A Recent Q&A

Hi Dr Jeff, I trust you're well?

I've recently had some lab test results, which have confirmed I have gluten intolerance (not celiac), H Pylori overgrowth, Candida overgrowth and now Leaky Gut. I have dabbled with diets that have completely restricted all types of carbs and fruit sugar and as a result I believe I may have depleted my serotonin levels, which carbs help to regulate production of. This has led to severe sugar cravings and a bit of low mood, which has been corrected by taking 5-htp. I'm now looking to start an anti-candida/bad bacteria diet that doesn't completely restrict sugar and I've come across your plan again. I can see that you don't recommend the complete restriction of fruit, which interested me. Thinking logically, it does seem bizarre to compeltely restrict a widely acknowledged natural health food just because I have a candida overgrowth and I'm skeptical that fruit is the enemy it's made out to be by other candida experts/sufferers.

Would you kindly confirm whether your diet and supplementation plan is fine for someone with Leaky Gut? My understanding is that probiotics are next to useless until Leaky Gut is healed?

Response:

I've written a post on sugars here - http://candidaplan.com/blog/637/candida-diets-part-iv-sugars/.
That should help explain the science behind my approach. As you'll see in the post, if you have blood sugar regulation issues, then fruits may not work well for you. If not, they should be okay. If you have blood sugar problems, following the Blood Sugar Protocol can help to correct that imbalance.

Most people view leaky gut as a steady state disorder, but it is just the opposite. The cells of the small intestine exist in a dynamic state, where they are renewed every 3-5 days, and even more quickly when inflammation is present. Leaky Gut is not an ongoing issue, although the allergic responses generated by leaky gut can be more long term. The main culprit in creating leaky gut is inflammation. Fungal candida promotes inflammation and inflammation promotes the further growth of fungal candida. Correcting the fungal candida back to its normal yeast form reduces the inflammation that can create leaky gut.

Some people choose to take supplements that help promote the repair of intestinal cells, such as GI-Revive. These can provide additional support.
Antibiotics create leaky gut and probiotics help to repair it - http://jn.nutrition.org/content/141/5/769.full


With H. pylori, low HCL levels are usually a part of the problem. Antibiotics wipe out all of the body's beneficial bacteria within 5 days, and it can take 9-12 months or more for the bacteria to repopulate the body. Some strains never come back. Fungal candida develops rapidly after antibiotic exposure and then regulates which bacteria repopulate the body's flora. This can result in low HCl levels and other imbalances throughout the body (leaky gut, etc).

Dr.McCombs

Tweet