(Also attached is an article I wrote very similar to this post which includes a bit more info on LGS and Candida, what they are and how they work to harm the body.)
In LGS [Leaky Gut Syndrome], the integrity of the intestines has been compromised which allows microbial toxins of the small intestines to flood into the blood stream. This event compromises the liver, the lymphatic system, and the immune response including the endocrine system.
List of symptoms- abdominal pain
- muscle or joint pain
- accelerated aging
- eye disorders
- chronic fatigue syndrome
- neurological disorders including: autism, ADHD, depression, OCD, other behavioral disorders, mood swings, confusion, poor concentration, fogginess, poor memory, migraines, anxiety, nervousness, aggressive behavior
Related Link: Depression, Anxiety and Other Neurological Disorders - endocrine disorders including: urinary tract infections, incontinence, and bedwetting
- digestive disorders including: food intolerances, obesity, constipation, bloating, gas, malnutrition, and irritable bowel syndrome
- skin disorders (usually a result of food intolerances) such as acne, rosacea, hives, dermatitis (atopic eczema), psoriasis, dandruff and hair loss
- female disorders including PMS, recurring vaginal infections, uterine fibroid, breast fibroid, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), and endometriosis
- autoimmune disorders including: osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, multiple sclerosis, Raynaud's disease (numbness in toes and fingers), lupus, fibromyalgia, diabetes, cancer, pediactric immune deficiencies, HIV positive, Reiter's syndrome, celiac disease, Crohn's disease, endotoxaemia, alopecia areata, vitiligo, Addison's disease, Celiac disease and vasculitis.
NOTE: There are many more, I've found in my research. I tried to list as many as I could remember. If you're not sure if your problem is autoimmune related - try Google. Type in "autoimmune", "autoimmunity", "leaky gut", or "Candida" in addition to your particular diagnosis and see what you come up with. You might be surprised at what you find.
Related Links:
Leaky Gut Syndrome - The Cause of it All
Leaky Gut is most often a result of parasites and/or Candida so the first step is to treat the underlying cause.
1. Change Your DietCandida eats sugar; therefore diets need to be altered to exclude all sugars wherever possible. For help on dietary changes , see the following links
Related Links:
Candida/Yeast: Symptoms & Cures
Candida Cleanse without Supplements
Treating Children for Candida/Yeast
Treating Candida/Yeast While Pregnant
Foods to Eat While Fighting Candida
Low Carb Recipes [Atkins, Anti-Candida, High Protein, etc.]
The Maker's Diet
Nourishing Traditions
The Yeast Connection Cookbook
Begin/Start a Healthier Diet/Lifestyle
GAPS Method / Diet [Gut and Psychology Syndrome]2. Kill the CandidaTake an antifungal. You can cleanse without supplements, merely by drastically changing your diet, but if the symptoms are severe and your budget allows, I would get a bit more drastic. There are many anti-Candida formulas on the market some over-the-counter and some that can be prescribed by a physician like Nystatin or Lamisil. I personally recommend Candida Clear because it's both antifungal and antiparasitic.
NOTE: Black Walnut is reputed to dry up mother's milk, so if you're pregnant or nursing Yeast Assassin is not recommended. An alternative treatment such as pure virgin coconut oil and/or pure aloe vera juice is recommended for yeast and figs or raw pumpkin seeds as a natural treatment for parasites.
Beka recommends starting the water cure at this step or even from the very beginning. The Water Cure is good for decreasing the Die Off symptoms. It will flush the body of the toxins released as the Candida Albicans die. This can be started/stopped at any juncture of your healing. I've not tried this myself, I just drank lots of water for detox and toughed out the rest.
I've found with some experimentation that activated charcoal can also help to lessen the symptoms that come with die-off.
You may also find after you've killed these little boogers, that further cleansing is in order. Heavy metals, old medication residues, etc, left to sit in the liver and the fat cells can cause the problem to continue or return. I'd personally recommend
Detox+ from the BHS for this. It's good stuff.
CAUTION: Natural immune boosters can actually be counterproductive if you're attempting to heal an autoimmune disease with these treatments. It might be wiser to consider antifungals which will not boost your T2 immune cell counts and make sure you get plenty of cod liver oil (or some other omega 3) to boost your T1 cell count to counteract the problem. (related link: Autoimmunity)Related Links:
Die-Off from Candida/Yeast: Causes, Effects, Risks & Reduction
Natural Antifungals
Parasites and Cleanses
The Water Cure
Yeast Assassin & Tummy Tuneup: Dosage & Duration
3. Eliminate Food AllergensEliminate foods that cause intolerances in the body. In many cases of Leaky Gut and Candida infestation, food intolerances develop. Since they occur over a long period of time, the body may react differently than would be expected so these are more difficult to detect. Food elimination diets are recommended to find food intolerances. Once determined which foods cause reactions in your body, these foods should be avoided for the duration of treatment. They can later be reintroduced to determine if the food intolerance has been reversed as a result of healing the leaky gut.
Related Links:
Allergy Rotation Diet
allergies and meal planning
Food allergies, intolerances, must read!
Infant Food Intolerances [Allergies] & Breastfeeding [Nursing]
How to Avoid Food Intolerances/Allergies in Childhood
Allergy Rotation Diet
Recognizing & Avoiding Allergens [Intolerances]
asthma vs allergies
Chronic Sinusitis! Could allergies be the culprit???
Dust & Mold Allergies
Medical Allergy Testing Options: Types, Suggestions, etc...4. Recolonize the GutTaking antibiotics, drinking unfiltered chlorinated water and having Candida overgrowth severely depletes or kills of all the naturally occurring bacteria in the lining of the intestines. Recolonize the gut with helpful microbials including bifido and lacto bacterias and nutritional yeasts (not to be confused with Candida). I take Gr8Dophilus which is probiotic supplement in capsule form. I highly recommend it, but others are available at your local health food store and GNC carries a good brand of 5 strain probiotics.
Beka recommends Tummy Tuneup Acidophilus Blast for most yeast infections; however, if Leaky Gut, or other severe symptoms are present, starting with Ultimate Defence for the first 2-4 weeks, and then moving to Acidophilus Blast is a good idea.
Eat naturally cultured foods such as yogurt, kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut, and kimchee. These foods can be bought commercially, but most contain extra sugars and preservatives. Sugar feeds Candida, so homemade is always best.
NOTE: After reading about this topic more thoroughly, I came across some interesting facts. Acidophilus is not only native to the GI tract, but also to the vagina and bifido bacteria is found primarily in the colon.
I'm convinced that if you have vaginal yeast symptoms, that getting acidophilus directly into the vagina is a good step in full recovery and I also believe that if digestion is an issue, that enemas containing bifido bacteria may be essential as well.Related Links:
Yogurt & Kefir: Recipes, Tips and Tricks
Making Kefir: Recipes, Tips & Tricks
Kombucha: Recipes, Tips & Tricks
Kefir, Whey & Sauerkraut
Nourishing Traditions
Yeast Assassin & Tummy Tuneup: Dosage & Duration
Anyone for Korean (Kimchee recipes)
About Fermentation
5. Heal the GutThe holes left by the vacating Candida may heal on their own, but more often than not, American diets are deficient and need help. In this case supplementation of Essential Fatty Acids may be necessary either in diet or pill form.
My research has led me to believe that the average American diet is overloaded with omega 6 fats and most people do not need supplementation in this area; however, this all depends on your diet. If you've followed step 1 and you've completely eliminated all of the junky food from your family's menu, then you might actually need to supplement your 6's as well.
If you think you need to supplement 6's and 3's, then Beeyoutiful sells a product called Omega Balance which can fill this need all in one pill.
For supplmentation of omega 3's only, I personally take and recommend Cod Liver Oil for a myriad of reasons. It's good for the joints, reversal of autoimmunity, a good source of vitamins A and D and it will help repair the muscousal lining in the intestines.
Beka's take on this is as follows:
I am convinced that the key to benefitting from the Omega oils is having enough of all of them. The problems occur when you have them out of balance. Most people in the USA are not getting enough 3's so taking only the 3's may work for them. HOWEVER - you don't know for sure if they are getting enough of 6, and 9 - and results show that some people benefit hugely from large doses of 6 as well. SO - I also think, and believe evidence suggests, that if a body is getting enough of all the Omegas, then the excess of any of them does not harm, but will just be flushed like the other vits they take. So making sure you get enough of all 3.6.9 is more important that making sure you are getting enough 3's - UNLESS you know for a fact that you are only defficient in 3's. I also believe they "work better" if they are all present in the system for processing at the SAME TIME. JMO. I would recommend taking Omega Balance as well as/or instead of Cod Liver Oil.
Amendment (added 06/22/2007): As Beka and I have been reading a book called Win the War Within, we have come to a better understanding of the importance of fatty acids and how they affect our overall health. I recommend you read this thread for more information on taking Essential Fatty Acids and why.
Inflammation & DietNatural sources of omega 6 fats include:Evening Primrose Oil, CottonSeed Oil, Peanut, Grapeseed Oil, Corn Oil, Cereals, Whole Grains, Whole Grain Bread, Corn, Safflower and Sunflower
Natural sources of omega 3 fats include:
Avacodoes, Walnuts, Walnut Oil, Fish Oil, Salmon, Scallops, Halibut, Shrimp, Snapper, Tofu, Squash, Herring, Mackerel, Anchovies, Sardines, Tuna, Chia, Perilla, Purslane, Lingonberry, Hemp, Krill, Krill Oil, Animal Fat (grass fed has higher fat content), Lamb (even commercial lamb is generally grass fed and is reputed to be one of the best meat sources), Dairy (grass fed has higher fat content), MicroAlgae(Crypthecodinium cohnii and Schizochytrium), Brown Algae and Acai(Palm Fruit)
Natural sources of both omega 3s and omega 6s include:
Eggs, Flax Seed and Flax Seed Oil
I also recommend taking an amino acid supplement called L.Glutamine. It's available in pill form at most places that sell nutritional supplements. This amino acid is found naturally in good healthy meats.
Aloe vera juice also contains 6 of the 8 essential sugars called glyconutrients and are beneficial for healing the lining of the intestines.
Related Links:
Essential Fatty Acid (EFA) Daily Intake Log: Schedules & Effects
Leaky Gut Syndrome - The Cause of it All
Boosting Your Immune System: Avoiding Illness
Hydrogenated Fats
NOTE: the following are not treatments for leaky gut. they were only included in the list to show any interested in these protocols what they should do first. detoxing the liver should not be done before parasites are treated and the master cleanse should not be done if the body has candida as the sugar in the master cleanse could only exacerbate the problem.
6. Detox the LiverIf you've cleansed the Candida and are healing the gut and you're still feeling toxic, your liver may be overloaded. Candida overgrowth in itself can cause toxicity in the liver, and if you've had a myriad of symptoms and have been treated by a physician, then any meds taken may have also caused additional toxicity in your liver and/or gallbladder.
At this point, a liver/gallbladder flush may be in order. Do not do this step without first treating for parasites as mentioned in the first steps.
If you want something less aggressive drinking Kombucha and/or taking a milk thistle supplement would be highly recommended. Spirulina and chlorella are reputed to be liver detoxifiers as well. For an easy way to get all three, you could take some SuperMom. I take the SuperDad as I cannot handle the iron in SuperMom. SuperDad; however doesn't contain any milk thistle.
Beka has mentioned that Spirulina can exacerbate yeast growth as mercury toxins are flushed. So - if a person has multiple amalgam fillings, they might consider waiting on the Supermom until after they conquer the yeast problem.
Related Links:
Liver Flush/Gallbladder Cleanse
Yeast Assassin & Tummy Tuneup: Dosage & Duration
Mercury/Amalgam Fillings7. The Master Cleanse This diet was not designed for Candida cleansing or leaky gut healing; however, it's been found to be beneficial in reversing damage done to many systems in the body and very good to help reset the tastebuds to crave more healthy foods and less unhealthy sugars and preservatives. You might even lose a few pounds, but be warned, without a healthy diet to follow, the pounds will only return to haunt you.

This diet takes a bit more fortitude than taking a few supplements, but could definitely speed up your recovery time.
This cleanse should be postponed until yeast is under control as the sugar in the diet in the form of maple syrup could actually impede your progress fighting candida.
Related Links:
The Master Cleanse
Breastfeeding and Master Cleanse
AVOID: Refined sugars and grains, oral contraceptives, ibuprofen and other NSAIDS, excessive alcohol, prescription meds which affect the liver, chlorinated water and ESPECIALLY antibiotics whenever possible. If these things cannot be avoided, then daily supplementation of probiotics is a MUST.
WATERThere is no other substance in the world like water. You can never have too much. There is no toxicity level. You can drink it all day long. You can cook with it, clean with it. IT IS the source of organic life. Drink lots of it. It will definitely help you cleanse your kidneys and bowels and will probably help you to lose weight in many different ways. The toxins for one, but if you're constantly drinking water, your tummy won't have room for sodas, sugary drinks and even less room for food. The water will also help to speed digestion which speeds up your metabolism which burns more fat.
No matter what, you can't go wrong with water.
For more info on water, health benefits and what kind to drink, visit
this Podcast and hear all about this wonderful resource.
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