Re: Minimalist Yeast Abatement Protocol

There are conflicting reports on the web about the usage of garlic as a home remedy for heartburn. For some it seems to be a trigger and for others the answer to their quest for relief. Assuming that yeast in the throat and esophagus has something to do with the condition (see previous post), we may be able to rationalize both types of experience.

Remember that we are not dealing with a passive organism here. Yeast is prepared to fight when antifungally challenged (e.g. by garlic). One of the ways it does this is to shift morphology from a budding yeast into an invasive hyphal form,

See budding/hyphal yeast //www.curezone.org/forums/fm.asp?i=1955272

that is capable of penetrating human cellular membranes by expressing one or more of the enzymes in the phospholipase group, something that is also found in snake venom and bee stings.

See Niewerth et al. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11766099



For epithelial cells already damaged and sensitized by acetaldehyde emitted by yeast in this region, this type of invasive penetration may exacerbate the damage already in place and be an additional trigger for acid reflux.

Several sore throat remedies have a sweet component such as honey (e.g. olive oil, lemon, and honey) that may be included for this very reason -- to entice yeast back into its budding form. The long-term problem with this is that the yeast goes back to producing acetaldehyde which is deleterious to the tight junction proteins that seal the esophageal lining.

Therein lies the catch-22 host-control enigma that exists with yeast colonization. If you give it what it wants, it can damage the body (acetaldehyde toxicity symptoms). But, if you don't give it what it wants, it can shift strategies and damage the body some more (phospholipase degradation of tissue), perhaps with symptoms that were worse than before.

This may be why novel combinations such as honey, garlic and apple cider vinegar for heartburn are popular. Adding an acetaldehyde scavenger to the liquid mixture might make it even more effective.
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