While a severe Candida infection can be difficult to completely cure, attempting to cleanse Candida from one's system and adhering to a strict Candida reduction diet can be effective at eliminating symptoms. Seeing a doctor is important for an accurate diagnosis. Once a diagnosis is made, your doctor can discuss your treatment options.

If you suspect that you have Systemic Candidiasis, in which the infection has spread to other areas of your body, discuss this with your doctor and consider carefully the treatment recommended by your health practitioner.

Limited Systematic Candida Treatments

In the natural health field, many substances have been promoted as being able to reduce or cure Candida infection. Many create a reduction in symptoms but sometimes cannot destroy a Candida overgrowth in a systemic case.

Candida treatment that uses either undecylenic acid or caprylic acid is poorly absorbed into the blood stream, making this type of treatment ineffective in systemic cases. These treatments only eliminate or destroy Candida in the intestinal tract and will leave behind the colonies that have traveled to other parts of the body.

Acidophilus is helpful as a Candida treatment if it is used regularly. You can get acidophilus from some yogurts or in supplement form.

Many herbs, citrus extracts and other substances have been found to effectively reduce Candida populations but rarely are a complete Candida cure.

Studies have shown that the Candida can become resistant to any natural or medical therapy after continuous use.

Candida Cleansing

Candida cleansing is another method of treating Candida. Common cleansers include:

• Liquid Bentonite: This must be in liquid form for best results. If this treatment is in powder or tablet form, the body is left to convert it into a liquid form, which may or may not completely occur.
• Liquid Caprylic Acid: This treatment must be dissolved in a generous amount of olive oil.
• Psyllium Seeds and Husks: The seeds help to scrape and clean the walls of the intestines.

Candida Diet

It is important to avoid unnecessary use of antibiotics, steroid drugs and birth control pills when possible, as they promote the overgrowth of Candida.

Drinking plenty of purified water is also important. Those on the Candida diet should drink half their body weight in ounces of water per day (i.e., if you weigh 140 lbs, you should drink at least 70 ounces of water). Whether you have city water or well water, consider investing in a water purification system or buying high-quality purified water that is stored in non-porous plastic or glass.

Drug use, alcohol consumption and smoking lower your immunity, so they should be avoided.

Other helpful tips include:

• Allow adequate time for sleep.
• Avoid hydrogenated fats (such as that which exists in peanut butter, baked goods, margarine, etc.)
• Avoid meats treated with synthetic hormones or chemicals.
• Avoid refined sugar and refined, bleached, chemically treated flour.
• Develop effective stress management and relaxation skills to help combat both physical and emotional stress.
• Eat a lot of fresh and raw vegetables.
• Eat nutrient-rich, organic, minimally processed whole foods.
• Exercise regularly.
• Reduce fats and use those rich in Omega-3, such as olive oils.
• Take control of your diet by preparing most of your food yourself.

Resources

Gutauskas, Andrew and O'Kane, Monica (2003). Candida Treatment Overview Clean the Colon to Check Candida. Retrieved July 11, 2007, from the Whole Approach Web site: http://www.wholeapproach.com/clean.html.

Reinglass, Anthony (n.d.). Candida treatment: The elimination of candida — The right ways and the wrong ways! Retrieved July 11, 2007, from the Healthy Christian Living Web site: http://healthychristianliving.com/candida_treatment.htm.

WholeApproach.com (2003). Whole approach candida diet resources. Retrieved July 11, 2007, from the Whole Approach Web site: http://www.wholeapproach.com/diet/.