Contradictory information on supplements

Us candida folk are in a strange predicament when it comes to getting reliable data aren't we? On the one hand we're jeered at by ignorant doctors who deny the very existence of the problem, and on the other we're bombarded with suggestions for the latest cure-all supplement from every direction, often with little hard evidence to back it up. One of the things that irks me the most is walking this tightrope of uncertainty between whether a supplement helps or makes things even worse.

Sometimes it feels like being in a sitcom where the main character is working on a car and removes a screw, causing the engine to fall out. Then the next sentence in the directions say "But whatever you do, don't remove that screw!" Now you tell me!

Most of us remember the days of Threelac being promoted from the rooftops. Then came the detractors saying the bacteria it contained would throw off your flora balance and possibly even be fatal! Fish oil is another wonderful, universally used product. Then some say the omega 3's feed candida.

Medicinal mushrooms like Rishi and Cordyceps boost the immune system and supposedly kill candida. And then we're told they feed the candida and make it much worse.(As I write this I'm picking the mushrooms out of my brown rice and veggie terayaki bowl)

Nutritional yeast is said by some to compete for space with the candida. Either that or make you even sicker. Biotin stops candida's multiplying process in it's tracks. Or feeds it.

Now just this past week in a desperate attempt to soothe my gut inflammation I've bought Aloe Vera juice and added N Acetyl L cysteine to my detox regimen. Then I come to read that aloe vera juice can apparently further aggravate leaky gut, and cysteine has reportedly stimulated candida growth in vitro, despite studies showing it neutralizes gliotoxin and boosts the immune system.

So why all the contradiction? What are we to make of all this? Have you ever pulled your hair out because it feels like the rug is constantly being pulled out from under you?

So far the only possible response has been to experiment on ourselves and see how we individually respond to these treaments. The only problem is it's sometimes hard to differentiate genuine die-off from actually getting worse or allergic symptoms.