Foods To Avoid If You Have Candida

Candida is the yeast that naturally lives within the mouth, gut and vagina. Normal levels of the yeast are fine for the body, but when it begins to overgrow it can cause problems. Thankfully though, there are many ways to help get the candida yeast levels back into balance, with one of the most popular being a candida cleanse diet. As part of this specific diet, there are certain foods that you should avoid as they can encourage the yeast to grow even more.

1. Sugary Foods

   

   Sugar, or glucose, is the main thing that yeast feeds on, so cutting out sugar can help to cut out candida infections. This includes the obvious such as cakes, biscuits, fizzy drinks and sweets, but also the sugars that may not be expected such as those in salad dressings, protein bars and even sweeteners.

2. Fruit Juices & Dried fruit

   

   A big source of sugar that feeds candida overgrowth is those from fruit. Whilst fruit is obviously good for your diet long term as they provide a range of essential nutrients, in the short term while dealing with candida, you’ll want to cut down on them, especially dried fruits and juices as these are often the worst culprits.

3. Gluten & Grains

   

   All grains, including gluten, are broken down into simple sugars during the digestive process and, as we now know, sugars can feed candida yeast. For this reason, it's best to avoid them both if you can or at least limit the amount you consume in the short-term until the symptoms of candida yeast has subsided.

4. Fermented Foods

   

   Types of fermented foods such as kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut and miso are all beneficial to a healthy body as they act as prebiotics to feed the bacteria in the gut. If you eat fermented foods when you have a candida infection, however, they can instead help feed the candida yeast so it’s best to wait until the infection is gone first.

5. Beer & Wine

   

   Both beer and wine are fermented and so can make any candida yeast overgrowth worse. Beer also contains gluten and wine contains high levels of sugar which we now know can both feed the candida yeast. Additionally, drinking alcohol can worsen leaky gut and cause candida to leak into the bloodstream.

6. Starchy Vegetables

   

   Usually, starchy vegetables are greatly beneficial to your body, but when suffering from a candida yeast overgrowth, it's best to limit your consumption. This is because they're a good source of carbohydrates which are broken down into sugars which can then feed the candida, so try focusing on leafy green vegetables instead.

7. Dairy

   

   Dairy is considered a highly inflammatory food so can be harmful to the body when suffering from candida. The inflammation can damage the gut lining leading to a leaky gut where the candida yeast can escape into the bloodstream. This causes your immune system to attack and can weaken your natural immunity.

Many people ask how to cure candida naturally and permanently, and one of the best ways is through a candida diet. Remember though that a candida diet where you avoid these foods should only be followed for a short period of time until the candida overgrowth has reached a healthy level again. Following it long term will cut a lot of essential nutrition out of your diet so isn't recommended. If you want a more long-term solution, try taking a natural candida supplement as these contain ingredients that can help fight candida yeast levels and keep them at bay.