How Functional Medicine Tackles Chronic Yeast Infections and Candida Naturally
Believe it or not, yeast infections don’t only occur in the vagina. Both men and women can get yeast infections in various areas of their bodies. The symptoms are not always external.
First of all, what is yeast? Yeast is a single-celled fungus of which there are various species, some beneficial and some pathogenic. Yeast thrives in poorly oxygenated, dark, damp environments and can overgrow under certain conditions.
The various types of pathogenic yeast infections include:
Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs), either caused by Candida or bacteria
Nail infections (common for those with poor circulation, such as diabetics)
Athlete’s Foot (usually caused by other fungi, but can be from Candida)
Skin Yeast Infections (e.g Tinea versicolor)
Small Intestinal Fungal Overgrowth (SIFO)
Male Genital Yeast Infections
Vaginal Yeast Infections
Invasive Candidiasis
Oral thrush
They’re often characterized by:
Visible swelling or redness
Discharge (pus)
Soreness
Dryness
Burning
Itching
There are also mental signs of Candida overgrowth such as mood swings, memory issues, and high anxiety levels. (1)
These symptoms alone aren’t confirmation that you have a yeast infection. They can have other causes, but this blog should help you narrow it down further.
First, let’s talk about Candida, the yeast we all have in our bodies. It’s harmless in certain amounts, but Candida overgrowth can lead to more serious health issues if left untreated.
What Causes Yeast Infections?
There are different species of Candida in our bodies, but Candida albicans is the one that commonly causes yeast infections. It can be in your gut, mouth, skin, intestines, and other parts of your body.
Yeast infections become possible if your microbiome is imbalanced, or if your immune system is compromised. (2) When Candida enters the GI tract or bloodstream, it can cause serious issues and potentially lead to a life-threatening infection.
One common cause of yeast infections is antibiotic use. Antibiotics kill good bacteria that normally keep Candida in check, which means Candida is free to multiply with antibiotic use.
Some early symptoms of Candida overgrowth include:
Nausea
Brain fog
Joint pain
Headaches
White tongue
Sugar cravings
Chronic fatigue
Halitosis (bad breath)
Problems with digestion
Various conditions and circumstances can increase your risk of developing a yeast infection.
Risk Factors for Yeast Infections
Certain hygiene and lifestyle choices increase your likelihood of yeast infections. Other times, normal processes like hormonal shifts are the primary cause.
Vaginal yeast infections from Candida, known as vaginal candidiasis, are more likely due to a variety of health conditions and lifestyle factors. Some of these include: (3)
Stress
Standard American Diet (SAD) diet
Pregnancy or hormonal birth control (4)
Antibiotic use (either current or history of use)
Yeast infections of the mouth and throat, also called thrush, aren’t typical for healthy adults. The risk is highest for babies less than one-month-old. However, certain conditions put you at a higher risk of thrush including antibiotic use, diabetes, AIDS, cancer, or being immunocompromised (such as those on immunosuppressants).
Other factors that may lead to thrush are:
Dentures
Dry mouth which can be related to mouth breathing, medications, and other health issues
Finally, invasive candidiasis is when the infection spreads throughout the bloodstream into areas like the eyes, kidneys, and other organs. Candidiasis can be deadly at this level. This can occur under various conditions such as:
Diabetes
Kidney failure
Chemotherapy
Implanted medical device (5)
Recent surgery (for example, an organ transplant)]
Antibiotic use, especially prolonged use or high-dosage antibiotics
However, there are helpful functional medicine approaches to both the prevention and treatment of yeast infections.
How to Reduce Your Risk of Yeast Infections
It’s always best to seek guidance and consult your functional medicine doctor to confirm you have a yeast infection and get a personalized approach to your unique case. Getting to the root cause can ensure lasting remission. Furthermore, yeast infections could signal a more serious health condition, such as a mold and mycotoxin infection.
Like with any health concern, restoring a healthy balanced environment in the body is key to prevention. The following strategies work together to eradicate yeast and restore a healthy microbial balance. Focusing on one strategy alone generally does not produce lasting results, hence why a holistic approach is best.
Diet
Specific diets can improve yeast infection symptoms by helping maintain the balance of good and bad bacteria.
In general, you should reduce your intake of foods high in sugar and processed foods. (6) These foods disrupt your gut flora balance, which makes you vulnerable to Candida overgrowth in your digestive tract. Drinking a lot of alcohol has a similar effect.
Candida overgrowth can lead to inflammatory bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms, but it also likely contributes to the development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. (7) Candida infections are associated with both IBD and leaky gut when yeast penetrates the intestinal lining.
Some diets that are associated with improving yeast infection symptoms are:
The low FODMAP diet
The Mediterranean diet
The Anti-Candida (or Candida cleanse) diet
The Mediterranean and low FODMAP diets reduce inflammation. (8) Inflammation weakens the intestinal lining and allows Candida and other pathogens to thrive.
The Anti-Candida diet, or Candida cleanse diet, is also believed to help prevent Candida overgrowth. It consists of removing foods like:
Flour
Sugar
Cheese
This diet may improve symptoms for some people. However, there’s currently no clinical proof that shows it can prevent candidiasis since there are multiple factors involved in developing yeast overgrowth. (9)
Overall, diet does have some effect on Candida colonization. Reducing processed foods can keep Candida colonization lower. Incorporating fatty acid-rich coconut oil, which has mild antimicrobial properties, into your diet can also reduce colonization.
Fermented foods such as kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir, or kombucha can support beneficial microbial balance and help SIFO and other dysbiosis.
Hygiene
You can also avoid yeast infections by making certain hygiene choices such as:
Avoiding douching and overwashing which can dry out vaginal tissue, disrupt the microbiome and introduce endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs)
Using natural toxin-free products that don’t harm your microbiome
Taking care of your oral health
Douching negatively affects the balance of bacteria in your vagina. It can also make an existing infection worse by helping it spread into your cervix and uterus.
Thrush is less likely if you address your oral health properly. Avoid commercial toothpastes and mouthwashes which tend to destroy all good and bad bacteria. To support microbial balance within the oral cavity, opt for using:
Water flossing
Fluoride-free toothpastes
Natural dental floss without forever chemicals
Homemade mouthwash from tea tree and peppermint essential oils, baking soda, and water
There are more powerful herbal products to treat oral infections such as receding gums, but that goes beyond the scope of this blog and is part of a personalized treatment approach.
Corticosteroid inhalers can also be the cause of oral dysbiosis leading to thrush.
Clothing
For vaginal yeast infections, it can help to avoid tight clothing and stick to breathable fabrics. (10) If you have a high risk of yeast infections, sleeping without underwear can also be beneficial. This allows the area to stay clean and dry.
Cotton underwear is also a great alternative to other fabrics because it doesn’t trap moisture. It can absorb heat and moisture, keeping the area too dry for bacteria to multiply and thrive.
Similarly, you can get athlete’s foot or toenail fungus if your feet don’t get enough air. Try to go barefoot at home as often as possible.
The potential of commercial creams with zinc
A recent small study found that a cream containing zinc prevented reinfection in five out of six women. (11) These women all suffered from recurring vaginal yeast infections.
While this data is limited and a larger study is planned to corroborate these results, the relationship between zinc and Candida explains why zinc levels might be related to yeast infections.
Candida feeds on zinc and quickly depletes what is available when zinc is low. To consume the remaining zinc, Candida releases a protein that causes inflammation. The burning and itching in the vaginal area is a result of this inflammation. (12)
Therefore, zinc supplements and creams may help to keep Candida populations under control and prevent reinfection.
Treating Yeast Infections
Antifungal medication and antibiotics are often used to treat yeast infections. However, antifungal-resistant strains can develop just like when antibiotics are overused.
There are also adverse side effects to these types of medications such as elevated liver enzymes (a sign of liver damage), nervous system disorders, gastrointestinal issues, visual disturbances, and cardiovascular disease. Because of the associated risks, I recommend functional medicine alternatives to preventing and treating infections.
Ozone therapy
Ozone therapy shows promising results for preventing and treating yeast infections. It has several health benefits including:
Reducing inflammation
Delivering oxygen to an oxygen-deprived area
Antimicrobial effects, killing bacteria, fungi, and viruses
These effects of vaginal ozone insufflation (vaginal or rectal) make it a suitable approach for yeast infections. Ozone kills yeast by oxidizing part of their cell wall. (13) It’s proven to be effective against different types of harmful microorganisms, including Candida. (14)
Ozone injections can also be helpful for toenail fungus.
Herbs and Supplements
Certain probiotic bacteria, such as Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, as well as beneficial yeast like Saccharomyces boulardii, have proven to be effective against some Candida strains. (15)
Probiotics support your microbiome by re-inoculating your gut with “good” bacteria and crowding out the overgrown species, such as yeast. Not only is the correct strain important, but also the delivery form. Since probiotics are live bacteria, which are sensitive to light, oxidation, and gastric juices, the superior choice is a spore-based probiotic which can withstand these harsh environments until it reaches the small intestine where we want them active.
Other supplements that can limit Candida growth include:
Berberine
Boric acid (16)
Capric acid (17)
Coconut oil
Oregano oil
Garlic tablets
Undecylenic acid (18)
Traditional Chinese medicine offers great topical and internal herbal solutions for a variety of conditions involving yeast overgrowth.
What to Do if You Suspect You Have a Yeast Infection
Stool, urine, blood, and vaginal microbiome tests are commonly used to detect yeast infections.
If you have symptoms that are common to yeast infections, it’s a good idea to work with a functional medicine doctor to retrieve a root cause diagnosis, especially if you’ve never had a yeast infection before or if your yeast infections are recurring. This way you can treat the cause, not just the symptoms.
Additionally, it is always advised to seek guidance in navigating the process of restoring microbial balance. As with any healing journey, the treatment approach is not one-size-fits-all, but a personalized one. Some of the above-mentioned herbs can destroy other beneficial microbes over time, so it’s best not to try to tackle this on your own.
Request a free consultation with me, Dr. Martina Sturm, for functional health solutions that address the root cause of your symptoms.
Resources
How to Prevent and Treat Candida Overgrowth and avoid a Herxheimer Reaction
A Functional Medicine Candida Overgrowth Protocol: Testing, Nutrition, and Supplements
Mediterranean Diet as a Tool to Combat Inflammation and Chronic Diseases. An Overview
Zinc prevents vaginal candidiasis by inhibiting expression of an inflammatory fungal protein
Is Zinc Deficiency Behind the Dramatic Spike in Yeast Infections?
Ozone Therapy for Dermatological Conditions: A Systematic Review
The efficacy of gaseous ozone against different forms of Candida albicans
Application of Probiotic Yeasts on Candida Species Associated Infection