Re: Candida

 Any tips on how to get candida under control?

The trick to getting Candida under control is to get the immune system back in control. A good start to this is with probiotics, like kefir, and prebiotics, such as rice bran and FOS. Yucca root is another good choice as it helps to kill the yeast while making a more suitable terrain for the growth of the flora.

Stress also adversely affects the immune system, which again helps Candida to thrive. There are many aspects to the immune system, but a couple of primary areas to focus on are the flora and the adrenal glands. To address the adrenals vitamin C is the most important. The B vitamin pantothenic acid is the second most important nutrient for the adrenals. Adaptogenic herbs are excellent for building up the adrenal glands. These include schisandra berries, jiaogulan, licorice root, suma, ashwagandha, Siberian ginseng, and astragalus. As you build up the adrenals you will also find that dealing with stress will become easier as the adrenals release more anti-stress hormones.

Zinc is also essential for proper immune function and suppresses Candida. Recommended dose is 50mg once daily, or 25mg twice daily, with meals to prevent nausea. It does displace copper in high doses. Even though we tend to get plenty of copper from our food and water some people advise taking extra copper. Some companies do make a combined 50mg zinc with 2 mg copper. Or you can get a separate 2mg copper capsule and take one a day.

Maintaining proper stomach acidity is essential as acid kills yeast and alkalinity is its friend. Stomach acid naturally declines with age making Candida overgrowth of the digestive system very common. The zinc I mentioned will help in the production of stomach acid. B vitamins (B6, B12, folate) are also essential for the production of stomach acid. Foods high in B vitamins, such as rice bran or oat bran are recommended or a B complex twice daily with meals. The problem is that these nutrients are also acid dependent for absorption. So the declining stomach acid actually interferes with the absorption of the nutrients needed to produce it. To get around this it is a very good idea to take something acidic with your meals for a while to enhance absorption. These can be non-buffered vitamin C (ascorbic acid), citric acid, malic acid, apple cider vinegar, or betaine HCl. In addition I recommend trimethylglycine (TMG), derived from beet leaves, 3 times daily, which among other things will boost the immune system and help the body to generate the digestive secretions it requires. It can be a little hard to find, but some health food stores carry it. It runs around $11 a bottle.

The flora is another area to focus on. Probiotic bacteria produce lactic, acetic, and fatty acids that keep Candida under control. You can jump start their numbers with probiotic supplements like kefir. I recommend a glass first thing in the morning and a glass at night before bed. Follow with a little water to wash the acids off your teeth and to help dilute the stomach acid to help the bacteria to survive. Even with this there are only a limited number of the thousands of beneficial strains of bacteria that inhabit the intestines. Therefore, prebiotics are also recommended. Prebiotics are the foods that feed the flora so they can grown and thrive. Excellent choices include the fibers rice bran, oat bran and fructooligosaccharides (FOS).

I also mentioned yucca root earlier. This herb cuts down on the fermentation caused by the Candida, and kills Candida. It also holds moisture in the intestines making a more suitable environment for the flora.

Avoid anything that alkalinizes the stomach acid. This includes antacids, acid blockers, and alkaline waters. Stomach acid is one of the body's first line defenses against pathogens. Neutralizing it is just asking for problems.

I feel almost swollen (water weight?)

Throughout the body, or in the abdominal region?

Would it be ok to continue with Molasses, Lemon juice, and kelp? 

I would be cautious with the molasses. For one it is iron rich and iron is something to be really careful with. Many nasty bacteria thrive in the presence of iron, and iron can promote oxidative damage. There are also conditions, such as hemochromotosis where iron is definitely contradicted. Furthermore, most people have no easy way to efficiently rid their bodies of excess iron. Menstruating women are an exception. But if a woman is not having regular menstruation or are not sure if they are iron deficient anemic then it is a really bad idea to use high iron supplements. And unless men know for sure that they are iron deficient anemic they should also avoid high iron supplements, especially with the lemon juice as vitamin C improves iron absorption further increasing the risk of iron overload.