Dear Member,
Most guys are grateful they “don’t have to worry about that”. But the fact is that many men are affected by this growing problem, and they don’t even know it.
It’s more serious than you might think. Yeast is actually a fungus, known as Candida albicans, and grows inside all warm-blooded animals naturally. Candida is a normal part of the “microbe cocktail” that makes digestion possible.
But poor diet, stress, food additives, and antibiotics can all set us up for yeast overgrowth. That’s when the real problems begin.
Once the healthy balance of the “friendly” bacteria gets out of whack, Candida mutates into a fungal form that can wreak havoc. It can penetrate the intestinal walls and get into other tissues in the body.
This fungus produces toxic chemicals that can poison your entire system, so the more it spreads, the more of a toxic dump you’ll have to deal with.
Beyond the “usual” symptoms of a yeast infection – itching, pain, rashes – this bacterial mutant can cause a boatload of symptoms, including:
- Fatigue
- Bloating
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Poor complexion
- Suppressed Immune function 1
The complete list is much longer, but even worse is what can happen to the brain. Because yeast makes toxic chemical compounds – like alcohols, aldehydes, and hydrogen sulfide – the effect on the brain and nervous system can be devastating.
It’s not just the general “brain fog” that can cause poor concentration and focus. A yeast overgrowth can trigger seizures, confusion, poor memory, depression, learning difficulties, irritability, headaches and a short attention span.2
Many people who have suffered for years with the symptoms yeast can cause have felt like brand new people once they discovered and eliminated the yeast infections.
Do you have a yeast overgrowth? Here’s a simple test to help you find out:
1. When you get up in the morning, don’t put anything in your mouth, and fill a clear glass with bottled water at room temperature.
2. Work up some saliva, and spit it into the glass of water. Check the glass every 15 minutes or so for up to an hour.
3. If you see strings or fibers growing downward from the saliva floating on the top, cloudy specks or particles suspended in the water, or cloudy saliva that sinks to the bottom of the glass, chances are you have a Candida problem. See the figure below.
Though yeast infections can be a little tricky, there are things you can do to get this nasty, little fungus under control.
Limit your intake of carbohydrates—both sugars AND starches—like breads and cereals. Candida loves sugar and multiplies like crazy when you eat a lot of it.
Next, there are a number of supplements you can take that will help knock yeast out. Like:
- Calcium undecylenate – Castor oil – is one of the best things to take. It helps inhibit the spread of Candida, and is five times more powerful than other antifungal agents. Take 1 to 2 tablespoons a day.
- Pau D’Arco – a South American tree bark that has powerful antibacterial and antifungal chemicals that won’t harm the friendly bacteria in your body. I recommend you take 500 mg, 2-3 times a day.
- Berberine – this candida killer, found in a few herbs like goldenseal, barberry, and Oregon grape, can stop Candida from entering tissues.3-4 You can take 250mg, 2-3 times a day.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD
2. Dr. James Howenstine, MD., HOW CAN INTESTINAL BACTERIA INFLUENCE BRAIN FUNCTION?, http://www.newswithviews.com/Howenstine/james7.htm
3. Yordanov M, Dimitrova P, Patkar S, Saso L, Ivanovska N. Inhibition of Candida albicans extracellular enzyme activity by selected natural substances and their application in Candida infection. Can J Microbiol. 2008 Jun;54(6):435-40.
4. Park KS, Kang KC, Kim JH, Adams DJ, Johng TN, Paik YK. Differential inhibitory effects of protoberberines on sterol and chitin biosyntheses in Candida albicans.J Antimicrob Chemother. 1999 May;43(5):667-74.