Candida
Candida or Yeast Infection
Health Concern Description
Candida Albicans is a natural strain of fungus that lives in our bowels, but when allowed to grow unchecked can cause havoc on our immune system and show up as a myriad of symptoms such as allergies, rashes, pain, stomach upset, inflammation, reactions to smells, headaches, etc. We see it in the form of fungus infection, epidermal irritations, and thrush; there are oral forms, vaginal forms, blood forms, and intestinal forms.
The best way to treat an overgrowth of Candida is to cleanse with an essential oils blend, clean up the diet, get plenty of sunshine and fresh air, and exercise, and repopulate the lower intestine with good bacteria by using a probiotic. Refrain from consuming anything with sugar, mold or fungus, as Candida Albicans is a yeast and will feed off of these foods.
Initially, as you proceed with the cleanse it will create a “die off” effect and you will feel worse for a small period of time, while the Candida is expelled. Most suggest taking the cleansing blend for two weeks on and then off for one week as you take a probiotic. Then repeat the cycle, as needed, until Candida symptoms are gone. Following this, for long term maintenance, continue with a good diet, exercise, and a monthly cleanse (2 weeks of the cleansing blend and 1 week of probiotics).
Avoid using antibiotics, birth control, and foods that are high in sugar or yeast as much as possible.
Often people complain of feeling badly or experience rash or other “die off” symptoms. It is not unusual to experience die off symptoms as your body purges the Candida. Consider a diet of raw foods during your cleanse, and drink LOTS of Lemon water.
Notes -
IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE OILS + PRODUCTS RECOMMENDED HERE ARE DOTERRA, no other brands should be substituted. Please refer to why below these notes.
A GI Cleansing Formula, a pre-prepared cleansing essential oil blend of doTERRA’s Oregano, Melaleuca, Lemon, Lemongrass, Peppermint, and Thyme in a capsule form. It is recommended to use it monthly by taking 1 to 3 capsule daily for 10 days. Follow this with Probiotic Defense Formula, a probiotic formula to promote healthy digestive function in a time release capsule, and should be taken daily for 5 days after the GI Cleansing Formula 10 day cycle.
As mentioned elsewhere as the candida is expelled various “die off” symptoms may occur. Feeling badly, rashes, changes in bowel routines, etc. Varying from 1 to 3 capsules can modify these symptoms to a comfortable level.
Of course you may prepare your own blend. Dr. Hill recommends a formula of 1 drop Oregano, 2 drops Melaleuca and 3-5 drops Lemon taken in a 00 size capsule. The Lemon will eventually melt the capsule so it’s good to only make a couple days worth – at a time. One easy method is to pre-mix the appropriate blend in a 2 oz bottle with a dripper lid then drill 00 capsule size holes about 1/4 inch deep into a short block of wood. Open capsules can be placed in the holes of the 2X4 and easily filed with 6-8 drops of the mixture. We have found from our experience this is more expensive (and certainly less convenient) that using the pre-prepared GI Cleansing Formula.
Suggested Protocols
Please note: The information provided below is a compilation of suggestions made by those that have used essential oils and has NOT been scientifically verified with clinical tests nor reviewed by medical experts. It is anecdotal information and should be treated as such. For serious medical concerns please seek professional medical attention.
Oils, blends & products recommended:
Oils & Blends: Lemon, Melaleuca, Oregano
Essential oils based products: GI Cleansing Formula, Probiotic Defense Formula
Also consider: Lavender, Myrrh, Protective Blend, Patchouli, Thyme, Detoxification Blend
Suggested protocols:
Adults
Use the GI Cleansing Formula/Probiotic Defense Formula protocol monthly (or more often to start with):
1-3 GI Cleansing Formula capsules daily with meals for 10 days
Follow with the probiotic Probiotic Defense Formula for 5 days, 3 capsules per day
The Candida Cleanse attributed to Dr. Hill that includes the following blend (This cleanse has now been streamlined into a premade blend called GI Cleansing FormulaAssist described previously):
5 drops of Lemon
5 drops of Melaleuca
3 drops on Oregano
Put the oils into a gel cap and take internally twice a day for 10-14 days, rest two weeks and repeat the procedure.
Children 18 months to 5 years
Use the GI Cleansing Formula/Probiotic Defense Formula protocol adapted in this way:
Break open 1 GI Cleansing Formula capsule and apply to the bottoms of the feet twice daily with morning and evening meals. For small children use 1/4 the contents (just a dab) and proportionally more for the older children. Continue daily with meals for 7 – 10 days again depending on age of child.
Follow with probiotic Probiotic Defense Formula capsules for 5 days taken internally. One capsule per day for smaller children, 2 for 4 – 5 year olds.
Both
Lots of water daily and 1 – 3 drops Lemon in each glass of water will speed the cleansing process.
Science Research
What Science & Research are saying
Candida, Inflammation & Auto-Immune Illnesses
This summary is based on Dr. Bruce Semon’s book An Extraordinary Power to Heal (2003). This summary gives general explanations about how yeast can cause so-called autoimmune illnesses and chronic disease. For detailed explanations, including an extensive chapter on how the immune system is supposed to work–and how yeast prevent it from working correctly–we recommend that you read An Extraordinary Power to Heal.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Crohn’s Disease, Fibromyalgia, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis, Numbness in the hands, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Ulcerative colitis: What do these have in common? They all respond to dietary intervention and anti-yeast treatment.
Why might chronic diseases ranging from psoriasis to ulcerative colitis to arthritis respond to dietary intervention and anti-yeast treatment? These diseases are all marked by the body appearing to attack itself. They are called “auto-immune” diseases.
Is the body attacking itself? That sure is a strange idea. Why should the body do that? Maybe the body is not attacking itself primarily. Maybe the primary target is not the body but the yeast Candida albicans. To understand how such terrible diseases can occur, we need to look at the interactions of Candida albicans and the immune system.
Yeast are normal residents of the intestinal tract. After antibiotics, yeast grow to fill in the space left by dead bacteria and the yeast continue to grow at this higher level. The body still must contain the yeast so that the yeast does not invade the rest of the body. If Candida invades the body, the result is often death.
The best way to look at the immune system is to understand that the immune system has both defensive and offensive weapons. The main defensive weapon is inflammation. Inflammation is like putting up a wall, a hot wall, which makes it difficult for invading foreign microorganisms to get through. Inflammation will occur anytime the immune system contacts a foreign invader. But as you know the inflammation is painful. Along with the inflammation, should come the offensive weapons which kill the foreign invader. The problem is that Candida has many tricks to evade the offensive weapons of the body’s immune system.
Candida is a very difficult organism for the body’s immune system to clear. Why?
Yeast have a capsule on the outside which prevents the first line (phagocytic) white blood cells of the body from engulfing the yeast and killing it. So the body must rely on the other parts of the immune system.
Candida has other tricks to evade the body’s immune system. One of these tricks is to change its outside. The immune system recognizes the outside receptors of the invading organism and then sends out signals to start an immune response. Some of the immune responders then look for cells with those receptors. Candida albicans can change the receptors which it is displaying, making it difficult for the body’s immune cells to react appropriately. In essence, Candida albicans are a moving target, which changes its form.
The most important thing to know about Candida is that Candida albicans can make factors which suppress the immune response to itself. These factors can be found in the circulation of people with significant Candida infections. When these factors are purified and placed in cultures of immune cells, these immune cells do not develop the responses to Candida which they are supposed to develop. In other words, Candida can make factors, which prevent the body from reacting to and killing the Candida. These factors prevent the total eradication of Candida from the body.
The Candida can suppress the offensive weapons of the body’s immune system. But the inflammation will still be generated because when the immune system detects a foreign invader, there will always be inflammation. The problem is that the foreign invader, the Candida, is not going away, because the immune system’s offensive weapons are suppressed. The inflammation will remain and inflammation is painful.
In the intestinal tract, there is Candida, which tries to invade the intestinal wall, and the immune system responds with inflammation. The problem is that the Candida suppresses the immune system’s offensive weapons, so the Candida stays and the inflammation is prolonged. This prolonged inflammation is called ulcerative colitis if it occurs in the large intestine and it is called Crohn’s disease if it occurs in the small intestine. These disorders are prolonged inflammation resulting from the immune system’s inability to clear Candida.
In ulcerative colitis, there is painful inflammation of the intestine rather than regulated containment. As the body fights the yeast in the intestine, some of the cells fighting the yeast circulate and come into contact with yeast on the skin and start an inflammation there, leading to eczema and psoriasis .
Candida causes autoimmune problems such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis in this way. Candida puts out receptors on its cell surface which are actually human receptors for connective tissue and the immune system. If the body attacks the Candida in the intestinal tract, the body’s immune system will attack anything which looks like the Candida. Because of the connective tissue receptors on Candida, the body’s immune system may attack other cells in the body which have these receptors.
Many tissues such as the joints have connective tissue and as the body attacks the Candida, the body will also attack these cells. The result is painful joints or other inflamed tissues.
Candida also has receptors which are similar to those in the brain. When these cells are attacked, the result is multiple sclerosis.
In other words, Candida acts as a long term vaccination displaying the body’s own cellular receptors to the body’s immune system. When the immune system sees such receptors for a long enough time, it will attack cells which display such receptors, which includes the cells of the body. There is research which shows that such immune system reactions occur. The yeast Candida is the primary target. If the Candida is removed the body stops attacking itself.
Extract from PubMed.com
Journal of Applied Microbiology. 1999 Jun;86(6):985-90.
Antimicrobial activity of essential oils and other plant extracts.
Hammer KA, Carson CF, Riley TV.
Department of Microbiology, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia. khammer@cyllene.uwa.edu.au
The antimicrobial activity of plant oils and extracts has been recognized for many years. However, few investigations have compared large numbers of oils and extracts using methods that are directly comparable. In the present study, 52 plant oils and extracts were investigated for activity against Acinetobacter baumanii, Aeromonas veronii biogroup sobria, Candida albicans, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia col, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serotype typhimurium, Serratia marcescens and Staphylococcus aureus, using an agar dilution method. Lemongrass, Oregano and bay inhibited all organisms at concentrations of < or = 2.0% (v/v). Six oils did not inhibit any organisms at the highest concentration, which was 2.0% (v/v) oil for apricot kernel, evening primRose, macadamia, pumpkin, sage and sweet almond. Variable activity was recorded for the remaining oils. Twenty of the plant oils and extracts were investigated, using a broth microdilution method, for activity against C. albicans, Staph. aureus and E. coli. The lowest minimum inhibitory concentrations were 0.03% (v/v) Thyme oil against C. albicans and E. coli and 0.008% (v/v) Vetiver oil against Staph. aureus. These results support the notion that plant essential oils and extracts may have a role as pharmaceuticals and preservatives.
Extract from PubMed.com
Hammer, K. A., & Riley, T. V. (1998).
In-vitro activity of essential oils, in particular Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) oil and tea tree oil products, against Candida spp. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 42, 591-5. The study examined the in-vitro activity of a range of essential oils against the yeast candida. The final concentrations of tea tree oil were obtained from the diluted products in sterile distilled water after inoculation. A variety number of Candida isolates were tested for sensitivity to tea tree oil by the methods of agar dilution and broth microdilution. The study found the majority of tea tree oil tested possess anticandidal properties in vitro and suggested that they may be useful in the topical treatment of superficial candida infections
Diet & Nutrition
Diet and Nutritional complements to essential oils
Dr. Mom in the Kitchen
Eat plenty of fresh deep leafy greens, and make sure you are getting plenty of water. Juicing is beneficial during a candida cleanse. Focus on drinking juices that are low in sugar, or combine with other vegetables that balance the sugar. Young Thai Coconuts are known for their yeast fighting ability and are delicious in a green smoothie or added to juice. Apple Cider Vinegar (with the mother) is also a candida fighting food. Salad dressings made of ACV, a little Olive Oil, fresh garlic and salt is an excellent dressing and yeast fighter. Garlic is also a candida fighter. Consider using garlic in many of your meals. Keep the diet simple, and avoid excess while your body restores itself. Simply made low fat meat dishes, steamed vegetables and brown rice with a little olive oil, Lemon, salt and Pepper is a good example of a meal. Other meals can consist of Juice, Salads, and low fat soups are helpful in keeping the bowel heal while the candida dies off. Foods that contain probiotics such as keifer, kim chee or rejuvelac, are wonderful additions to the diet. Consider eating a raw foods diet.
Avoid bad fats, dairy, sugar, and temporarily avoid foods that contain fungus and yeast, such as mushrooms and bread.
Begin each day with room temperature water with ½ Lemon juiced.
Living Vegetable Soup
2 cups filtered water
2 stalks of celery
2 Tablespoons EVOO
1 apple
1/2 Lemon (washed peel and all)
1/4 to 1/2 jalapeño
1 Clove garlic
Blend in a vitamix or blendtek until completely incorporated into a broth and warmed. Transfer to a warm bowl or keep on stove at lowest heat (if using a regular blender… add ingredients slowly to get the consistency of broth)
Add:
1/2 cup chopped parsley and Cilantro
diced avocado
diced red bell Pepper
1/2 c. shredded carrot
1/2 c. shredded parsnip
Serve warm in a warm bowl.
Potassium Broth
7 Carrots
5 Stalks of Celery
One bunch of spinach
½ bunch of Parsley
Juice and drink that day. Chew your juice to help digest.
Coconut Green Drink
1 Young Thai Coconut
1 peeled Orange
2 cups organic baby spinach
Blend until bright green and smooth.
Apple Green Juice
3 Apples
1 Lemon
3 kale leaves
Pinch of Cayenne
2-3 drops of Lemon Essential Oil
Juice Apples, Lemon (peel and all), and Kale leaves.
Strain, and add pinch of cayenne and Lemon EO.
Disclaimer
The advice shared in this site has not been evaluated by the FDA. The products and methods recommended are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any illness or disease, nor is it intended to replace proper medical help. As members offer or look for answers, kindly understand that essential oils work to help to bring the body into balance - thus helping the body's natural defenses to restore homeostasis. Essential oils are not used to "treat" medical problems.
INFORMATION SHARED FROM: Essential Oils Books, LLC 2014