in the laundry isle of most US supermarkets -- dirt cheap. You will only ever use a quarter of a teaspoon of borax daily in a litre of water 4 or 5 days a week anyway. I still use it regularly.

Please tell me if the 20 Mule Team Borax is to be used internally? You may drink it to treat the Candida? Thank you for your response.

I wanted to chime in with my experience in changing my diet and adding several supplements on my fight to rid my body of candida. About a month ago I was educated about candida after going off of Cipro and realized it was the culprit for my problems (and in retrospect, I have probably been carrying this around for most of my life, since I was on antibiotics for years as a child and have always had a very compromised immune system. )

I decided to start by doing a basic gluten free and sugar free diet, since I am already dairy free it was quite restricted by default. After about a week I cut out all the other no-no foods as well. Problem is my boyfriend and I love the finer things, including wine and sushi and a whole lot of stuff I'm not supposed to eat... So for a couple weeks I've been in a cycle of being very disciplined and then splurging. Dumb, I know. But, the entire time since taking Cipro about a five weeks ago, I immediately implemented probiotics, garlic, oil of oregano, and vitamins A, E, and B complex, and I've also been taking coconut oil every day. I noticed a major difference in my energy levels and as far as my chronic anxiety and depression goes, it lifted majorly.

My boyfriend is out of town for a week so I've been gearing up and cleaning up my diet so that this week I could do some major cleansing. I switched probiotics to a better kind, started Ted's alkalizing baking soda/lemon mixture, and have only eaten raw kale, spinach, some raw almonds, and today avocado, for five days now (and will continue four more at minimum). I've been drinking huge amounts of water, and have added Milk Thistle and Tumeric into the mix as well. I will tell you what, I feel TERRIBLE, but I know it's just the candida die-off, and it proves how much I've been carrying around. Everything is achy, I am exhausted but not sleeping well, and have very short acute symptoms--I will have hives for literally about two minutes and then they disappear, I had a rash above my eye for 24 hours that disappeared as quickly as it came, I get itchy all over for a minute or two at a time and then it disappears, I am suddenly irritable and then back to normal. It's frustrating and I feel awful but I am taking heart in the fact that it is just a sign that it's working.

Tomorrow I plan to add Borax into the mix, which I am guessing will make me feel awful as well, but hopefully only in the short term. Looking back I am almost glad I slowly worked my way toward changing my diet and adding different supplements and probiotics, because if I would have done it cold turkey I probably would have been very ill. I can feel that my immune system is already struggling a lot to flush out all the toxins that are being released. Doing this slowly was good for me, although totally against my nature.
I hope this provides insight for someone here, and encouragement as well for those who feel like their diet or treatment isn't working because they feel worse. Keep going with it! I am really grateful for the information here and for those who have shared so much time and knowledge with us.

Google research,,Kelp (seaweed) has Iodine in it...it is natural, and if the body does not need it it will pass on. Hope this helps. Merryanne

I do not know if this will help,,but I am a diabetic my self so I have dietary challenges also...If you are fighting candida then it might help if you eat a low low carbohydrate diet. That might starve it out..I might be wrong I did not take time to research it,,but stop eating starchy foods, sweet fruits, no bread. for a few days eat meats, green vegtables a little cheese, no milk no juice. Try it for a few days,,,It certainly is not a diet to stay on,,but it might kill back the population or strength of the candida. Merryanne

Martin UK leads first because candida is very flexible stop and make cycles... 4 days garlic lot of, then stop 1 day. Then 4 days caprilic acid, oregano oil and in the middle east you can find plenty of antifungal herbs.. Now the most important is to protect your liver for die off chemicals of candida.. Take liver protection herbs milk thistle, artichoke, blessed thistle, akorus kalamus... dandelion, NAC(N-ACETYLOCYSTEINE), VIT B5, PINE BARK tea(you cant do it your own) and calendula tea...

There is much more but you must know it when to take ....

I am a candida-asthma suffer too.

Hello Mary, Part of the answer to the question you asked is: If the infection occurs following a round or two of antibiotics for infectious disease the most likely culprit is candida albicans, which normally is kept under control by the good guys who reside in our intestines, but run rampant when these good guys are killed off by those antibiotics for some other infection. The reason why diet is good for this infection is because candida loves the acid environment caused by lots of sugars and other sweets and dislikes the alkaline condition of a a better and more nutritious diet. When you read EC you will learn about alkalinizing your body to get rid of candida and other fungi/molds because they don't like the alkaline condition either.

Eating more nutritiously also makes your immune system healthier & stronger which makes it more likely that you won't need antibiotics for infections, because your immunne system is the hero in keeping you healthy. I was just reading on line recently about the effect that sugar has on your immue system - they knock out your white blood cells which are the ones that fight off the invaders that cause infectious disease.

The reason people Criticize the Atkins Diet is the emphasis on meat which is a major component in the acidity of westerners bodies. A high meat diet even with adequate carbohydrates (in their healthy form) is toxic. Which is why all natural health practitioners who treat Candida put their patients on a low meat protein High veg, fruit and whole grain diet. Also the meat industry notoriously puts profits before people and are a major cause of environmental destruction so it is actually conflicting information to promote a high meat diet and a people before profits message.

Historically humans have survived on whatever natural food was available and adapted. First problem; Refined grains falsely appeared cheaper to buy because refining increased the volume of food but decreased the nutritional value. Second problem; Then about 200 years ago someone learned how to refine sugar but the body has never learned how to handle the tremendous load of carbohydrates that flood directly into your bloodstream just like a drug. Third problem; Mix refined grains with refined sugar, and hey maybe add some yeast or milk, and what do you get?...You get the perfect food for yeasts, molds and fungus and a product that is not fit for human nutrition or consumption.

Dr. Atkins was a humanitarian cardiologist who came under attack in 1973 and was charged with fraud by the AMA and the FDA for suggesting to the public that our commercialized diets of refined carbohydrates was killing us with obesity, heart attacks and diabetes. He recommended cutting out sugars and refined starches to cure heart disease and he proposed that all major diseases have one thing in common and that is a "metabolic imbalance that causes carbohydrate intolerance".

In his book he opposed a diet predominantly composed of refined carbs and called our culture of "coke-cake-catsup-cookies-candy" a "killing culture". Atkins also wrote in his book that "candy bars and soft drinks should carry a warning on the package the same as on cigarette packages stating that the product could be dangerous to your health". The Rockefellers, Coke, Pepsi, Kellogg's etc. took offence to these statements and lobbied the gov. to charge Atkins with fraud in order to suppress and manipulate his information and went on a campaign to discredit his ideas. The vicious attack worked, most people still won't actually read the book for themselves but still feel they are qualified to criticise it based solely on the AMA's and FDA's propaganda.

Obesity and heart disease now affects over 35% of the population; some of our youngest generation will die before their parents and 40% of us will get cancer during our lives and yet the AMA refuses to relate the increasing rates of disease to our nutritionally depleted and toxic commercial diets.

Atkins was not rigid or dogmatic in his food recommendations as long as they where low carb. He recommended eggs, cheese, fish and shellfish in addition to lamb, veal, poultry and beef and those who have read the book would know that Atkins states in his book that the "best source of protein is EGGS". He also recommends that you eat mainly watery fruits and vegetables as opposed to starchy ones and even in his most restricted carb diet which is short term and intended to repair your metabolism he recommends using lemons.

Why was the Atkins diet really attacked? You might as well just ask yourself why America is the only advanced country in the world that does not have universal health care and why medical professionals are not trained in the bodies nutritional needs or detecting nutritional deficiencies. You might also ask yourself why the gov. has tried to ban the sale of vitamins and natural health products...could it be because it's just more profitable to keep you sick and keep you using dangerous and expensive Rx medications forever and lure you into falsely believing that commercial food products are safe and healthy.

Unfortunately, suggesting that people who are sick should focus on controversial environmental and political issues is too demanding when you understand that Candida can make life not worth living even if it doesn't kill you! Of course we should all try to reduce or eliminate our beef consumption just as we should our consumption of pollution and war fuelling oil/gas products and even those mislabelled 'friendly biofuels' that waste millions of acres of agricultural land. If you accept political/corporate explanations of global warming targeted at gaining your willingness if not your eagerness to pay billions in carbon taxes without examining the science then you are ignoring the reality of HAARP, the fact that Europeans have been attacking the northern ice shield with icebreakers for over 30 years in order to create a northern shipping channel, and that this winter 08/09 was the coldest one on record for over 30 years. The truth is that long term the earth is headed for another mini ice age cycle and political and corporate controls that only serve to manipulate and withhold information were designed for ensuring profits and raising taxes and make for extremely bad science. Just try to explain why our gov. is currently spending billions on bailing out car manufacturers who still insist on producing more gas guzzling environmentally polluting vehicles and bankers who have taken record profits and bonuses based on fraud.

The reality today is that about 97% of N. Americans are carnivorous and about 1% are strict vegans who use no animal products and about 2% are vegetarians who do not usually use animal products except for eggs, milk and cheese. Any vegan will find a low carb diet almost impossible unless he lives almost entirely on nuts but 'vegetarians' who eat animal products can easily substitute eggs or cheese for meat protein with full approval from Dr. Atkins. Many people including myself believe it's hypocritical for 'vegetarians' to condemn those who eat chicken or beef but feel it's perfectly acceptable to eat a chicken embryo and wear leather Birkenstocks. Vegans who are hostile, dogmatic and radical against all meat eaters or Atkins but have never even read his book also naively play very nicely into the secret agendas of the commercial food producers.

It is estimated that up to 80% of the population suffers from Candida related diseases and a low carb diet is absolutely necessary for a sustained recovery. There are many good low carb diets and the main point is to be aware of your consumption of carbs by getting a carb counter and then counting them. While the average N. American today consumes 200-300 grams of carbs per day, a low carb corrective diet should consist of from 10 to 50 grams per day depending on individual tolerance levels.

The Dr. Atkins diet can quickly and easily teach you how to stay on a low carb diet, for weight loss or carb restriction diets-but first you have to actually read the book!

After you have carbs under control, are feeling healthy and happy, maybe then you might like to investigate the vegan lifestyle. We can best heal ourselves and the world by developing an attitude of compassionate understanding that facilitates a genuine dialogue because real changes in our global perspective are never achieved by self serving attacks, self declared claims of moral superiority, criticism or nutritional dogmatic beliefs that only serve to create more confusion in the lives of millions of people who are already suffering.

Dr. Atkins exposed our commercialized diets as detrimental to our health in 1972 and his work has been consistently and repeatedly vindicated by over 20 independent scientific studies over the past four years from 2004-2008. The medical validity of the Atkins Diet has been proven by research out of Harvard, Duke University, the American Heart Association and the National Institutes of Health.

Dr. Atkins tried to warn Americans in 1973 that their diets are killing them and his book is much more than a diet book, it's an education you need to help you reclaim your health since it can quickly and easily teach 97% of you how to stay on a low carb diet which will help you lose your cravings for sugar, starch, alcohol and caffeine by restoring your normal carbohydrate metabolism; plus as a little bonus it is an effective diet for the prevention and treatment of heart disease, obesity and diabetes. If you'd like to find a natural cure and a simple treatment method to correct a "metabolic imbalance that causes carbohydrate intolerance" the Aitkins Diet can teach you how to stay on a low carb diet without suffering...but first you will have to open your mind and actually read the book!

That was right on target. I love the fact that you mentioned so many times "if you just read the book". I have talked to sooo many people over the years that claim to have read it and actually never did. What a funny thing to lie about. Anyway, I was a runner for about 10 years, started after I quit smoking in 1990. In the 90's of course, is when everything you heard was about how fat makes you fat. So, as long as it didn't contain any fat you could eat it and not have to worry. Pasta, bread, coke, potatoes, sugar, and on and on, the wonderful world of fat-free products was born. How many hours I spent reading labels in the grocyer learning how much fat was in what. Well, in about the year 1999 I came down with severe arthritis in one of my knees and after trying to nurse it back over a year the orthopedic told me I would have to give up running. In case you didn't know, telling a runner he can't run any more is pretty devastating. They did tell me I could find something else to do such as biking, walking, swimming, etc. I tried several different things and everything seemed to still bother my knee. So, I wasn't really getting much aerobic activity. For the first time in my life I started putting on some weight and I didn't like it. Keep in mind I am still eating the fat free lifestyle. A lot of pasta, bread, all that good starchy fat free stuff. I decided to try the Atkins diet. I worked with some rather large people at the time who had gone on it and had lost significant amounts of weight. So, I bought the Atkins book and read it from cover to cover. Absolutely the most boring thing I had ever read in my life, but I did read it. In the year 2000 I started keeping a daily journal of how much I weighed and what I ate. I went on a strict diet, using the atkins method and the weight started coming off. Keep in mind I am not a big person and had only put on maybe 15-20 pounds. But, if you are not a very big person that can be quite a bit of weight. Anyway, this many years later I have gone on it and gone off of it. It doesn't take long if I go off of it that I start putting on some unwanted pounds. If I start eating pasta, rice, potatoes and sweets I start putting the weight back on again. In a couple of months probably 15 or so pounds. And, no I don't eat large amounts of food if I go off it. I am very conscious of portions and I am not a snacker. So, after many years of analyzing this subject I will still get into arguments with people about what has caused the world to become so fat. And rightfully so when you "still" today have nutritionists who preach to the world that fat is what makes you fat. Now keep in mind that fat is not good for you. And that is why the original writer's post is so right on target. The people who have never read the Atkins book think you are going to live on eggs, bacon and cheese for the rest of your life. This is so absulutely untrue. I explain it to paople like this where anyone can understand it. Fat makes you fat on the inside not on the outside. In other words fat does clog your arteries, cause heart problems and on and on. But, it is the sugar and starch that people consume huge quantities of that is killing so many people. My theory is if our government would make it illegal to sell flour and sugar this nation would be much healthier for it. But, of course, that is not going to happen. So, people ask me well what do you eat. I tell them, anything I want except for flour and sugar. And, when I feel like splurging, which we all have to do once in a while, my poison of choice is pasta or a homemade scratch dessert. Lean meats, veg's, fruits, nuts, seeds, grains are the way to go. Even potatoes and corn once in a while aren't going to kill you. The amount of starch and sugar that the average overweight American takes in in a single day is staggering and they can't figure out why they won't lose weight. One of these days this country is going to realize that when you go to a fast food joint it is not the fat that is making the world so overweight it is the buns-flour, fries-starch, giant coke-sugar, fried chicken-the flour coating, the meat and cheese were the best part of the meal. The best diet that I have found that works for me becuase I will be the first to admit, I love sugar and starch, is: meat, veg's and fruit during the week and pizza or pasta on saturday night. Everyone has to find what works for them. Good luck!

Thanks Sharon for such an informative and interesting post! I did read several books by Atkins years ago but I didn't really apply anything I learned (a bad habit of mine). However, I'm determined to slowly wean myself away from refined carbs (bread and pasta are the worse for me). Thanks for the reminder that a healthful diet is within our reach. Cheers!

Sharon, thank you so much for writing that out. I agree 100 % with what you are saying. I really hope other people read what you wrote, it is life changing. I wish I was paying to see you as a doctor and not the one I go to now! :(

So Phoenix, what advice or experience are you offering exactly? I come in peace, but I gotta call you out a bit here.

Have you had firsthand experience with Candida? If so, please share with us your wisdom and share loudly. That's kind of why we're all here and reading.

Can't take the fact that Candida may be widespread? Get out of the kitchen! Search Wikipedia for often-suppressed natural health information!? Are you for real! (Hey, I mean no harm...but really!? I swear you are blowing your allopathic medicine-worshipping cover) If not, what purpose does your post serve? Well!?

Some of the statements you make are untrue; at the very least, WIDELY open to debate. WIDELY. Please refrain from sharing your hasty google search 'findings' as we here know how to do that for ourselves, thank you.

Again, I ask you: Have you firsthand experience with Candida? Because I have, and cured myself...and learned SO much in the process about the complexity of the thing... Millions of dollars of research haven't exactly been thrown at the thing like it's a Pink Ribbon cure you know.

And, I'll have you know that it was the Yeast Connection book that did help immensely, along with independant articles/research put into very disciplined practice. I also connected many dots from the book as to causes, which would not have been well understood or examined without the education found in that book. And talking with others (for one, a naturapathic physician who also had Candida) further helped to validate my findings.

Yes, this is such a complex situation, and I am only one unique individual with my own unique health record. I do believe there are other methods that could be helpful than what I did; that there is no 'black and white' cure all, that lifestyle changes may be necessary for the duration needed to achieve cure, and there is so much still to learn. Wow, big surprise!

Compared to other conditions, the info on Candida is extremely sparse. It is only yet begun! How can you come here and claim to know it all! (Notice there is no question mark at the end of my statement. You don't need one when you know the truth: that your post is bankrupt)

If you have absolutely no firsthand experience, or a helpful idea, please limit yourself to subjects you know more about instead of trying to discourage and belittle people who seek healing and true contributions, whether negative or positive.

i would be interested in knowing how you cured your candida, thank you

Personally, I think this is a very important dialogue to have. To be honest I was perplexed too at phoenix's post questioning the candida issue being as widespread as it is. I have done quite a bit of research over the years and have helped people overcome it and really believe it is a major problem here in America. Perhaps, in Australia you aren't seeing it. Maybe your diet's are better there. Not so here in the US. Candida is a very serious problem but, yes there are people who could mistake it for other imbalances in the digestive tract.

We should look at this. What can lead to C. ?(for brevity's sake I will call it C.) It is caused mainly from a combination of way too many carbs in the diet, sugar, processed foods, really anything not close to original source, rampant use of antibiotics here in the US and also poor environments too such as molds or fungus growing home/workplace.

C. is a yeast or mold form itself. It can affect the skin, throat=thrush, organs and in women manifests as yeast infections. It is this alone that women are more affected than men due to our delicate balance that is apparent when it is thrown off. Everyone should know that there are candida tests that one can find all over the internet. If you question it in yourself I would recommend going over the test.

Symptoms that must be present in order for it to really be C. are: abdominal gas, headaches/migraines, excessive fatigue(and I mean really gassed-out type), serious cravings for sugar and/or alcohol, high anxiety- a strong indicator, vaginitis, rectal itching, the inability to concentrate/think clearly, hyperactivity/mood swings, itchy skin, diarrhea, acne, eczema, depression, poor memory, low sex drive, muscle weakness, toenail/fingernail fungus.

Now, understand that I named all of these because many of them are present for it to be truly C. They may not all be present simultaneously but you will swing through many of them. And there just may be all of them at once! It can get worse too once it infiltrates organs leading to leaky gut, nervous disorders to name a few. That's when life becomes unbearable and there are many that have this.

Phoenix mentions Dr. Andrew Weil and his caution about overreacting to C. due to a single book but that single book made people aware of this major issue that the medical community still does not give credibility to. Weil is a part of that community and often, though he is "open" to alternatives is to me a "safe player" trying to make himself look good in both camps. I find he plays the line often. Don't get me wrong- he definitely serves a purpose- to wake those up who totally swallow the medical community's not-so-sound advice. Because he himself is an MD, it turns their heads and at least gets their attention to perhaps question some things. So, in that sense, he is doing a good service. Then, there are some of us who question everything and have for a long time so we don't need his authority to "have permission" to do this. That being said, I say that C. is much more rampant than the medical community gives credence.

Now, here are some key players in helping the immune system fight C. Remember, acidophilis is a natural enemy of candida. But, there are other wonderful herbs to help that are very powerful and can only help the body. They are reishi and chaga mushrooms which are from Chinese medicine and are adaptogens. Also, horsetail and pau d' arco which can both be taken as teas and can wipeout candida as well. I would also recommend an alkaline diet or at least adding in rawfoods as vegetables, and green juices.

The die-off can be a problem as it can occur in layers. You can file through symptoms and then stop and then another die-off will occur and more symptoms, etc. Drink plenty of water and on 1-2 pinches of sea salt to one liter of water. It is important to re-establish a healthy terrain in our body. Remember we are an ecosystem within our own body and we must help it flourish properly. Eat whole foods, take herbs that can heal and help the immune system, exercise within reason, rebounding is excellent to clean the lymph system, find peace within (which could be difficult if you have a serious case of C.!)

Some other healing key players: colloidal silver, zeolites, msm, coconut oil and there are more but I just feel that to get this info out is a must.

And I applaud "Hi Someone Who Cured Candida Naturally" for challenging this post as I was bothered by it but was going to blow it off. I woke up this morning feeling I had to come here and say something on this. I hope it helps someone out there. I have watched people really suffer from this affliction.

Peace, Lisa

Hello again pheonix: i admire the way you handled my post. That's strength of character for sure!

I understand where you are coming from. Encouraging people to get a second opinion, or a third or fourth, as well as really listening to their body and gaining more insight into that 'intuition' is key. But i think that goes for anything on this site, (or for anything in life?)

But, suspicion that it's 'real', and insinuation that people may be making up the condition or being hypocondriach, seems only to detract... That is the main 'beef' i had with your post. I feel that may not have been your intention. i'm here to learn too. I'll move on.

To answer the questions:

I noticed candida symptoms in may 2008. It came on suddenly and i believe, after my research, that my main contributing factors were: 1)viral (had mono earlier that year) 2) worn adrenals (main trigger of elevated symptoms?) 3) slight vitamin deficiency from taking bc pills (was off them for many months, but have always struggled to maintain sufficient iron) 4 )i had taken antiobiotics in my lifetime, though not in years. Just to throw that in.

Slowly i noticed more and more things as time went on (about a month).

I did not go to a doctor or anything like that. I researched symptoms and somehow narrowed it down to candida. This was not overnight like most ailments i've had; this was much more digging and re-evaluation. But, i had some very tell-tale unique symptoms which fit the bill. It was not easy to pin this down. I had to put the puzzle pieces together of the very minute and 'odd' symptoms i was having.

But i am familiar with this process. I have cured myself naturally many times and know to listen to my inner voice or higher guidance, and this has brought much success. This is important to note as it is certainly an element.

I got rid of it basically by following the diet in the yeast connection book to-the-letter. Eventually i added more protein into my diet (just my own idea...i certainly needed it). I also followed a garlic (yeast killing) regiment, and then a probiotic regiment. I have other posts here that describe that in detail.

Around september of that same year, i was feeling recovered and began to introduce the 'forbidden foods' back into my diet slowly, and to drink wine again; things like that.

Been feeling fine since then with no relapse, no attention to special dietary habits (i eat raw, but i can eat honey, etc). Basically, it's forgotten.

This is all I can say and please do with it what you will. If it wasn't candida, whatever struck me sounded just like it, and following a combined, puzzled together regiment banished it away. It certainly was no 'vague-cure-all' type of thing. This was an intense strategy that took immense patience.

I do see your point about possible 'fad' ailments being tacked onto any complaint. But i think that advice for people trying to steer clear of that is to be thoughtful and mindful, do tons of research, get professional assistance...and read lots of earth clinic : )

I wish you best of luck in pinning down the source of your joint pain pheonix. & best of health to you!

Thanks also lisa. I have read many of your posts and always enjoy the insight you bring.

Be encouraged! For eliminating certain foods from your diet will most likely slightly increase the way you feel very immediately. However, there will still be lots of work ahead.

I battled for 3 months to get rid of my Candida and finally kicked it last fall. There is a wonderful book called 'The Yeast Connection' which lists a number of foods to avoid when dealing with Candida. It can be difficult, but it did work for me, and I am a raw foodist, so my diet was that much more limited. Many website articles I read did not contain the full spectrum of foods to avoid...so don't be naive and think that just because on expert doesn't list a certain food, that you can 'get away' with it... Remember, you want to starve and kill these yeast, so you must be as hard on them as you can.

In addition to avoiding all fermented foods (beer, wine), grains (esp. refined grains, and incl. Oats, rice), vinegars aside from ACV, avoid all products baked with yeast, ALL sugars/honey/maple syrups (STEVIA ( I recommend the actual green-herb powder not the extract) is a fantastic alternative.., FRUIT (except berries which I read have something 'good' in them that counteracts the sugar and instead makes them beneficial for those with candida...and green apple which isn't as sugary as reg. apples), CARROTS and BEETS (both contain sugar), and all fungus foods: NO MUSHROOMS. Read up on this more for the specifics as far as nuts and other things that you should add or avoid.

Make sure you are getting enough protein. Eggs were very beneficial in my case.

Depending on how bad your Candida is, you can experiment and be more or less disciplined about this. You may also want to experiment once you have recovered, and slowly introduce these foods back into your diet; as you may have a food allergy to one or some of these items as well. Introduce foods slowly. Remember to be very gentle on yourself and what you eat for many months, even a year in the future. Think of the Candida like weeds that can come back if you go too overboard. See how things go for you and gauge what you begin eating again by that.

I can't say enough how taking fresh, crushed GARLIC is very necessary. for best results be VERY disciplined. This goes for all regiments relating to Candida. Consistancy is KEY. Taking garlic on an empty stomach, 1/2-1 hour before eating, especially in the morning, will be most effective. Try to do this even if you have to set your alarm, get out of bed early, and then go back to bed before your 'real' waking up/shower/breakfast. It works that much better. I would crush the garlic, and wash it down with water so that i wouldn't have to taste much of it. Fresh garlic is best, even if you are taking supplements, try to add in SOME fresh garlic, even if it's on your food.

After a sufficient time period of killing the candida, you will want to look into repopulating the good bactera. An acidopholus (sp?) supplement worked for me. Research other methods. This also works best when administered on an empty stomach.

I also used a mixed Candida herbal supplement with Pau d'arco, grapeseed, oregano, garlic. I have read that the best thing to do is alternate these supplements for about one week each. I was 1/2 way to recovery when I purchased this supplement so I am not sure how much it helped in it's mixed form.

I hope that some of this information will be valuable to someone. All I can say about Candida is 'research, research, research.' and above all, it's quite an experiment for anyone who has it, so don't feel too discouraged. You will get there.

02/20/2009: Amber from Portland, Oregan writes, "One other thing of note, is to remember that Candida may and most likely is caused be a combination of factors.

In addition to the antibiotic cause, and among others a person may have had Adrenal Fatigue (caffeine disuse would help here) and most likely a vitamin/mineral deficiency, as well as your immune system being lowered (In my case I had contracted Mono prior to candida).

These are all causes listed in the above book that I mentioned, among others...and these were some of the contributors in my own case. It would be good to consider taking a multivitamin to combat the deficiencies, as well as making sure to reboost your immune system, and taking into consideration whatever else you need to do to reinforce your health in the future.

Believe me, I am no expert, only somewhat well-read and only have my own experience to go on, but I can't stress enough how throurough one must be to combat this condition. "

First the important info some of you may be looking for to kill that nasty, debilitating disease Candida, then I'll give my experience with it. I know I was getting frustrated searching on here for help & having to read & read posts & posts for hours to find something helpful, so I give YOU the IMPORTANT INFO FIRST! )

CANDIDA: Terrible, Terrible thing to have. I have been dealing with it for 3 months, & FINALLY (!! ) something worked! :: T*H*I*E*V*E*S O*I*L!! (Google It!! )

Within 2 days of my applying it to the soles of my feet, my facial rash practically cleared completely up!

Yes, there are manufacturers for Thieves Oil, but I made my own. Relatively inexpensive (compared to advertised "cures" <---- don't believe the HYPE! ) I discovered it on SteveQuayle.com back when the H1N1 Virus was all in the news in 2009. If you go to his site, type in "thieves oil" in the search bar & Google will re-direct you to the article (linked to Dare To Prepare's website)

THIEVES OIL: (you will need)

Eucalyptus Oil - 75 drops

Clove Oil (or Clove Blend) - 200 drops (or 1/2 oz.)

Rosemary Oil - 50 drops

Lemon Oil - 175 drops

Cinnamon BARK Oil - 100 drops (probably the most important of the bunch! & not cheap -avg. $20 for 10ml.)

[The brands I used were : Snow Lotus (Cinnamon Bark Oil) the rest were from Aura Cacia]

MIX THESE IN:

1 small GLASS Bottle (this is a strong oil mixture, I would not trust mixing & storing in plastic! )

*you can buy all these things at your local health food store, typically - roughly $60 in all*

**Note: Thieves Oil got it's name from groups of thieves in the 1400's who would rob corpses/graves of victims of plaugue for their jewelry/valuables etc.. Once they were caught, the judge/town officials demanded they explain how they were able to handle the bodies without contracting the sickness/plaugue themselves in exchange for lenient sentences. The thieves explained that they used a mixture of strong aromatic oils on their hands, neck & temples before going near the dead bodies.***

My experience with CANDIDA has been a pretty humbling one. The symptoms I had (bc it does affect people differently) were muscle aches (neck & shoulders - I have read this may be the underlying cause for fibromyalgia), slight joint pain, very cloudy thinking (weeks kept going by & I would look back & realize hardly anything was getting done for my work. I could not focus for the life of me... It was absolute hell! ) and inability to focus/concentrate, insomnia & then minimal/fitful sleep (maybe 4hrs a night & an hour nap a day -not what I call "restful sleep"! ) and an ugly rash around my eyes & corners of my nose. I am fair skinned/blonde hair -so the rash (at least to me) was very evident in the mirror. It looked like I was in a fist fight. The rash would develop small pustules, but there was no "head" to them, just small, slightly raised bumps ( I had at first mistaken this for dermadex or roseacea, but after treating with ACV/Borax & Tea Tree Oil & seeing some improvement, I would notice that the rash came back after certain foods or drink, 12 hrs or so later - THAT's WHEN I FIGURED OUT IT WAS CANDIDA & DIGESTION RELATED! ). The skin areas affected would feel bruised & swollen. My eyes in the AM were swollen with fluid & made me look at least 10 yrs older. I had been on Earth Clinic many times , searching & searching & searching for something, ANYTHING to help.

*Note: If you are showing signs of a skin rash at this point, the Candida has become serious. It is now a blood infection, and the body is finding ways to relieve the toxins somehow. This is very serious & should NOT be taken lighly (but also, no need to "freak out" either - it's treatable and curable, you just have to be disciplined and smart about it). Just take it as a sign that your body is telling you you need to take some time to restore it back to balance & good health.

I tried Borax (externally on my face), and it was somewhat helpful. I noticed it helped with the rash. I tried applying Apple Cider Vin. , it helped some as well. I tried yogurt, same difference. I tried applying Tea Tree Oil -honestly, I think the Tea Tree Oil expedited scaring & wrinkles to the eye lid area - it would dry out the skin like a sunburn & the next day I would notice my wrinkles becoming more evident - I would NOT reccomend it, it didn't do much good anyway. I tried applying Coconut Oil (and still do) but it will only do so much. Candida is a very powerful FUNGUS. Funguses are some of the strongest organisms on earth. They can mutate & metastasize , even against strong synthetic antibiotics. It is better to take the fight to them with an even stronger NATURAL cure so that you don't kill the good flora in your intestines etc (that is what the prescribed antibiotics do and therein cause a vicious cycle of infection/healing/stronger infection/healing etc. - plus many MD's are practically CLUELESS to Candida being an underlying cause of many, many misdiagnosed conditions - a fine result of our "Big Pharma" driven health care industry.... But that's another discussion for another time).. I had also tried creams (Nystatin & Vagisil on my face - it hardly helped at all! ) VERY FRUSTRATED AT THIS POINT!

So I began to search online for cures for Candida etc.. I saw posts, videos, websites, forums etc... & many times ThreeLac was mentioned (an herbal remedy) -from what Ive seen it is a highly touted "cure", but you must detox your self for 8 weeks to lower the Candida infection so that the ThreeLac can effectively kill it. Even then , supposedly, Candida can burrow deep within your intestinal walls with it's spores & "re-activate" itself should you go back to eating & drinking poorly etc.. ONE OTHER PRODUCT I found is: CandElim (Google it) - this product is supposed to be stonger than ThreeLac. I am actually waiting on a bottle of CandElim, so I will update this post once Ive begun using it. Also, I want to point out that for the last 5 or so weeks, I have been trying to stay on a STRICT DIET.

I will say that I am guilty of having a latte here & there (i. E. Sugar) -which BTW is not helpful, I know this, BUT: other than that, my diet has been Greek style Yogurt (organic) , eggs (scrambled) , chicken & lots of broccolli & asparagus. You must try to keep fat at a minimum (for the eggs I would eat 2 whole & 2 whites). Fat (lipid molecules) will bind to the sugar or carbohydrate (glycogen essentially) in your bloodstream and it will take longer to process the sugar/carb - therefore it just sits in your bloodstream, feeding the growth of the candida. This is why it is best to avoid starch (bread, potatoes, pasta, no cheeses, milk, fruits etc.. ). No alcohol (esp. Beer, wine & whiskey / dark distilled spirits) Basically you want your diet raw, green and very very low fat (with the exception of natural fat in lean meats or chicken, or low fat yogurt). Drink both spring & distilled water & see the thread (Earth Clinc) on Borax for hormone regulation - it helps with the insomnia associated with Candida. And that would be 1/4 tsp in a litre of water (if you're older start with about 1/8th of tsp first bc it can be a little uncomfortable on your kidneys (don't freak out, it's a very minor reaction), but gradually you wil be used to it - yes: Borax.... The '20 Mule Team' kind). I have also been taking a multivitamin, Vit. B stress complex, MSM, Vitamin D, Vitamin C, Biotin & drinking a 1/2 tbsp of Sodium Bicarbonate (ALUMINUM FREE!! /ORGANIC) with water 3x/day, as well as 1 to 2 tbsp of Coconut Oil. Coconut Oil (virgin) is very important to prevent constipation associated with Candida. You want to flush out wastes & toxins as often (NATURALLY, of course) as you can. The ASPARAGUS is excellent in flushing out the MICOTOXINS that Candida produces as it wrecks havoc on your intestines, organs, bones & tissues. If you notice a strong headache & body aches etc.. When you begin to get SERIOUS about getting better from this disease, you will know that you are impacting it for the better, those are "die off" symptoms. But do not be overconfident as you see yourself getting better etc.. -Candida is VERY, VERY SERIOUS! If you let it go, resume bad old habits too early etc... It can literally kill you (slowly, but nevertheless). Candida exacerbates potential secondary infections and illnesses with organ failure etc.. It can create the right environment for cancer, diabetes etc... - it is not to be taken lightly, though it is not impossible to recover from either. Treating it dilligently - from what Ive read- should continue for at least 6 months (diet, treatments, healthy supplements, exercise, lots of water etc..)

As I am about 8 weeks into my diet, and 4 days into using the Thieves Oil, I feel better... Much better than I did in the beginning when I discovered I had Candida. I will update this post in a few weeks with the results of taking CandElim along with what Im currently doing. If I can help 1, ... Just 1 person with this post, than my job is done. I never thought I would EVER come down with something like this, but in hindsight it was a blessing in disguise to have the rash, bc Candida is so subtle in it's symptoms (in the early stages) you most likely would never guess you had something like it. Had I not had the rash as a "wake up" call, my condition could have gotten gravely worse - irreprably worse. I wish everyone the strength/hope/and fortitude to keep fighting and be postitive to get through this, you'll come out stronger than ever on the other side. Get the Thieves Oil, apply it on the soles of your feet 3x a day (be fairly "liberal" with applying it -a few drops here & there aint gonna do the job, but don't go crazy with it either -dig?), you should see improvement. God Bless.

I am looking into the CandElim. Did you start it? And do you think it's legit?